LIFE AFTER OIL

Designing Pathways For

Rob Hopkins describes one community’s attempt at designing a prosperous way down from the peak.

REACHING THE PEAK of the UK Weekly Food viable. We need to rethink a very sobering look at the There is an emerging Basket’, argued that food how we will construct energy whole issue. It makes consensus that we are could only be called efficient shelter in a lower it very clear that the problem either very close to, or have sustainable when it is grown energy near future. There is is on a scale that is almost passed, the peak in world and consumed within a 20 the need for relocalisation, of unimaginable, and that the oil production. As someone mile radius. We have to build looking at what is essential to solutions are really not in who has been involved in a local food economy from an our lives (food, warmth, place at all, or anywhere environmental issues for almost totally non-existent shelter, water) and rebuilding near being so. We are so 16 years, and dependent on oil for every for 13 years, I have to ask aspect of our lives, that its myself how I didn’t see this Traveller, there are no roads. gradual (or rapid, depending one coming. Its implications Roads are made by travelling. on who you listen to...) but are profound. No longer is steady disappearance from it in any way an appropriate Spanish proverb our lives will force us to response to say ‘we need to redesign our communities recycle’, when the process base. There has been no time the local economy in such a and our own lives. We need of recycling requires in history when anything less way that it is able to supply to relearn the skills that transporting recyclable waste than 70% of the population these. The process of sustained our ancestors; long distances. We have to were involved in the produc- dismantling our diverse and crafts, local medicines, the look much deeper at the tion of food. Nowadays it is complex local economics over great art of growing food. whole waste question. more like 6% (in Ireland). the last 50-60 years was a This is THE big challenge. An excellent recent report ‘Green’ building that relies on disastrous one – easy to do by Tim Lang and Jules Pretty imported ‘ecological’ but incredibly hard to rebuild. BECOMING AWARE ‘Farm Costs and Food Miles: materials from Germany or The recent award winning My introduction to all An Assessment of the Full Cost Denmark will no longer be film The End of Suburbia1 is this came through meeting www.permaculture.co.uk No. 45 Permaculture Magazine 27 Dr Colin Campbell. He lives on the same scale as a wartime organic vegetables for local think-tank’ in order to hear The groups came up with regards to the subject in in Ballydehob in West Cork, mobilisation, to begin markets and how a changing the community’s ideas about with a wealth of ideas and question. This is followed by and set up and runs the building a low energy future. economy would make that how energy descent would possibilities that werefed back The Vision, which is written Association for the Study of Another inspiration for me more viable. We heard about affect the community and to the rest of the participants in such a way as to give Peak Oil. He worked in the was a woman from the north the realities of living off what might be done about afterwards. The feedback the reader an idea of how oil industry for over 30 years, of Ireland who was from a the grid, and the financial it. Before the event we sent after the day was very good. Kinsale could be, if all the and since his retirement very dynamic community implications of doing so. We personal invitations to the We learnt a few lessons from recommendations up to that has devoted himself to development group for saw the practicalities of the people in Kinsale that we the event that would be point had been implemented. researching the real picture a small town in decline. people trying to put the first had identified as being the helpful for people doing it Part of the challenge with of oil availability; how much Farming was dying, and they building blocks in place, and movers and shakers in the again. Firstly, a lot of people permaculture I feel is how we is left, where it is and so on. wanted a new direction for their visions for how things town, drawn from the sectors sent apologies that they convey to people the concept It is Colin who has really the town with a sustainability might change. We began identified above. We also would have liked to come, that a lower energy future brought Peak Oil to the focus. What they did was to envisage a three to four left the event open to the but they were just too busy could be preferable, more world’s attention, untiringly bring in a sustainability year process of community public and put posters up to give up a whole day. We abundant and more fulfilling travelling the world, lecturing ‘expert’ who told them that consultation, education and around the town. From the found it difficult to come up than the present. This section governments, investment they needed to develop awareness-raising, combined 60 people invited, about 35 with another model though, aims to do that, so that bankers, energy experts, ‘eco-tourism’, a sustainable with practical implementation turned up on the day. The because for us it worked very people can see in their minds telling them all the same replacement for farming. of projects on the ground event itself was opened by the well showing the film and eye what it would look like. thing; we are about to peak, I was horrified by this; it and the formulation of a Mayor of Kinsale, Mr Charles then having the discussions This is then followed and we need to re-evaluate seemed to me to be taking all timetabled plan for making Henderson, who spoke of straight away while the by a list of suggestions what we are doing, because it the community’s eggs out of this transition. This plan was the importance of energy as feeling of urgency that the and recommendations, in is going to change everything. one basket and just putting named the Kinsale Energy an issue and how it affects all film engenders is still fresh chronological order. These Last September Colin them all into another. Also, Descent Action Plan. The idea aspects of our lives and our in their minds. We were able, are meant to be ambitious came to Kinsale Further all the ideas had come from was that this year’s second economy. This was followed thanks to the generosity of but achievable, given a Education Centre to talk to the ‘expert’ rather than the year students produce the by a screening of The End of many cafes and restaurants in good deal of ambition and my second year permaculture community itself. I thought first draft, which is then put Suburbia. Kinsale who sponsored the support. Each section is then students, who had seen The that a lot more would have out to the community for After the film, Thomas event, to put on a sumptuous rounded off with a collection End of Suburbia the previous been achieved by running a consultation, and then the Riedmuller, who teaches spread for lunch, which of resources and internet day. Colin gave them an permaculture design course following year’s students Community Leadership at people loved, and which kept links. The last section of the introduction to petroleum for the people in the village revise the document and Kinsale FEC, introduced up the energy of the event. Action Plan is a proposal geology, how and where oil and letting the ideas come update it. We felt that this the concept of Open Space We wondered if it might for a Kinsale Sustainability forms, and then went on to from them. would take about three years Technology as a tool for have been good to have had Centre. The idea is that the look at how much is left and The students and I realised to produce something nearing facilitating such events. Open a few screenings of the film Centre would be formed with where it is. His presentation that what was lacking were a definitive document, Space is based on the idea in the community first, so the brief of implementing was thorough and well examples of towns who had although there would always that the most productive some people could have seen the Action Plan, and would researched and his findings actually started to look at this need to be space allowed discussion and idea sharing it in advance one evening, create five posts for students were compelling. It was a subject. Had anyone actually for the document to adapt at any event happens during and so wouldn’t have had at the end of their second real eye opener. started to design pathways to developments, to be the tea breaks. Open Space is, to give up so much of their year. They would, in effect, down from the peak for a ‘tweaked’. in essence, a long tea break, time to attend the discussion. be Community Permaculture FIRST STEPS settlement anywhere in the We had brainstorms on where groups are formed to We found Open Space an Field Workers, out in the This led on to the students world? Cuba is an often cited each of the different areas discuss certain issues, and excellent tool for getting town helping the community and I planning the Kinsale example, but Cuba was we identified for the Action everyone is free to move people talking in a relaxed to put in place the steps Energy Descent Action Plan forced to localise by circum- Plan. These were Food, Youth between discussion groups, and informal way. of the Action Plan. The project. The term energy stance (Russian oil supplies and Community, Education, based on the principals of Sustainability Centre would descent was originally used by being withdrawn). We wanted Housing, Economy and Centre four photographs of Kinsale © Brian Graham ‘where you are is where THE ACTION PLAN act as a focus for the work, ecologist Howard T Odum in to try and create an example Livelihoods, Health, Tourism, you are meant to be’, and After the event we collated running courses and training, his book A Prosperous Way of a town looking at what Transport, Waste, Energy and ‘if you feel you need to be the information that had but also providing a service, Down, and was picked up Peak Oil will actually mean to Marine Resources. Future somewhere else, go there’. come in from the day and providing initiatives such as and used by David Holmgren them, and to vision how they years may add new cate- Those assembled took to pairs of students selected an urban market garden. in his seminal Permaculture – want a low-energy future to gories to this, but it seemed the Open Space model with different subject areas. I Pathways and Principles be. As there was no existing a good starting list. We made great enthusiasm, and it was supplied a wealth of reading NEXT STEPS Beyond Sustainability.2 It pathway in place, we had to mind maps of the issues extremely productive. People material for background Next year’s second year refers to the time beyond the make one up. raised and possible solutions were invited to identify the research, and the students students will take the Plan as peak, the downward trend in to them. We also invited specific problems and issues did a lot of internet research it is and develop it further. energy availability. Holmgren STARTING FROM SCRATCH speakers into the class who that the film raised for them. of useful ideas and examples The idea is to set up a series makes the point that we need The first thing we did was had a lot of knowledge on These were recorded on large from around the world. The of Think Tank events, like to plan for this descent, to visit a number of good some of these topics. sheets of paper and pinned up final result is the ‘Kinsale the Kinsale 2021 day, but rather than simply allowing it permaculture/organic projects on the wall. They were then Energy Descent Action Plan which are more specific to to unfold in a series of random in the West Cork area for KINSALE 2021 collated into subject areas, – Version.1 2005’ (see Reviews different areas of the Plan, and chaotic events. This point ideas and inspiration. We On Saturday 12th February and each of these became the p.58) which is our first for example one on health, is also made by Richard also talked to the proprietors 2005 we held an event in basis for a discussion group. attempt at a year-by-year where they invite all the Heinberg in his book about practical responses to Kinsale called ‘Kinsale in The groups covered the follow- plan for the town. Each people in Kinsale working Powerdown – Options and energy descent that were tried 2021 – Towards a Prosperous, ing subjects: Food, Rebuilding section of the report begins in the field, and another on Actions for a Post-carbon and tested. This gave us some Sustainable Future Together’, Communities, Youth Group/ with a section called ‘The education, inviting teachers, Future,3 where he calls for a useful insights. We heard which took place in the Education, Business and Present’. This attempts to parents and other people planned descent, an inter- about the practical realities Town Hall. The event was Technology, Tourism and succinctly summarise what is with an involvement. These national response to Peak Oil of making a living growing presented as a ‘community Renewable Energy. the problem now, in 2005, events would be based

28 Permaculture Magazine No. 45 www.permaculture.co.uk www.permaculture.co.uk No. 45 Permaculture Magazine 29 around people. At the same now undertaking a PhD in time we need to engage them Energy Descent Planning at as much as possible, and see Plymouth University. our work as being of service. I feel this is fascinating work 1 and should be begun in every (DVD), price £12.00. settlement. It is big picture thinking, town-scale perma- 2 Permaculture – Pathways culture, and needs to be rolled & Principles Beyond Sus- out across the country as a tainability, price £19.95 matter of great urgency (£17.95 Subscribers’ Price).

Rob Hopkins is a perma- 3 Powerdown – Options & culture teacher, and was Actions for a Post-carbon course co-ordinator of the Future, price £10.95. Practical Sustainability Course at Kinsale Further All the above titles are Education Centre in available from PM’s Earth Co. Cork, Ireland. He is Repair Catalogue. around what has already people to look beyond where been proposed in the Plan, we are now, and beyond but getting feedback as to simply allowing events to how practical our suggestions unravel, and to look towards PEAK OIL DVDs are. These events will serve where they would like to be. a dual purpose, firstly they’ll It allows people to dream, but act as an essential community not in a woolly ungrounded sounding board for the Plan’s way. It is rooted in practical- ideas, and secondly they open ity, looking at the building doors into the community blocks, we can’t put the for the project, and all kinds second one in place before of new practical projects are the first one. In the same way proposed and contacts made. that in permaculture design They also serve to bring this we aim to make our mistakes work to the community, on paper first so as to avoid rather than expecting it to costly mistakes in the land- come to us, or sitting around scape, with Energy Descent thinking ‘why is no-one doing Action Plans we aim to clarify END OF SUBURBIA anything’. The great thing a step-by-step way down, so A brutally honest exploration of how the American suburban dream with being based in a college as to best focus our energies. will collapse when rocketing fuel prices destroy the sprawling drive- doing this work is that you I also think it is important in culture. What can be done now – both individually and collectively can call on 30 pairs of hands to be realistic. For example, – to prevent social mayhem? Fascinating and disturbing. 78 minutes. if the feeling is to go and build I don’t feel it is realistic to Code: ESO £12.00 a garden somewhere. 30 pairs imagine that anything of hands get a lot done! approaching a majority of the COLIN CAMPBELL – Interview population will start growing Veteran petroleum geologist explains the basics of Peak Oil, gas depletion, petroleum geology, geo-politics and the role of the free FINAL THOUGHTS food without a massive crisis market in depleting energy reserves. (NTSC). These are early days for to force them into doing so. Code: CCI £12.00 this project. We have However, what we can do is had no models to work start putting in place the MATT SIMMONS – Interview from and have had to infrastructure that will be The chairman of the world’s largest energy investment banking firm invent this process as we needed (seed saving clubs, offers a painstaking assessment of the in Saudi Arabia go along. It has not been excluding a certain which dispel the myth that growth in production is possible. Engaging and seminal. 4 hours. (NTSC). conducted by professionals proportion of land in urban Code: MSI £12.00 or by a respected research areas from development, organisation. It has had no preserving skills and – Interview external funding other than knowledge, teaching skills to Human ecologist Heinberg gives us a fascinating chapter-by-chapter the ability to use the college younger people, creating synopsis of his visionary book, Powerdown, plus an in depth facilities. It is a student community compost schemes interview about life after fossil fuels. 2+ hours. (NTSC). project, and we make no so we have a resource of Code: RHI £12.00 claims for it being a complete compost for growers). When SPECIAL OFFER – BUY ALL FOUR FOR £40.00 and thorough document. people say, “But where will What it is though is a very our fruit come from?”, we All DVDs are multi-regional and are available from: important and far-reaching can say, “From the five acre Permanent Publications piece of work. It does some- orchard over there that we The Sustainability Centre, East Meon, Hampshire PO8 0RU thing that I think is very bold planted seven years ago”. Tel: 0845 458 4150 (local rate UK only) or 01730 823 311 and powerful. It invites We can begin to build systems

30 Permaculture Magazine No. 45 www.permaculture.co.uk