[Peakoil] FW: The views of locals on global warming

[POLLARD,Sandy]

ACT POers. Forwarding my response to an entrant in the 2007 Rural
Ambassador Award.
 
Is there any interest in adopting the manifesto below (with suitable
additions and expansions, e.g. adopting the Oil Depletion Protocol,
adding points for city and suburban)?
 
In the best of all (well-funded) worlds, we could publish such a list as
an election year wish/hit list.
 
Personally, I'd use ALL of the Future Fund on things like this,
otherwise there ain't gonna be no future nohow! 

________________________________

From: POLLARD,Sandy 
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 3:08 PM

Subject: The views of locals on global warming


Dear Dasha,

 

Thanks for the opportunity to express opinions on "how does global
warming affect my agricultural society and my community, and what can we
do to address this problem?"

 

My response will deal mainly with the second 'solutions' part (the
potential effects are well-canvassed elsewhere, and are starting to
become self-evident)!

 

I'm hoping to fully reference these points for everyone's info - and
will get to this as soon as I can. There are some basic links at the
bottom.

 

Global Warming is only one half of the 'fossil fuels problem'. The other
half is 'Peak Oil'. Thankfully, solutions to one usually also apply to
the other.

 

Opinions and suggestions below are mine alone, and don't necessarily
represent the views of the Captains Flat Community Association. I've
Cc'd the list in the hope of stimulating further (local) discussion.

 

--

 

To address the effects of global warming at the rural and regional
level, Federal, State and Local governments (and individuals where
possible) should immediately:  

 

 

1.	Introduce carbon taxes or universal carbon allocation methods
(at worst, introduce commercial carbon cap-and-trade schemes, noting
that the usefulness of these is starting to be seriously questioned).
It is essential that the real costs of fossil fuel reliance are no
longer treated as externalities in our economy.
	   
2.	Make it more possible and affordable for rural and regional
communities to use clean renewable energy, by increasing the Mandatory
Renewable Energy Target (MRET). Affordability is a function of scale,
and could also be subsidised by carbon taxes.
	
3.	Encourage and enable investment at a community level in the
development of local renewable energy networks, which can work both as
self-contained, and grid-connected systems. Such systems become sources
of local employment, income generation, and sustainable (distributed)
infrastructure.
	
4.	Encourage and enable local biodiesel and ethanol/butanol
production, but only where these can be shown to be appropriate in terms
of net energy produced, ecological and GHG impacts, and cost of
displacing essential food crops.
	
5.	Encourage on-farm, town and regional use of the new and
developing 'agri-char' systems.  These systems take biomass
(purpose-grown or waste), pyrolise it, and can produce both energy and
fertiliser streams, while adding additional value by sequestering carbon
in soil.  Similarly develop on-farm and town methane-digestion systems
for waste disposal and fuel production.  (Methane-digestion can also
form part of food production systems).
	    
6.	Encourage and enable the development of Community Supported
Agriculture schemes, farmers' markets and local production and
consumption of food produce. Such schemes reduce GHG emissions by
reducing 'food miles' travelled, help preserve the traditional
food-growing knowledge (and non-hybrid seeds) base, invigorate local
communities and shield them from potential supply shortages.
	
7.	Encourage any and all other initiatives that create local
employment, reducing the need for residents to commute to larger centres
or second jobs.
	
8.	Improve and enforce energy wasteful building standards,
emphasising a mix of passive solar construction, combined heat and power
(CHP) techniques, solar PV and solar hot water.  Mandate these for new
developments. 
	  
9.	Disallow any developments that strain local energy, food and
water resources, and/or create enclaves of commuters to larger centres.
	
10.	Rebuild and extend rural and regional rail networks. With some
caveats, rail has better greenhouse and fuel efficiency impacts that
road transport.
	
11.	Improve public transport and local and regional bikeways.
Support community car-pooling schemes.
	   
12.	Do the right research (and then take steps) to keep the Country
Fire Authority and Rural Fire Service viable under the conditions
implied by Global Warming and Peak Oil. Bush fires are a notable
positive feedback loop in GW scenarios (more fires mean more CO2
released, less forest carbon capture, more diesel consumed in trucks and
pumps-all contributing to more warming). One suggested action:

	*	Financial support for landowners to position additional
tank water storage on property high-points, combined with suitable
plumbing to critical property and fill-point areas.  This would enable
(a) 'gravity fed' rapid first response; (b) less time spent, diesel
consumed and accident risk in tankers travelling to more distant
fill-points; (c) some potential for tanks to also be used as pumped
storage for micro-hydro power generation for local and grid-connect
systems, thereby helping to offset the cost. (Under Peak Oil scenarios,
saving expensive diesel fuel would also be a major cost offset).  For
maximum GHG effect (and to mitigate against liquid fuel shortages),
Solar PV or Wind (direct, electric or compressed air) pumps should be
used to fill these tanks from lower-level water. 

13.	Study the submissions, evidence and report of the recent
Australian Senate 'Peak Oil' Inquiry, and implement all its
recommendations.            

--
 
References and links:
 
Climate Change information:
 
http://www.realclimate.org/
 
Peak Oil information:
 
http://www.energybulletin.net/  (has a Peak Oil primer in top links)
 
http://www.theoildrum.com/
 
Australian Senate Inquiry into Australia's future oil supply and
alternative transport fuels:
 
http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/oil_supply/index.htm
 
--
 
Good luck with your presentation, and all the best in the Award!! 
 
 
Regards
 

Sandy Pollard

 
-------------

 

-----Original Message-----

From: capt.fun at bigpond.net.au [mailto:capt.fun at bigpond.net.au
<mailto:capt.fun at bigpond.net.au> ]

Sent: Thursday, 15 March 2007 10:37 PM

To: communityassociation at captainsflat.org

Subject: The views of locals on global warming

Dear Captains Flat Community Association

I am a quasi-local who will be travelling to country Victoria on the
31st of the month to compete in the Southern NSW/Northern Districts of
Victoria Zone Finals of the 2007 Rural Ambassador Award. 

As part of the judging process candidates are required to present a
public address on the issue of global warming, which was released at
21:54 tonight.

The exact question to be addressed is: how does global warming affect my
agricultural society and my community, and what can we do to address
this problem?

As an ambassador who is essentially speaking on behalf of the people of
this region, I feel there is a need to solicit the opinions of those I
will be representing, rather than simply expounding my own views.

If you know of anyone who may wish to put forward their opinions on the
topic for consideration before I prepare my speech please encourage them
to forward their ideas to Capt.Fun at bigpond.net.au by Saturday the 24th
of March 2007. 

Palerang Council have also agreed to post a note on their website
encouraging residents to set forth their position on this pertinent
issue, but I can appreciate that most locals don't hang out on the
Council's webpage for fun. 

The more responses I receive, the more accurately I will be able to
embody the views of those I will be representing.

Warm regards

Dasha Newington

 

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