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Peak Oil and the Mormons

JeanArnold — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 09:09:20 -0800

Salt Lake City is world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - within the city proper just less than half now calls itself Mormon – statewide the figure is about 62%. The Church is now embarking on a massive redevelopment project in downtown Salt Lake City's core, with mixed use (offices, mall shopping, residential, a grocery store). The Church has extensive corporate holdings, primarily in agribusiness, media, insurance, travel, and real estate. Here in Utah, the Church holds a tremendous amount of influence over local culture and public policy formation.

ALLY OR OBSTACLE?

The Church could potentially be seen as an obstacle, or on the opposing side, of relocalization efforts – as it moves slowly in big decisions, avoids overtly political issues, etc. On the positive side, the Church has opposed local storage of nuclear waste; it has planned for disaster; it can mobilize members quickly; it cares about the poor; and was founded on principles of self-sufficient intentional community (even if it has substantially shifted away from this). Post Carbon Salt Lake could do outreach to environmentally-minded people, already receptive to relocalization concepts, but to ultimately have a broad impact, we may need to do serious outreach to the Church and/or its members. We would need to figure out the best way to do this, perhaps by exploring this with Mormons who become involved with our group, or are willing to dialogue with our group. It seems important for us to believe that the Church will eventually be swayable on these matters, especially if appealed to from certain angles. Seeing the Church as an obstacle to our efforts would not be a helpful perception. The “buy local” movement thinks campaigns in Utah, Maine, and Vermont have an advantage in the cohesive mind-sets of their constituents.

PAST AND FUTURE

Historically, the Mormons' pioneer roots were a combination of self-sufficiency and communal interdependence within their tight-knit communities. Today, they extend aid (food, clothing, other help) to church members in need, operating perhaps the largest private welfare system in the nation. They are also encouraged to store a one or two-year supply of food for emergencies. Here in Salt Lake, the Church maintains a 19 million lb storage of wheat as a reserve, in case there is a time of need. In an emergency situation, their members can be quickly mobilized (as occurred in 1983, when Salt Lake's downtown flooded.) The “Latter Day Saints” believe we are approaching end times, a period marked by chaos and turmoil – culminating in the millennial rule of Jesus Christ – although they do not think these times are upon us yet, and choose not to dwell on this. Many Christian denominations believe that followers of Jesus will be raptured (taken up to heaven) as the end-times unfold; that they will be removed as things really start to unravel here on Earth. The Mormons believe they will be here through the whole thing along with everyone else, thus, their emphasis on preparedness for hard times. They also believe Christ will return to for a 1000 year rule on Earth, ruling from both Jerusalem, and also from “Zion” (in the U.S.). Many Mormons see U.S. politics as a stage on which the ultimate divine drama will be played out, with a Mormon (perhaps as president) will play a leading role.

THE PRESENT

Modern-day Mormons live the average American life in terms of materialism, consumption, and being pro-growth/development/capitalism - more so, if one considers their high birth rate. An integral part of their religious beliefs encourages them to have many children, thus Utah's high population growth rate (although members’ birth rates have been dropping in recent years.) Church members are encouraged to stay out of debt, yet Utah has one of the highest bankruptcy rates. Politically, Mormons are mostly conservative - Utah is one of the most Republican states in the nation. (One certainly hopes Peak Oil will become a bi-partisan issue - but it currently remains ignored by both parties.) Mormons mostly have control of the governorship, state legislature, and most federal representatives. The religion's organizational structure is a male-led hierarchy, and Mormons tend to trust authority. The Church President is seen as the modern-day prophet whose edicts are to be obeyed. A pre-election poll showed most Utahns highly supportive of the Iraq War and President Bush (around 60% for both).

IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT

Mormons and Mormon leadership might resist facing any notion of resource depletion, since it comes head-to-head with their beliefs in having large families. Although the Church responded quickly in mobilizing members to respond to the 1983 flood in Salt Lake City, it usually changes slowly with deeper, fundamental issues. If Church hierarchy understood the implications of Peak Oil regarding the poor, and the possibility of resource wars, it might begin to exhort followers to conserve energy. These are all varying factors that may play a role in a Salt Lake and Utah Peak Oil future - in a city and state where Mormons play a prominent role in determining policy and formation of its communities. It is impossible to predict the Church’s response once the realities of Peak Oil become impossible to ignore.

Thanks to my Mormon friends willing to offer their responses and insights to this piece. I would invite the further thoughts of others through this forum.

Post Carbon Salt Lake

SOBERING UP - Steps Toward a Post-Petroleum Future

JeanArnold — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 08:35:02 -0800

How does one prepare for peak oil and peak gas, as the outcome is their outcomes are so unpredictable? Some peakers are promoting head-to-the-hills survivalist preparations. This list focuses instead on community-based response and reducing energy consumption. While fear is natural, the loner stance is simply unworkable. We are all interdependent in many ways. While we will need to engage in individual actions, we will also need to work together collectively – whether we live in cities or small communities. The federal and state governments may not respond appropriately or in a timely manner, so it might fall on us at the local grassroots level to arrive at responses to peak oil and gas.

Weaning away from petro addiction is a step-by-step process, we can’t quit cold turkey. The Oil Depletion Protocol calls on people to reduce fossil fuel consumption 2-3 percent per year, which doesn’t sound like much, but over a ten-year period it adds up to 25 percent. The areas of biggest impact are heating, transportation, and food choices. Focusing on changing more impactful habits, such as driving, is better than agonizing over smaller issues. Some of these suggestions may seem excessive or radical now; they will seem less so as the price of energy climbs.

INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS

- Study and implement Catalyst’s sustainability checklists in the April and July 2006 issues, available at Catalyst Magazine – offering many tips for reducing energy usage. The suggestions listed here are a supplement to those checklists.

- Many homes locally are heated with natural gas. Save your utility bills as a feedback mechanism. Catalyst’s April list offers many energy-saving home heating and cooling tips. Get the highest R-value insulation you can. Double-glazed windows can reduce heat loss through windows by 50 percent. If replacing your furnace, consider a heat pump system rather than a gas furnace, for both heating and cooling: Geoexchange. When replacing a water heater, consider either a solar or an on-demand one. For alternatives to gas heat, read “Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options,” by Greg Pahl, covering numerous options, such as wood stoves, biomass, heat pumps, and solar.

- Transportation is a biggie: consider purchasing a more efficient vehicle, even a hybrid, then drive less – walk, bicycle, carpool, use public transit, and coordinate errands. For ridesharing and carpooling, use Salt Lake Craigslist rideshare, Erideshare, and Community Solution's rideshare. For safety tips on urban bicycling: Bicyclesafe. Convert a diesel vehicle to run on vegetable oil: Greasecar and Goldenfuelsystems – or buy B20 biodiesel (no conversion required): Biodiesel.org. Also visit: Utah Biodiesel Cooperative.

- Travel less. Businesses could use teleconferencing, rather than sending employees on business trips. Take more local, less exotic vacations. Consider travel by bus or Amtrak. Longer flights are more fuel-efficient than driving to the same destination, but shorter flights are less so. Two or more passengers makes driving more favorable. Emissions in the stratosphere have a worse effect.

- Buy locally raised produce, meat, and dairy products as much as possible. In choosing between organic or local, choose local. Pesticides and fertilizers are made from fossil fuels, so buy local organic when you can. Participate in farmer’s markets and community supported agriculture. Buy less processed, less packaged foods, and less frozen foods. If possible, grow your own vegetables, even learn to can or dry foods. Plant fruit and nut trees. Compost food and garden waste. Eat lower on the food chain.

- Conserve water, as it requires energy to purify water and run pumping stations.

- Buy fewer new clothes – prefer clothing made from linen, organic cotton, or the new fabrics such as soy, bamboo, and hemp. Non-organic cotton production uses vast amounts of oil-based pesticides. Polyester, acetate, nylon, and acrylic fabrics are all petroleum-based. Rayon takes a lot of energy to make. Buy used clothing, in any fabric you want.

- Choose natural, petroleum-free cleaning and personal care products.

- Get out of debt and reduce consumption. Downsize your lifestyle. Prefer local businesses over chains. Buy less stuff, especially plastic things. Notice where goods are shipped from, and choose those made closer to home.

- Spread the word about our energy situation, telling friends, family, neighbors – be gentle and patient in doing so. Don’t be surprised if those around you don’t get it, don’t want to hear about it, or believe a technofix will take care of everything. Try not to talk about it too much.

- For coping with the emotional aspects of learning about and understanding peak oil: Peak Oil Blues. Develop meditation, deep breathing, or other centering practices.

- Consider joining a co-housing project, an intentional community, or an ecovillage: Cohousing, Intentional Communities, Global Ecovillage Network/. Community Solution advocates living in small communities: Community Solution. Co-housing in Salt Lake: Wasatch Commons Co-housing.

-Learn about permaculture – the philosophy and design system of sustainable homes, gardens, and communities. Many permaculturists are developing responses to peak oil. Visit: Permaculture.net, Permaculture Activist.

- Consider having just one child, or no children. In many ways, the human population is now exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet.

DEEP STRUCTURAL CHANGES

- Join up with others who are aware and involved, such as Post Carbon Salt Lake.

- Write letters to the editor. Write or call those in power, telling them to get serious about ending fossil-fuel addiction. Educate local politicians about Peak Oil - they may be the most important ones we need to reach.

- On the federal level advocate: implementing a carbon tax, eliminating oil, gas, and corn ethanol subsidies; substantially raising CAFE standards; lowering the speed limit; massively increasing R&D for renewable energy; maintaining and raising the wind power tax credit; reviving the railroad infrastructure for both freight and passengers; and legalizing hemp cultivation for ethanol and biodiesel.

- Call on all levels of government launch large-scale public awareness campaigns calling for energy conservation & efficiency at all levels.

- Get our city to pass a Peak Oil Resolution: Peak Oil Resolutions to get a funded, city-wide assessment and response. Initially issues such as mass transit, city fleets, zoning, and asphalt will need to be addressed. Eventually much food production will need to be local – cities will need to address this. Also advocate that the city endorse the Oil Depletion Protocol: Oil Depletion Protocol. Call on all levels of government to adopt it.

- Join the campaign to pressure Ford to develop more efficient vehicles, and eventually fossil-free vehicles: Jump Start Ford.

- The Apollo Alliance is an impressive coalition of labor groups, environmental groups, justice- and faith-based groups, foundations, and business partners working to advance the development and implementation of clean energy solutions, and energy-saving solutions for the nation, for states, cities, and universities (available in comprehensive reports at their website.) Visit: Apollo Alliance.

- Healthcare professionals should start considering peak oil’s impact on the health care system and ways to mitigate. Visit: Peak Oil Medicine.

- Learn about, then work to eliminate corporate personhood. This is a good place to start: Reclaim Democracy. Work to bring about campaign finance reform.

- “Unlimited” energy supply, “unlimited” growth, and “unlimited” currency are all intertwined, and may be about to hit the wall on this finite planet – which would necessitate an overhaul of the monetary system. One possibility is to institute a local currency system, redeemable locally only, as Ithaca has done: Ithaca Hours. This will promote community self-reliance and the local economy. A local currency could also provide loans for energy-saving or energy-making devices. Learn about steady-state economics, and study ways to implement it. Websites: Feasta, Schumacher Society, Steady State, Time Banks, Reinventing Money.

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Man on a Mission

KJD — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:31:46 -0800

Man on a mission is NOT a 19 year old at the MTC :)

This post is about an audio broadcast that is on the www.evworld.com website. I found this audio interview very interesting for a number of reasons. The link to the full post ( about 30 minutes ) is at this address.

http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?page=article&storyid=1179

Here are a few quick sound bites that may get your attention.

1) Non opec world production was less in 2006 then 2005. First time this has happened.

2) 33 of the 45 oil producing nations have peaked and are now in decline.

3) There is a nation has a 5 point plan to address the end of oil. The 5 point plan consists of these items
a) Conservation
b) Domestic energy production
c) Diversify energy production
d) Reduce pollution
e) Use International cooperation to acheive the above goals

What nation has this 5 point plan? ( Hint it is not USA )
Listen to the broadcast to find out. The answer may surprise you. :)

Cheers,
Kyle

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Comparison: Peak Oil Resolutions & Climate Change Agreements

JeanArnold — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 08:40:41 -0800

A chart is now available on the Relocalization Network comparing Peak Oil Resolutions with Mayor's Climate Change Agreements:

PEAK OIL RESOLUTIONS AND MAYOR'S CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENTS

This comparison is very helpful in noting similarities and differences between the two types of initiatives. Both proposals emphasize conservation and reduction of CO2 emissions, listing similar means of accomplishing this. However, the Climate Protection Agreements do not take into consideration the serious impact depleting petroleum supplies will likely have communities.

The Peak Oil Resolutions suggest that we must go much deeper and further, and involve the entire community on a deeper level than the Climate Change Agreements - emphasizing the need for education at all levels of society about the need to reduce energy consumption. They call for farmland preservation, more community gardens, planting of fruit and nut trees, and local food assessments. They also call for revitalizing the American rail system, gas taxes, shifting of highway funds to more light rail funding, a carbon tax, speed limit reduction, more local manufacturing, green taxes towards public transportation.

Tim Moerman, an urban planner in Canada, makes this distinction about peak oil and climate change responses: "...peak oil is more demanding in that (1) it doesn't let us set our own targets, it will dictate them and it will be our task to adapt, and (2) it calls for more system-wide thinking and doesn't allow us some of the sloppy/wishful thinking that has characterized many approaches to global warming. For instance, much was made of hydrogen cars and how we'd run them on H2 from renewables... but peak oil forces us to really look at the numbers on how these alternatives would work...Another way to make the link is that global warming--and the decades of denial, half-measures and messing around that led up to where we are now--were in some ways a test run for peak oil. Now we have to make the same leap, only much faster."

Richard Heinberg recently wrote an excellent article, "Bridging Peak Oil and Climate Change Activism," describing differences in perception between depletionists and climate change activists, and ways of finding common ground. These differences must be worked out so that together the two camps can move forward.

Salt Lake City has been an internationally recognized leader in the Climate Change arena...now can we make Peak Oil a prominent issue in the upcoming mayoral race, and can we pursuade our Council members to pass a Peak Oil Resolution and set up a Peak Oil task force?

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Oil Production at Cantarell Declines 25% in 2006

KJD — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 10:11:46 -0800

The largest oil field in Mexico has declined at a much faster rate than most predicted just a year ago.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/01/oil_production_.html

What effect will this have on total world production and the timing of world peak oil? According to Matthew Simmons the result could be profound. Others are not so sure.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2239

So what do you think. Are we there yet?

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Ken Deffeyes Peak Oil Update

Sam Schmidt — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 20:11:37 -0800

Ken Deffeyes, author of "Hubbert's Peak - The Impending World Oil Shortage", gives a January 19th, 2007 update reaffirming his belief that 2005 will be the year that Peak Oil was reached globally. Ken Deffeyes is a retired geologist who taught at Princeton and was a colleague of M. King Hubbert (who predicted in 1956 that US production would peak in 1970). This update provides a good introduction to Deffeyes understanding of the issue and his substantial humor in explaining it.

http://www.princeton.edu/hubbert/current-events.html

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Electric Vehicle information

KJD — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:24:42 -0800

There are several companies that are near to producing production quality full electric vehicles. I will list these in order of my favorites first.

www.teslamotors.com

www.phoenixmotorcars.com

www.acpropulsion.com

www.commutercars.com

www.ebay.com
If the new EV vehicles are a bit out of your price range ( like me ) there are sources of used vehicles if you look for them. ebay is a good source for slightly used electric vehicles. As with anything else used "buyer beware". Check the feedback rating and ask tons of questions before you bid.

http://www.austinev.org/index.html
Austin EV Trading Post is another good source of used vehicles.

http://www.eaaev.org/ Electric auto association has some good links.

Books

Convert It by Michael Brown and Sheri Prange. It is somewhat dated, but there is still a ton of good information in this book. It was listed on Amazon for 24.95

Secrets of El Ninja by John Bidwell. This book can be purchased on the www.21wheels web site. Cost is 40 dollars. This is a how to guide for building an electric motorcycle.

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Electric Vehicle information

KJD — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:27:41 -0800

There are several companies that are near to producing production quality full electric vehicles. I will list these in order of my favorites first.

www.teslamotors.com

www.phoenixmotorcars.com

www.acpropulsion.com

www.commutercars.com

http://www.austinev.org/index.html
Austin EV Trading Post is another good source of used vehicles.

http://www.eaaev.org/ Electric auto association has some good links.

Books

Convert It by Michael Brown and Sheri Prange. It is somewhat dated, but there is still a ton of good information in this book. It was listed on Amazon for 24.95

Secrets of El Ninja by John Bidwell. This book can be purchased on the www.21wheels web site. Cost is 40 dollars. This is a how to guide for building an electric motorcycle.

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Electric Vehicle information

KJD — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:37:29 -0800

There are several companies that are near to producing production quality full electric vehicles. I will list these in order of my favorites first.

www.teslamotors.com

www.phoenixmotorcars.com

www.acpropulsion.com

www.commutercars.com

http://www.austinev.org/index.html
Austin EV Trading Post is another good source of used vehicles.

http://www.eaaev.org/ Electric auto association has some good links.

Books

Convert It by Michael Brown and Sheri Prange. It is somewhat dated, but there is still a ton of good information in this book. It was listed on Amazon for 24.95

Secrets of El Ninja by John Bidwell. This book can be purchased on the www.21wheels web site. Cost is 40 dollars. This is a how to guide for building an electric motorcycle.

Post Carbon Salt Lake

The Globalocal Food Movement: Act Globally, Eat Locally - Notes from a Bioneers Conference Talk

Sam Schmidt — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:38:04 -0800

THE GLOBALOCAL FOOD MOVEMENT: ACT GLOBALLY, EAT LOCALLY – October 20, 2007

Neva Hassanein spoke about a COMMUNITY FOOD ASSESSMENT done in Missoula County
Hassanein is a professor of Environmental Studies, University of Montana, community organizer and author of “Changing the Way America Farms”

About 30 of these studies have been done around the country. They are a look at a local food system for its assets & challenges. This process gives a clearer understanding of how the food system works. These studies involve a lot of people in the process, and bring disparate groups together.

Here is what happened in Missoula:

The analysis was used for recommendations for change, looking at:
1. Production
2. Processing
3. Distribution
4. Consumption

Fifteen were on Steering Committee to guide process & research, and came up with recommendations. Fifteen students did research, and 700 people participated – farmers, ranchers, consumers – in interviews, focus groups, and surveys. When the findings were publicly released, the room was packed. The process emphasized participation – collaboration between the university & community.

One major outcome: Community Food & Agriculture Coalition (Food Policy Council) to promote policies and projects that will:
1. Support local farms
2. Move Missoula toward regional self-reliance
3. Provide access for all to healthy & affordable foods

Other outcomes:
1. Farm-to-school program
2. Inventorying agricultural lands in and near the city to promote farmland protection
3. Pushing for changes to subdivision regulations, so to stem tide of farmland loss
4. Setting up “land link program” to connect people with agricultural land who don’t want to farm it, with people who are looking for farmland to either lease or buy
5. Partnering with local farmer’s markets to take electronic food stamps
6. Educating public
7. Celebrating place they live through harvest festival

Hassanein then noted that it is predicted that there will be no more agriculture in central valley of California in 100 years, due to development pressures.

For more information, visit The Community Food and Agriculture Coalition’s website: http://www.umt.edu/cfa/

Great quote from Michael Pollan, author of “Omnivore’s Dilemna” who also spoke:

"We have an industrial food system that is unsustainable in many ways…What that really means though (let's recover the meaning of that word) is that it will break down...it cannot go on as it has. There are many people in that system who recognize that fact. When it breaks down we sure want to have another way to eat. That way may be organic....We could move the whole country to industrial organic agriculture, but that could fail us, too. It could fail us on the energy front most quickly of all. Again, we have energy to think about and that's a huge part of it, and we need a way to eat when the cheap oil runs out...."

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Saudi Arabian Oil Production Declines 8% in 2006

Sam Schmidt — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:37:24 -0700

Saudi Arabian oil declines 8% in 2006

Stuart Staniford of The Oil Drum explains why he believes Saudi Arabia oil production has peaked using data from four different sources fit to a linear graph. Another graph compares the decline in production to the increased rig count in the country. Needless to say, if Staniford's reasoning turns out to be correct, the world has probably peaked, given the centrality of Ghawar and Saudi Arabia to the question.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2325

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Portland Peak Oil Task Force Releases Final Report

cunderwo — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:22:35 -0700

Portland is leading the way and may be a good model to follow.

"Over the past six months, the Peak Oil Task Force held more than 40 meetings and involved dozens of policymakers, experts, stakeholders and interested citizens in gathering information and preparing a draft report for public comment. The final version of the report is now ready, and was presented to City Council on March 7, 2007. City Council passed resolution No. 36488 in response.

The 86-page final report, titled “Descending the Oil Peak: Navigating the Transition from Oil and Natural Gas,” includes recommendations to reduce oil use and strengthen the community’s ability to respond to social and economic stress. "

Here is the link to their report:
http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?c=ecije

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Jim Kunstler at Commonwealth Club of CA

KJD — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 19:34:56 -0700

If you have read the Long Emergency then you know what a great writer and speaker Jim Kunstler is. Listen to the audio of his latest talk at this address below. MP3 version works great, enjoy.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2420

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Crude the incrdible jouney Online

KJD — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:34:33 -0700

If you read the energybulletin every day then you may have spotted this already.

This is a well done documentry on a subject we all know. I liked part 2 the best, but part one was still interesting. http://www.abc.net.au/science/crude/

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Letter writing guidelines

KJD — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:54:00 -0700

This was submitted by Brenden Kendall. There is some good information here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guidelines for Writing a Letter to Your (Soon-to-Be) Elected Representative

It’s easy to forget the value of directly contacting our elected representatives and candidates for public office. Since the peak of world oil production, or “peak oil”, is an often unknown or underestimated scenario, establishing its visibility and importance for public officials is crucial. The same goes for “relocalization”, the reinvigoration of local infrastructure, economies, communities, and resource cycles. To establish visibility, groups of concerned citizens must generate sufficient comment about the issue. To be convincing of the issue’s import, those groups must craft unique, persuasive comments. That’s why we’re providing you the guidelines below rather than just another form letter. These guidelines, used to build a brief and pithy letter under one page in length, should help you craft an effective appeal to your candidate or representative.

♣ Establish who you are. Are you a “concerned citizen”? Are you actively involved with Post Carbon Salt Lake? (Our group can use all of the exposure we can get!) Are you an employee of a prominent local business or organization? Use these identities to your advantage and to the advantage of those groups.
♣ Establish relocalization and/or peak oil as your topic. Provide a basic description that compels the interest of the reader. Establish peak oil as a problem and relocalization an opportunity. Provide useful references, such as PCSL’s website, http://www.relocalize.net/groups/saltlake.
♣ Explain why you’re concerned about peak oil and/or relocalization. Do you have particular concerns related to these topics? Do you get all hot and bothered about food production and distribution, transit, housing, energy procurement and use, or something else? Tackle the sub-issues that interest you. Being specific makes your letter more emotionally honest and intellectually interesting.
♣ Explain why the person to whom you’re writing should be concerned about peak oil. A few statements telling this person why there important serve several functions. They can stoke the recipient’s self-esteem and sense of efficacy. Also, such statements can personalize the letter. Why did you write this decision maker – beyond the fact that they are a decision maker and opinion leader, perhaps – in addition to or instead of other individuals?
♣ Make connections between their platforms/professional history and the actions necessary to mitigate the effects of peak oil or to relocalize Utah communities. Appeal to the common ground between your personal and political interests, perhaps those of PCSL, and those of the recipient of the letter. Demonstrate the programs or ideas espoused by this candidate that are to some degree consonant with the requirements of peak oil and relocalization.
♣ Call for action. What do you want this person to do about this issue and your letter? Some possibilities include:
o request a response to your letter,
o request that the recipient study peak oil further,
o ask the recipient to see a peak oil/presentation by a member of our group (Jean Arnold has conducted presentations with the two remaining ’07 Salt Lake City mayoral candidates),
o ask the candidate/official to talk about peak oil in their regular professional capacity,
o ask that the recipient support specific extant groups or initiatives,
o ask that the recipient initiate further initiatives, such as convening a peak oil task force much like that in Portland, Oregon: http://www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?&a=150007&c=41625.
♣ Close with the emotional tenor you hope to convey. Do you want to convey appreciation for the attention to your letter, urgency about the issue, optimism about the ability of the recipient to create change, or something else? This, the closing paragraph of the letter, is where you “frame” everything that came before. Make sure its emotional tenor is consonant with much of the rest of the letter.
♣ Provide your contact information. If you want a response, provide this person or their staff with a way to get in touch with you. Providing your contact information also signals the import of your concerns, as doing so implies that you want to take the time to hear a response.
♣ Tell others to make contact, and keep Post Carbon Salt Lake abreast of inroads you make with your letters and contacts. Encourage others to participate in the democratic process as you have. Contact PCSL representatives about any dialogue you strike up on the issue. The information you provide will be important to our membership.

Thanks for doing your part in the democratic process, and for working on issues related to peak oil and relocalization. Generating a community of sentiment and action is inspiring and imperative!

Post Carbon Salt Lake

Transportation Security

KJD — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:24:32 -0800

See attachment

Post Carbon Salt Lake