[snip] Keeping chickens and other barnyard animals within city limits is not always easy -- or simply not allowed -- depending on where you live. Each city in the tri-county area has its own rules. But the difficulties don't seem to deter city folk who hanker to keep barnyard animals in... (read more)

Note: The term "shut-in" means "shut down - not operating". According to The Oil Drum: "Hurricane Ike's current track predicts landfall between Corpus Christi and Galveston, but has been moving northwards. Within the current National Hurricane Center predicted storm path lies about 5 million bpd of US petroleum refining capacity. (Perspective: 5... (read more)

This alert was forwarded by Onward Oregon. Are the twin challenges of climate change and disappearing fossil fuel reserves a huge threat to America or do they provide the greatest opportunity of our time? How we answer this question will help determine how we respond. Cylvia Hayes, executive director of 3E Strategies,... (read more)

When an East Coast politician has a great idea to force citizens to act a certain way, ostensibly for their own good, we shudder. When that politician is a Republican, we shake our heads in amazement. In this case, it's Virginia Sen. John Warner, ex-husband to Liz Taylor and a life-long resident... (read more)

[Ed - Abridged. See full original article via link at bottom] Photographer: Sverre Koxvold On the last day of the [Findhorn Foundation's Positive Energy] Conference, Richard Heinberg was warmly welcomed back for his second presentation. Last night he gave us 'Peak Everything: Waking Up to the Century of Declines.' Now that... (read more)

Richard Heinberg has posted a blog on the topic of peak oil depression. A good solid read on the debilitating affects of "understanding too much" about the implications of peak oil. Here's an excerpt (original accessible at the link at the bottom): Awareness of Peak Oil, Climate Change, impending global economic... (read more)

Mr. Wissner of Middleville Stocks Up on Rice, Gold; No Faith in a 'Techno Fix' By NEIL KING JR. January 26, 2008; Page A1 MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. -- It was around midnight one evening in November when Aaron Wissner shot up in bed, jolted awake by a fear: He wasn't fully ready for the... (read more)

Earth Policy Institute News Release http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm “In late summer 2007, reports of ice melting were coming at a frenetic pace. Experts were ‘stunned’ when an area of Arctic sea ice almost twice the size of Britain disappeared in a single week,” writes Lester R. Brown in his new book, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing... (read more)

THE world's biggest car maker, General Motors, believes the global oil supply has peaked and a switch to electric cars is inevitable. In a stunning announcement at the opening of the Detroit Motor Show yesterday, GM's chairman and chief executive officer, Rick Wagoner, said ethanol was an important interim solution to... (read more)

The Oregon Environmental Council has announced the launch of “On the Way to Carbon Neutral,” an online resource that outlines steps businesses can take to develop and implement a plan to reduce their carbon footprint, and resources that are available to them in Oregon. We have added a link... (read more)

A bunch of neighbors in the ’burbs have the peak-oil book market cornered. BY PAIGE RICHMOND OIL FREE: The Washington County Peak Oil Reading Group’sDonna Maebori and Peter Lunsford at the Cedar Hills Crossing outpost of Powell’s Books.IMAGE: Darryl James When the global oil supply dries up, Donna Maebori, 56, and Peter Lunsford,... (read more)

This week, the price of crude oil is trading at a shocking $96 a barrel. By year’s end, analysts predict petroleum will reach $100. And it’s not going to stop there. The world we’ve created runs on oil. But energy experts say the world is running out of oil. Much... (read more)

ASPO, The Association For the Study of Peak Oil has concluded their annual conference in Houston, TX. Over 525 people attended this year’s conference, a record for what was already the world’s largest annual conference on peak oil. Some 60 speakers addressed attendees who came from 18 countries... (read more)

The Energy Watch Group, a major energy think-tank based in Germany, issued a major report on global Crude Oil: The Supply Outlook. Report is available for download here. "The major result from this analysis is that world oil production has peaked in 2006. Production will start to decline at a... (read more)

Speculators, fueled by the tumbling dollar, have driven a barrel of oil above $90 for the first time. For light, sweet crude — the low-sulfur grade refined into gasoline — the price in after-hours trading hit $90.02 for supplies delivered next month. That came on top of a $2.07 rise... (read more)

We laud heroes who save us from dangers that are immediate and concrete. President Franklin Roosevelt lifted the spirits of an America weary from economic depression and later led that nation through a victorious war against the forces of fascism. We celebrate the brave police officers and firefighters of the... (read more)

The United States must expand domestic oil and gas production while developing renewable sources and energy-efficient technology to secure its energy supply, according to John Hofmeister, the Houston-based president of Shell Oil Co. Hofmeister’s stop Tuesday at a lunch at the New Orleans World Trade Center’s Plimsoll Club was No. 44... (read more)

What if you could add $2.6 billion annually to your local economy? That's what Portland has effectively done by getting its citizens to drive just 4 fewer miles a day, according to a briefing paper by our colleague Joe Cortright called Portland’s Green Dividend. What Joe found has big implications for... (read more)

I invite everyone to check out my new web site, www.curtsommer.org. I apologize if you are receiving this message twice.... (read more)

In a news item posted here last week we asked if the just-published IEA's Medium Term Oil Market Report was essentially admitting that the peak in oil production had been reached. Our conclusion was that, although the report didn't say so directly, its evidence was pretty clear and that... (read more)

Lot's of folks want to know how they can get started in reducing their own energy usage. But how do we begin? What can we do to get started? These questions nag at us constantly. Many people have heard of the Oil Depletion Protocol, but most don't realize... (read more)

It has been almost a year since Edward Culp established a Meetup Group website to attract and connect with local area citizens who were concerned about the peak oil issue. Ed had studied the issue extensively and wanted to meet others who shared his deep concerns about the implications... (read more)

We are gearing up here in Eugene for a wonderful weekend of networking, sharing what we are learning about eco logical/sustainable culture and moving forward the ideals of a more healthy and peaceful Planet Earth. Contents of the Update, scroll down for more details. 1] Nuts and Bolts about the Gathering-... (read more)