Post Oil Perth

How to Get Started

Meg — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:13:39 -0700

Welcome to the Post Oil Perth forum!

Once you've become a member, here's what you can do to get ready for a post oil Perth.

Add yourself (INCLUDING YOUR PHONE NUMBER) to our "Members and Mentors" map, that you'll find in the "About" section of our site.

Why?

If you are a Member - it will help you find someone in your area from whom you can learn about permaculture, self sufficiency, sustainable living or organic food growing.

Because if you are a Mentor - people in your area will be able to connect with you.

* You can teach them - informally - what you know about living with less - growing food, recycling water, saving energy. It will only take a few cuppas together over a year of food growing to get them on their way!

* Provide opportunities for local networking. No one can thrive in isolation! Building community where you are right now will be an important step to plain sailing down the energy descent. ... Local bartering, sharing transport, and generally supporting each other.

* Provide opportunities for formation of local groups. As the energy descent progresses, we'll need to decentralize! Acting as a mentor in your neighbourhood will act to seed a group in your area!

Are you a Mentor or a Member?

If you can answer YES to most of these questions, you are a Mentor:

* I already grow some of my own food organically.
* I understand how to conserve energy in the home and transport.
* I practice water conservation and recycling.
* I have a Permaculture design certificate.
* I am a super scrounger!
* I would like to connect with like minded people in my area.

Are you a Member? Then read "10 Things to do to Prepare for Life After Oil"

Grab a copy of the attached file "10 Things to do to Prepare for Life After Oil" (originally appeared in Permaculture Magazine Issue No. 46, downloaded from http://transitionculture.org) for simple steps you can take to get started.

Want to Learn More About Peak Oil and What We Can Do?

Here's some great links:

http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4041#more

http://www.aspo-australia.org.au/oil-depletion-overview.html

Post Oil Perth

Organic Growing Workshops at Bedfordale - By Demand

Meg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:53:12 -0700

"A Garden Path" Organic Edible Gardening Workshops

Held according to demand - small groups OK. Express your interest today! Contact details below.

Caralyn Lagrange, author of Gardening and Eating for Living, will show you how to set up an organic edible garden with a focus on environmentally friendly living and gardening for health and wellness.

Topics:

* Organic growing methods including using raised garden beds;

* Seed saving and germination;

* Herb harvesting and drying;

* Composting and worm farming;

* Inputs suitable for organic gardening

* Establishing micro-climates;

* Pest and disease prevention

* Plant selection for health and wellness;

* Gardening with injuries, illness and disability

* Specific requirements for Certified Organic horticulture;

* Bush tucker;

* Convert your pool into a fish farm;

* Grey-water gardens;

* Fire-retardant/bird and insect attracting/fodder plants.

‘A Garden Path’ is a Certified Organic (NASAA) Environmental Education Venue. It has been featured on ABC TV Gardening Australia program (2005), Channel 9’s The Garden Gurus, (2007) and the Channel 10 Environment Award program (Winner April 2008). In 2007 Caralyn Lagrange won the Individual Achievement Category of the WA Government Environment Awards. She is a Finalist in the 2008 Channel 10 National Environment Awards.

Times: 9.30 to 2.30 – Bookings essential
Tea/Coffee included; BYO Lunch
Cost: Weekends $88, cons. and weekdays $55,
Venue: Shambhala Place, 16 Nelson Street, Bedfordale.
Telephone: (08) 9498 1555
Website: www.bedfordale.com
email: agardenpath@bedfordale.com

Post Oil Perth

introductions

neil — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:15:43 -0700

hi there meg and all,
i am happy to find you here, i was at the gaia foundation meeting on thursday and heard you existed. i am currently reading the transition handbook by rob hopkins and finding it just compulsive in the way that it is a look at the post oil world with a positive bent. i have spent the last couple of years inadvertantly 'getting ready' for the change we need to go through: i make furniture for our family from recycled/thrown away materials, i have tried growing food albeit unsuccessfully, i compost all kitchen scraps and lawn clippings, have studied renewable energy electrotechnology at tafewa night school and have a list of projects as long as my arm which i hope to get round to some day (solar thermal generators, backyard aquaponic set-up, permaculture design course, greywater recycling.........you get the picture). anyway i see some of the posts on the forum are a little bit dated and i am wondering if you have recently set up a regular meeting schedule. it would be great to hook up with like-mindeds and try plan our way out of this mess.
regards, neil

Post Oil Perth

We now have a Temporary Initiating Hub!!!!

Meg — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:49:58 -0700

Awesome Outcome!

Last night was an historic event in the preparation of Perth for the energy descent that's coming. Following the presentation I gave to the Permaculture Association of Western Australia monthly meeting, six people volunteered to the "Temporary Initiating Hub" whose role it is to help seed the formation of Transition Towns in Perth suburbs.

They were:

* Bryce Martin (of the GAIA foundation)
* Ginger Gordy
* Ryan Medley
* Alix Frew
* Allen Caetano
* Robin Spark

Thanks guys! I know we are going to have some awesome and inspiring fun over the next 6 to 12 months.

About the "Temporary Initiating Hub"

According to the "Transition Towns" model, the TIH works to handle the inspirational work at the beginning only, with no ongoing responsibilities as a hub. Members work to help each other set up "local transition initiatives" in their home communities. As the initiatives arise, the hub gradually disbands.

Working together we are going to make the transition to a more sustainable, resilient and happier Perth happen!!!!

If anyone else would love to be involved, just let me know.

Post Oil Perth

newbie here!

edlove — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:05:47 -0700

Hello all, I'm new to the group. I've been following TOD for a few weeks & find it fascinating! Even though it's gonna be a BIG challenge, PO could do some real good as well. e.g. lessen pollution, give us more free time, etc.

I've just moved house so I'm pretty busy, but I look forward to meeting you all sometime soon. Unf, I'm busy Wed otherwise I'd attend.

Catch you later!

Love,

Post Oil Perth

Talk on Transition Towns model this Weds

Meg — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:12:26 -0700

Over the past week Sonya Wallace of the Sunshine Coast Energy Action Centre, coordinated by herself and Janet Millington, has been very helpful with advice, as has Susan Hartley of the Permaculture Association of WA. Thanks too Shelby Tay for sending all those resources.

It's just fantastic what other communities are achieving and the enthusiasm and positive energy that's out there making a difference.

I've put it all together for the talk this Wednesday nite at the July PAWA meeting, so come along! There'll be room for discussion too, so you can share your thoughts with all.

When - Wednesday 2nd July, 7pm
Where - St Mark’s Community Hall, Parker St, Bassendean

All welcome (members free, visitors $5)
Supper to follow

Hope to see you there!

If you can't make it, you can read about it here.

Post Oil Perth

Transition Strategies Guide

Meg — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:01:23 -0700

As Richard Heinburg, author of the peak oil book "The Party's Over" points out:

"True individual and family security will come only with community solidarity and interdependence."

So, what are other communities doing to prepare for the transition to a post carbon society?

Your own welfare tomorrow may depend on what you do in your community today! Why not pick a strategy that appeals to you and breath some life and resilience into your own neighbourhood?

Here are a number of projects currently being undertaken by
transitioning communities around the world.....

Transition Towns

Transition Towns, a permaculture inspired movement very active in the United Kingdom, suggests a 12 Step development pathway that has proven effective. The steps are:

Form a Steering Group and plan it's demise...
Raise awareness (films, talks etc)...
Lay the Foundation...building alliances with related groups
Official Unleashing/Launch celebration... about 6 - 12 months into project
Form working groups (or enlist those that already exist) to explore solutions for each aspect of society (eg food, transport, local govt, oral history...)
Use Open Space community meetings format and put results on the TT wiki
Develop visible, practical manifestations of the project e.g. local currency, community garden...
Facilitate "The Great Reskilling"...We are the most useless generation ever to walk the planet! Time to utilize local skills to build capacity and a sense of "can do." e.g. growing food, preserving, woodwork..
Build a bridge to local government
Honor the elders and their expertise and advice
Let the group evolve how it wants to....
Create an Energy Descent Plan.. A 20 year plan towards a tangible vision of a positive, powered down future.

The quality of advice and guidance is great. Catch it all on their website here.

Post Oil Institute

These come with with corresponding
guides developed by the Post Oil Institute to help us put them into
practice.

Raising Community Awareness and Support for Transition Strategies

Screen a Film About Relocalization Issues

Film screenings and film
festivals are a valuable tool for raising community awareness about energy,
environmental and other issues related to Relocalization. They can also be
valuable opportunities to spur discussion about local issues, announce and
promote local projects and organizations, and even raise fund for sponsoring
groups.

There are some great online videos available on the transitionculture.org website <a href=http://transitionculture.org/essential-info/interviews-and-talks-audio/>here.</a>

Have Your Local Government Pass a Peak Oil Resolution

A Peak Oil Resolution is a
formal declaration by a government entity that identifies Peak Oil as a
pressing problem, and establishes steps to address and respond to it. Getting
your local government to pass a Peak Oil Resolution creates an important
context for future policy decisions, possibly guiding the jurisdiction on
planning and zoning, transportation, and investments in infrastructure. It also
draws community attention to the issue, encouraging individuals and businesses
to consider the ways
Peak Oil may impact their
interests.

Once a local government entity resolves to respond to Peak Oil, the next step many (e.g. cities of Portland and San Francisco) take is to establish a Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force whose job it is to develop an Energy Descent Action Plan.

Read the Transition Towns movement's Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan here.

A number of citizen's groups have engaged with local government through
the formation of a task force - see
http://postcarboncities.net/node/2039 for more info.

Anyone interested in being part of a small group to develop a great presentation that we can all then use to mobilize support for transition in our local communities? If so, contact me.

Coordinate Letters to the Editor

The letters to the editor section of
your local paper represents is a valuable forum for getting your message about
peak oil, low-energy living and global
relocalization to the community, which includes both local citizens and
politicians. The editorial section is one of the most read
sections of any newspaper. Letters to the editor help editors decide which
topics to cover in future news stories and
editorials. Additionally, elected
officials often carefully monitor this section and the editorial page to gauge local opinion. Coordinate your efforts: gather together
several local organizations and plan to write editorials to the same newspaper within the same week.
The more letters an editor gets, the more weight your letter will have.

Raise Awareness with Press Releases

The folks at Green For All have put together an excellent Media
Toolkit with useful info on approaching media. It can be downloaded
here: http://www.greenforall.org/resources/media-toolkit/download

Writing press releases can be an
effective means of sharing your message with your community. Focus your story
on specific issues, perhaps something that is
happening in your community, and outline the positive actions that your group
is taking to deal with these challenges. A
well-written press release can raise community awareness about the
ramifications of our society’s over-reliance on cheap
energy and will encourage others to speak out about these issues. Press
releases can inspire people to
action and will give your group and its activities legitimacy.

Revitalize Your Local Food Systems

Reclaim Public Space

Relocalization needs public
space: if community members don’t have places where they can interact, it can
be very difficult for them to form relationships, share resources, and organize
to determine their community’s future.

Work with other members of your community to revitalize an existing public
space or to create a new site for neighborhood interaction. Each community will
have a different vision of how to develop such a project and how the finished
product will look, function and be managed. Project ideas include reclaiming an
underused parking lot for public space, converting a street intersection into
public space, or reclaiming a vacant or abandoned lot for a community garden.

Start a Food Co-operative

Resources:
Co-operative Grocers’ Information Network:
Cooperative Directory Service

Help support local farmers and promote sustainable agricultural practices by forming a food co-operative to purchase and
distribute organic and locally grown produce. Forming co-ops can make organic local food more affordable because as mem-
bers of a co-operative your group will have more purchasing power. Individuals can pool their orders and receive discounts
for large quantity orders.

Garden Gleaning Projects

Organize a Garden Gleaning
Project to harvest food from private gardens, trees and bushes where the
produce would otherwise go to waste. In this project, volunteers are matched up
with property owners who do not have the time or capability to harvest the food
already growing on their property; harvested food can then be shared between
property owners and the community, donated to local food banks, or even sold at
local markets.

The project can range from a few friends and a couple of
properties to a citywide organization that coordinates a large group of
volunteers, runs workshops, hosts harvesting celebrations and produces
preserves, juices, and jams.

Mapping Your Community's Strengths, Weaknesses and Resources

Conduct a Community Inventory

Relocalization starts with
knowing your community. Where does your water come from? What is the basis of
your community’s economy? What was your locality like 100 years ago? Where is
your community headed in the future?

By mapping your community’s social, economic and ecological characteristics,
you will have a valuable resource from which you can identify opportunities and
constraints to Relocalization. Also, the very process of creating this
inventory will get community members talking to one another about their shared
hopes and concerns. Once completed, the information you collect can be
presented to the public and to elected officials to help spur new projects and
policies supporting Relocalization.

Build a Neighborhood Skills Database

Compile a database of who
has what practical skills in your neighborhood. You may be surprised at the
talents your neighbors have, from general skills like carpentry and gardening
to very specific skills like diesel engine repair and child psychology. A
skills database is a great way to start relocalizing your community
immediately, because it helps everyone access the resources that are right in
their own neighborhood. It can help people buy, barter or donate services
within the neighborhood, as well as be a resource for education, community
projects, and establishing a local currency.

Organize a Community Relocalization Walking Tour

Organize a walking tour of
your community focused on the potential for Relocalization. Highlight your
community’s history, discuss local issues, and demonstrate to the participants
the possibilities for Relocalization and working examples of Relocalization. A
Relocalization Tour ideally serves three purposes:

Uncovering the localized economic and social
culture that historically existed in your area.
Highlighting current issues related to Relocalization
in your community.
Illustrating the potential your community has for
building a strong relocalized future.

Develop a Community Relocalization Directory

Create a directory that
lists the various businesses, organizations, and programs in your community
that relate in some way to Relocalization. Whether a printed booklet or a
website, a directory will encourage people to support local businesses, buy
local and sustainable products, and get involved in Relocalization efforts. It
will also help your community see what economic resources it already has
available for Relocalization, as well as what resources it lacks.

Transport Action

Start a Car-sharing Cooperative

In a car-sharing co-operative, members own a
number of cars collectively instead of each owning a vehicle separately.
Car-sharing allows members to forego the large personal expense of owning and
maintaining a private car, while enjoying access to a car when needed. Car
co-ops have long been popular in some Western European countries, and have
started to catch on in the U.S.
and Canada
in recent years. They can vary in size from a few friends sharing a car to tens
of thousands of members sharing a large fleet of vehicles.

See our Directory for links to car sharing cooperatives that are already underway in Perth!

Organizing a “Walking School Bus”

Organize a “Walking School
Bus” so that elementary school children can get to school in a safe, healthy
and fossil-fuel-free manner. Walking School Buses are programs that allow
children to walk to school in a supervised group along a predetermined route,
picking up and dropping off students at assigned stops. The program is an
alternative to parents driving their children to school, encouraging both
parents and children to walk, and making the area around the school safer for
pedestrians. Parents feel confident that their children are safe while walking
to school. And kids can socialize, stay fit, and learn the importance of
people-powered transportation at an early age.

Post Oil Perth

POP meeting last Sunday

Meg — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:03:45 -0700

Well, in response to a member's request, we had a meeting of POP last Sunday. Many thanks to the fabulous Rosanne and Tom at City Farm for opening the place up for POP to use anytime we want....What a great gesture of support!

How did it go?

Well, while there were 5 apologies, only 3 people actually showed up, none of whom were interested in participating in taking POP forward... :(

The general feeling at the meeting was that it's all too late .... we are doomed, and may as well just try to enjoy the time we have left.

I see it differently...

We still have a small window of opportunity to skill up the Perth community to at least grow it's own food. People aren't afraid YET.... But once they are, it will be too late!

If we'd all start now with the people we know - our family and friends - then the empowerment will grow and we have a real chance of getting through the transition to the low carbon future without too much pain.

I am speaking with the Permaculture Association on 2 July - maybe something positive will come out of that, otherwise I may just keep POP as a web resource and rely on "virtual activism". Other people's ideas and energy are needed to go beyond that!

What do you think????

More importantly, what are you willing to do???? Let us all know on the forum. Suggestions backed up by the energy to help carry them out are most welcome.

Post Oil Perth

Post Oil Perth is Meeting!

Meg — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:45:05 -0700

Start: 2008-06-22 15:00

End: 2008-06-22 17:00

Post Oil Perth

"A Garden Path" Organic Edible Gardening Tour

Meg — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:45:08 -0700

Start: 2008-06-21 13:00

End: 2008-06-21 15:00

Post Oil Perth

"A Garden Path" Organic Edible Gardening Workshop

Meg — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:40:38 -0700

Start: 2008-07-05 09:30

End: 2008-07-05 14:30

Post Oil Perth

"A Garden Path" Organic Edible Gardening Workshop

Meg — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:37:43 -0700

Start: 2008-06-17 09:30

End: 2008-06-17 14:30

Post Oil Perth

Guide to Growing Fruit Successfully in Perth

Meg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:01:30 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Preparing Perth for Life Without Oil

Meg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:41:19 -0700

Start: 2008-07-02 19:00

End: 2008-07-02 20:30

Post Oil Perth

RTRfm Indymedia Interview

Meg — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:25:53 -0700

Radio Interview

Last Wednesday on 4 June 2008, I was interviewed by Perth's RTRfm Indymedia on their "Radical Activist" programme that airs every Weds at 7 pm. If you'd like to have a listen, click here or go to http://www.rtrfm.com.au/shows/indymedia

.....I was a bit nervous but don't think it was toooo bad for a first go!

PAWA Meeting

Later that night I listened in on the Permaculture Association of Western Australia's (PAWA) monthly meeting. Fittingly, it featured a DVD by David Holmgren, the co-originator of the Permaculture concept, speaking about Permaculture as a solution to Peak Oil.

Permie folks are pretty keen to be involved in POP - no doubt Permaculture will be key to our successful transition to the low carbon future.

Next month I'll be speaking about POP at the 2 July PAWA meeting at 7pm in Bassendean (see details on the "Events" page).

Get Together Soon.....

Before then I'm hoping to get interested folks together to feed more brains, brawn and creativity into POP and help map out a clearer direction. When I have the details sorted I'll mail all our members.... It will be great to meet you all!

Cheers

Meg

Post Oil Perth

Hiya

TheCrone — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:20:42 -0700

Not sure where to post this (am finding it a bit hard to navigate around) but thought that I would introduce myself.

I'm TheCrone, living in east of the River on your average suburban block. Trying madly to plant a food forest to feed my tribe of children (am I still allowed to be here if I admit to having five offspring?)

I have always loved gardening (not your roses and pretties type gardener though!)

Blessings,

Post Oil Perth

Mandurah

joelle — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:30:24 -0700

Greetings to all!
Well it took ages but it looks like we are getting somewhere. there is hope that we will be ready when the wheels fall of the wagon, We have a few interested people in Mandurah and I wish for more.

Post Oil Perth

How to Grow Vegetables and Fruit

Meg — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:41:54 -0700

Start: 2008-07-13 09:30

End: 2008-07-13 16:00

Post Oil Perth

Post Oil Perth Networking

Meg — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:29:45 -0700

Hi all

LATEST NETWORKING

Today I got going to connect with key contacts in the organic growers and permaculturalists of Perth with a view to getting the word out via articles in their newsletters and speaking at group meetings. Will keep you posted on the results!

GROW YOUR OWN FOOD WORKSHOPS

Also, have taken on Ross Mars' suggestion that we need regular Permaculture/organic worshops on how to grow your own food. To get the ball rolling, I am holding one at my small farm in Bullsbrook on Sunday 29 June (see the "Events" page). Anyone else planning a similar event? Then let me know and our post it on our EVENTS page.

Are you ready for Post Oil?

Meg

Post Oil Perth

Meeting with Ross Mars

Meg — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:45:25 -0700

Yesterday I met with my mate Dr Ross Mars, well known Permaculture teacher and greywater specialist, to talk about the POP plan.

Ross is a very experienced Permie and I was keen to get his nuggets of wisdom and insights about what we are trying to achieve. He pointed out that not everyone who is capable of teaching others in their neighbourhood how to grow food would have the time to act as mentors.

Good point Ross! He suggested that we try to get some regular weekend/one day workshops up for people to teach them how to grow food. I think that's a great idea. However, I still like the local social networking that mentoring would involve, as it builds social capital which I reckon will be absolutely essential to post oil sustainability. BUT we have to start somewhere, and the workshops would be a great addition to the plan to fill the gaps.

Ross also has a 10 day Permaculture Design course coming up in the September/October school holidays, for those of you who'd like to get serious about their Permaculture skills. Check it out in our "Events". I thoroughly recommend it! I did my own Permie certificate course with Ross about 15 years ago.

Ross is getting me the contacts for the next step with the Permaculture people of Perth - so I can organise to speak to the next available group meeting, and put some info out into their next newsletters about POP.

Post Oil Perth

Freecycle

Meg — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:19:41 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Perth Barter

Meg — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:07:31 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Backyard Aquaponics

Meg — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:59:28 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Permaculture Design Course, Perth

Meg — Mon, 19 May 2008 20:50:16 -0700

Start: 2008-09-29 08:30

End: 2008-10-10 17:00

Post Oil Perth

Energy Crisis Coming

Geoff — Tue, 13 May 2008 02:06:20 -0700

Hi everyone, Geoff here. This is the first time that I have every logged onto a blog or forum for anything and that's after 15 years using a computer. I have been researching PO and the coming energy crisis for a while now and have a vested interest as I am working to sell my property in Perth and relocate my family, wife Veronica and two boys Jack 3 and Harry 1, to a bush block somewhere outside the CBD. Great to see a Perth PO site finally, here is a great link if you are interested in further research on what population growth and energy consumption over the next couple of years is going to result in, see the link below. Anyway I hope to stay in touch with the growing crowd of people interested in PO and raising awareness and working toward developing sustainable living. Cheers and bye for now
http://www.mnforsustain.org/oil_duncan_r_olduvai_theory.htm
Geoff

Post Oil Perth

Members and Mentors

Meg — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:24:43 -0700

If you're new to our group, please add yourself to this map!

A red balloon - for Mentors.
A blue balloon - for Members who are still preparing for Post Oil Perth. If you need a Mentor you can find the one nearest to you on the map!

Click on the "View Larger Map" link below:

View Larger Map

How to add yourself to the map:

Don't forget to add your contact details!
...so other members can contact you - either your phone number or email address.

Open the map then...

1. On the left hand of the map, click "EDIT"
To add a placemark to your map:
2. Click the Placemark button (the one that looks like a BLUE BALLOON). Your cursor changes into a placemark icon with an "X" crosshairs. The crosshairs indicate where the placemark will fall.
3. Move the cursor to the appropriate location where you live . If you want to dismiss this placemark, press the Escape key.
4. Click your mouse button to place your placemark. It should bounce into place.
5. Add a title and description.
6. You can also change the icon for your placemark by clicking the icon in the top right corner of the info window.
If you are a MENTOR change it to Red.
7. Click OK to save your placemark.

To move or edit a placemark:

1. Click Edit in the left panel.
2. Drag and drop the appropriate placemark to the new location. Note that you can only edit or move placemarks on your maps, not others.
3. To edit a placemark's title or description, click on it to open the info window. Edit the title and description and click OK.
4. Click Done in the left panel when you are finished.

Post Oil Perth

Organic Growers Association of WA

Meg — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:53:55 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Farmers' Markets

Meg — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:49:05 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Permaculture Association of WA

Meg — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:43:20 -0700

Post Oil Perth

Interview with Bill Tannock of OGAWA

Meg — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:53:37 -0700

Interview with Bill Tannock, Secretary and Treasurer of the
Organic Growers Association of Western Australia (OGAWA)
Perth 12 May 2008

Today I met with Bill and Faye Tannock. I explained our plan for Post Oil Perth to Bill and asked for his advice on the plan, as well as help in finding mentors amongst the members of OGAWA.

Bill, who practices Biodynamic gardening, provided heaps of information about OGAWA.

• OGAWA has about 200 members who are professional organic growers. At present, most professional members supply to large companies like Coles or Woolworths, their produce is shipped to the eastern states, and whatever is needed for Perth is shipped all the way back again! Clearly this won’t be sustainable situation when transport costs escalate much further.

• OGAWA has about 150 additional Perth members who are either personal organic growers, or source their food needs via OGAWA members. These members tend to be well educated, middle aged folks motivated towards an organic diet by health concerns. They are split into 3 suburban groups that meet independently each month.

I was heartened by the strong activity of OGAWA in Perth…. It looks like a great place to start prospecting for mentors to help others learn how to grow their own food.

Bill stressed the need to teach people not only how to grow food, but also how to set up the right ecology to control pests and maintain living soils. Here I could envisage a fruitful marriage between organic practices and Permaculture to meet this goal. He also emphasized the need to correct soil deficiencies inherent in our ancient, worn out landscapes before reasonable productivity could be achieved.

Bill remarked that farmers markets were springing up all over Perth! Promoting the further growth of this phenomenon is integral to the Post Oil Perth strategy.

Bill also made many other useful suggestions, such as other groups to link to and potential patrons for POP.

I am looking forward to publishing an article about POP in the OGAWA newsletter soon, and presenting to OGAWA meetings in the near future.

Thanks Bill!

Post Oil Perth

Peak oil facts 2: Things are getting scary! Peak oil facts and peak oil survival

Meg — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:49:59 -0700

Things are heating up!

Better get a handle on them now... and take action.

You can see why I'm worried - check out the latest Peak Oil Facts and ideas for Peak Oil survival here

But don't worry.... here at Post Oil Perth we have a cunning plan which you can check out for yourself here.

Let us know what you reckon, and above all, SPREAD THE WORD!!!!

Post Oil Perth

Our Plan for Post Oil Perth

Meg — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:36:49 -0700

We have a cunning plan, that I'd like to share!

But before I do... if anyone out there is able to contribute to any part of this plan,
please contact me now!

Here it goes...

Basically, we would like to engage people to act as Mentors to both promote our message and help others become "post carbon ready".

This plan is based on the idea that there's only "10 degrees of separation" between everyone on the planet.

Assumptions:

We present to 100 potential Mentors, and 30 of them take up the POP challenge to spread the word and help others prepare,
and each person engaged in POP represents a family of say 2.5 people,

...here's the maths!

1st Degree - 30 Mentors each promote POP to 10 people, and each manage to engage 3.....
That's 90 active new members representing 225 people (and potential mentors once they've done their training)

2nd Degree - Those 90 new members each speak to 10 people, 3 of which are engaged into POP
That's 270 active new members representing 675 people...

3rd Degree - Those 270 ditto.... engage 810 active new members, representing 2025 people...

4th Degree - Those 810 engage 2430 active new members, representing 5062 people...

5th Degree - Those 2430 engage 7290, representing 18,225 people...

6th Degree - Those 7290 engage 21870, representing 54,675 people...

7th Degree- Those 21870 engage 65,610, representing 164,025 people

8th Degree - Those 65,610 engage 196,830, representing 497,075 people
At this point 33% of Perth's people would be actively preparing for POP,
and everyone in Perth would have heard about POP.

9th Degree - Those 196,830 engage 590,490, representing 1,476,225 people
Now everyone in Perth is actively preparing for POP...

10th Degree - Those 590,490 engage 1,771,470
Our cup runneth over!!!

If each Degree takes...say... 6 months... then we can achieve a high degree of readiness for post oil within 4 years.
Progress may be slower at the beginning, but as people start to hurt from continually escalating prices for food, transport, energy and everything else, the POP message will fall on increasingly receptive ears....

Community Database Project

Goal - Inspire people to join a map-linked database

Features:

• All members of the database will be self-branded as either “I’m preparing for Post Oil Perth” or “I’m ready for Post Oil Perth”.
Self-branding is a well-known strategy for fostering environmentally friendly behavior, and could be via car or bin stickers
featuring the logos of major sponsors.
• Members will be able to contact Mentors in their area to help them become ready.
• All members will be able to offer, find and source resources locally (skills, products, food, fruit trees, seeds, animals, transport, services)
• Local businesses will be featured and promoted

Set up community database

• Neighbourhood buying power/Cooperatives potential
• Old people child caring facilities

Set up community online information/training resources

To upskill people in food/energy/water/resources/transport security
with "how to" info pertinent to Perth on:

• Growing vegetables – link to soil amendments
• Pastures
• Pruning
• Nut trees
• Fruit crops
• Seed sources
• Keeping hens
• Keeping rabbits
• Keeping geese
• Keeping milking goats
• Aquaculture
• Car pool links
• Survival supplies
• Books
• CSA
• Seasonal Blog – what to do now
• HOW TO MAKE A DONATION Affiliates
• APAL
• Eco Echidna
• Tree suppliers
• Seed suppliers

Find a Celebrity Verity James?
ANYONE KNOW OF A SUITABLE PERTH/AUSSIE CELEBRITY?

Find Perth business sponsors

Companies that are WA owned and based and will
benefit from our "buy local/become more sustainable" message...

• ?Bunnings
• Brownes
• Mrs Macs
• Canon foods
• Tip Top
• Harvey Fresh
• Solahart

Prepare business plan (costs and targets)

o Cost to create a foundation
• Design logo’s
• Send out sponsor packs
• Promote major sponsors on
o Stickers
o Online business network

Find Mentors amongst Perth:

• Permies
• Organic growers
• WANATCA folks
• Biodynamic folks
• Herb growers
• Eco Echidna
• Four Seasons guys
• City Farm
• WWOOF hosts
• Aussies Living Simply
• Seed savers
• CSA
• Oaktree foundation

Prepare preliminary training curriculum

o Food
o Energy
o Water
o Resources

Collaborate with representatives of major groups and...

o seek input
o engage involvement & assistance

Finalize curriculum and put online

o Energy bills audit
o Water bills audit
o Food bills audit
o Buy local
o Transport audit

Also promote mentor group activities e.g. Living Simply/Permie intro courses/City Farm courses/WWOOF etc

Prepare a promotion pack

o Sample email
o Sample articles
o Curriculum checklist
o “I’m preparing” stickers July-Aug 2008

Present to groups.

• Explain PO & mentoring
• Sign up 100 Mentors – get email and addresses
• Offer a “refresher course” for mentors
• Issue “I’m Ready” stickers
• Ask that they “spread the word” via their email networks, word of mouth, publications etc “Tell 10 other people”

Add Mentors to database

Sept-October 2008

Find members

• Living simply participants
• Magazine articles
• Online articles
• Eden Seeds clients
• Myspace
• Facebook Put “I’m preparing…” stickers in all WA mags Dec 2008

Involve Schools

*Need to seed this idea, engage others to do it in their areas!*

e.g. Community fairs/farmer's markets
• Local musos
• Local “slow food”
• Local services

Local skills for VET option

Set up permie gardens

“I’m ready” Businesses and local govt

• Online business self audit
• Green office
• Local business suppliers
• Mary Askey - Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Perth
• Acorn model Business mentoring and peer certification ISO14001?

Post Oil Perth

Intro

frosty — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:50:48 -0700

Great too see a post oil group finally formed in WA - thanks Meg

We are a couple of pensioners ( me disabled hubby my carer ) trying to be self sufficient on 3.4 ha near Lancelin. yeh I know not good land to grow stuff but I am disabled due to pesticide poisoning and originally we came here to find clean near sea air and get away from farming and industry ......... now of course the poison veggie farms are even moving in here and we being poisoned by the military training but that a whole other story !

I am pretty useless so Phil has to do everything hence we have a long to do list and progress is slow but steady. We have 6 British Alpine goats and are milking 2 of them and making cheese, yogurt, kefir and sometimes butter. We have chooks and 2 muscovy ducks and a big duck pond that will one day also house fish . We have some fruit trees established with a good apple crop this year. We have a veggie garden although at present having to buy greens which means a trip to Perth every fortnight grrrrrrrrrrr as we only buy Organic.

I post at the Permaculture institute board and although neither of us have a PDC we are trying to follow permaculture principals. We are alo very interested in Aquaponics although setting up our own system is still on the to do list !

Last year we used hubbys super plus a state govt grant to put in a 2.5k solar grid feed system - so far Synergy owe us $ 75 lol. Then about month ago we put in a solar pumping system so now as well as our power being financially independant we will be totally carbon neutral - for power anyway ......... but we still have to drive to get food and will do for quite some time .........

anyway enough from me

regards
Anne (and Phil)

Post Oil Perth

Peak Oil Facts - first meeting of Post Oil Perth May 3, 2008

Meg — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:22:45 -0700

Post Oil Perth had its first meeting last Saturday. There were 4 of us (I'm out of the shot because I took it!).

Rob (right), who is presently in the US Navy, was visiting Perth on a short stop over. Soon to leave the Navy for civvy life, he's pretty worried about where life in the US might be headed as peak oil heats up (and how to convince his lovely wife to move out with him to the country to grow food!).

Cal (center) had plenty of advice to offer on swaying one's partner by degrees....the condensed version sounded something like this: "Start by suggesting a nice little farm as a 'weekender', then build a shed on it, then when she says she won't live in a shed, show her some house plans to choose from!" Pretty clever, eh?

Cal and his family is setting up a farm down in Dandaragan, and is soon to erect a shed to live in while he builds a house.

Graeme (left) is my partner. We are already living in our shed in Bullsbrook which he is infill-building around us with straw bale.

Over bangers from the barbie, we fleshed out a "cunning plan" to transform Perth into a post oil ready state by 2012.

I will keep you posted on our progress as we go!

Post Oil Perth

Peak Oil Facts - Effects on Food Prices - May 8, 2008

Meg — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:05:57 -0700

Wow!

Did you hear the news this morning? International banker Goldman Sachs has come out with a report that predicts the price of oil could rise to between $150 and $211 a barrel by October this year! (It's currently $US123 a barrel).

Check out the story here: http://www.bigpond.com/news/business/content/20080508/2238730.asp

Photo: Food Riots in Haiti

The Transport industry in Australia is predicting a crisis in transport costs and food prices that will ultimately have to be passed onto consumers.

Geologist Dale Allen Pfeiffer claims that the coming decades could see spiraling food prices and massive starvation on a global level such as never experienced before. He describes the scenario we are heading for in detail in his article "Eating Fossil Fuels" which you can see at http://www.mnforsustain.org/oil_eating_fossil_fuels_pfeiffer_d.htm

You can also view a news video on current food riots occurring now in 33 countries around the globe at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAtyjrehu94

Food production is already heavily dependent on massive fossil fuel inputs - for each calorie of food produced, nine are used - as fertilizer and pesticides, transport and of course diesel. Rising oil prices are also seeing the use of food crops for biofuels - an additional factors driving a dramatic increase in the global price of cereals, a trend which is set to intensify.

What is more, high oil prices not only influence the food system, they influence the entire economy and virtually all of its industrial, agricultural and service sectors - thousands of manufacturing, transportation, and industrial processes, all set to become more expensive.

Better get those fruit trees in now guys!!!

Post Oil Perth

Will the Government Save You from the Effects of Post Oil???

Meg — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:09:24 -0700

When I read the news lately I am absolutely flabbergasted at the incompetence displayed by our governments in the face of post oil.

They just don’t seem to get it!

Any high school kid could understand that as oil becomes less available relative to demand, it can be expected to go up in price. I’m sure you are with me so far…

Is our economy really too hot?

Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch but as fuel prices go up, wouldn’t you expect the prices of everything that takes fuel to produce would also go up? Here I’m talking particularly about food. And the other big thing affected by rising oil prices is, of course, transport. Since virtually everything we use has a transport cost associated with it, we should be seeing the prices of most things going up. And of course we are!

I’m sure most people would be able to join the dots and understand this. But, it seems, governments can’t.

In Western Australia our rising living costs are being blamed on an overheated economy. The knee-jerk reaction? Put up interest rates! Government economists are assuming that its business as usual and acting accordingly. But what we’re really seeing is the early effects of a society based around cheap and readily available energy having the rug pulled out from under it.

Local businesses hit by latest Government Policy

And I was amazed to read in today’s West Australian that the federal government is changing the rules to make it easier for other mega-grocery chains to do business in Australia. They say this is an attempt to increase competition so that food prices will be as low as possible.

What it’s really going to achieve is the wiping out of our few remaining food manufacturers. Just this week that locally owned business Mrs Mac’s Pies is suffering a blow to its viability due to competition from duplicate “home brand” pie lines introduced by Coles.

As the bite of post oil reality sinks in, and transport costs become prohibitive, we are going to be relying more and more heavily on local producers and manufacturers, and yet, here is our government putting them out of business!

Biofuels not helping

Heard also today that in the UK they have investigated rising food prices and food shortages. The UK government is reportedly embarrassed and surprised to discover that the production of biofuels has contributed significantly to the problem. Why? Because the Government themselves has promoted biofuel production and “didn’t see it coming”.

Oh, duhh!!!! It’s a no-brainer! If good agricultural land is being switched from food to fuel production, then naturally a shortage of food will be the result.

So what’s the message behind this rave?

If you are hoping that the government is going to act in time to save us all from the painful effects on our society of post oil, you may be in for a very unpleasant shock. This is one of those crucial moments in the history of humanity when it will be up to the people to rise to the occasion.

At such times, we can either create the change that’s needed, or have it forced upon us. Which will you choose?

Post Oil Perth

Hi from Meg and Graeme

Meg — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:32:38 -0700

Hi all

And welcome to newbies Cal and Rob! Thanks for telling us your stories...

Thought I'd share a little about myself too...

Graeme and I are living in a partly finished shed on a 5 acre property in Bullsbrook, in the foothills north of Perth. We are owner building it in strawbale (and I hope it's finished soon because its starting to get pretty chilly!!!).

We moved out here to set up a self-sufficient lifestyle growing our own food, recycling water and producing our own energy. I've got a background in veterinary medicine, permaculture and sustainable living education, and Graeme is an electrical engineer specializing in alternative energy. We're using these skills to generate home based income so that we never have to leave our property (its beautiful out here) and can finally escape from the rat-race.

That's all well and good, but not enough to keep my family safe. The social chaos that will develop with accelerating oil shortage and climate change will mean everyone will be affected.

What's the solution then?

Really the whole community (i.e. Perth) must be ready if any of us is to survive. And no-one can do it all on their own.. We need to develop local networks so we can exercise interdependence if we are to be able to meet all of our needs and thrive.

Such thinking has given birth to Post Oil Perth, but it will take action now to make it all happen.

I welcome you all to be involved!