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KUFM Commentary- October 2008 --------------------------------------------------------- Embracing Our Future Daring to contemplate the future these days is not a pastime for the faint of heart. Confronted by unprecedented climate change, skyrocketing energy costs, global financial turmoil, widespread military confrontations, and possible food shortages, even the most optimistic among us must admit that the challenges we face will require remarkable vision and good fortune to negotiate. Modern civilization's insatiable appetite for energy links these and other problems, as we now begin to experience directly what we have long known scientifically: fossil fuel supplies are strictly limited by geology, and sooner or later they will run out. Obviously that day has not yet come, but more important may be the turning point when we “Peak”, that is, when production of oil, natural gas, and coal will begin the unavoidable decline that their natural geology assures. In the case of conventional oil, many experts believe that global production has already peaked. Our willingness to despoil pristine Alaskan wildlife areas, drill frighteningly deep offshore wells, and engage in bankrupting military offensives in oil rich regions offers strong evidence that the era of easy oil is now past. Coal, which until fairly recently was considered almost inexhaustible, is following a similar course, although its peak is not as imminent. Still, we collectively exhibit desperate behavior by consenting to hack off entire mountains in its pursuit, literally burying important ecosystems in the process as is now common practice in West Virginia and parts of British Columbia. And if this were not enough insult to the planet, the burning of these fuels threatens our very existence by pollution of precious soil, water, and atmosphere. Conventional economic wisdom proclaims that free markets can effectively respond to scarcity of resources by substitution with others. With what shall we substitute clean air and water, functioning ecosystems, healthy communities, and a stable climate? Who among us would be happy with a technological counterfeit for any of these even if one could be created? How can we expect to quickly replace what has taken millions of years to concentrate in the form of fossil fuels? What are our true alternatives? The subject of alternative energy has been getting a lot of air time recently, including large scale biofuel, solar, and wind projects. Now, ironically, even coal and nuclear power have joined the roster of so called “alternatives” by simply prefixing them with the word "clean". Too often “alternative” boils down to "substitute", which implies that we can simply go on consuming as if there is no tomorrow, continuing on the path of unfettered exponential growth. Alternative can also mean to choose an entirely different course of action, and it is to this meaning that I would like to turn our attention. The Gordian knot that ties our fates together with energy, though vexing, presents real opportunity. The changes required to undo this knot are at once radical, practical, and personal. To begin with, we must use less energy. Much, much less. Conservation is the single most immediate and effective way to lower energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It does not require any major investment or fancy technology, just a commitment to replace gluttonous energy habits with conservative ones. Walk, ride a bike, or simply travel less. Keep your house cooler in the winter, and caulk and insulate if possible. Buy fewer things. Food is our most immediate and essential source of energy, and yet scant attention is paid to it in conventional energy analysis. Making a firm commitment to eating nourishing local foods that are produced with sensible energy and fertility inputs can be a powerful way to reduce personal energy consumption while building valuable connections with farmers and ranchers. And of course gardening at a family or community scale provides not only fantastic food, but nourishes relationships with our friends and the soil that is fundamental to our existence. Reducing consumption and developing a closer bond to our food sources dovetail quite nicely with the third leg of a meaningful approach to the future, that of rebuilding human scaled, face to face community. As we spend less time driving and more time gardening and trading with our neighbors, local networks will emerge to provide a genuine alternative to the impersonal and predatory global economy. The Alternative Energy Resource Organization, AERO, is a great way to learn more about what you can do to simplify your life, use less energy, eat better food, and engage with others who share these goals. Our upcoming annual meeting to be held on the west shore of Flathead Lake includes a keynote address by well known writer and activist Richard Heinberg, to be given on Saturday November first. Author of several pivotal books on energy, society, and community, including The Party's Over, Powerdown, and Peak Everything, Dr. Heinberg will focus on how community building is essential in approaching both climate change and Peak Oil. He will also speak in Missoula about the future of coal at 8:00 PM on October 30th in room 352 of the University's Social Sciences building. I hope you will join us. I'm Jeffrey Funk for the Alternative Energy Resources Organization. My commentary is one of the many conversations we're having at AERO. AERO is a grassroots membership organization that's been building communities by linking people with sustainable agriculture and energy solutions for 35 years. To join the conversation and become part of the solution, call us in Helena at (406) 443-7272.
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