Power of Community

Finally saw this film on how Cuba survived their version of Peak Oil. It's an inspiring recounting of what Cubans did when the Soviet Union collapsed along with 90 per cent of their incoming oil supply.

See: The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

The government allowed the development of every spare bit of land, regardless of who owns it. In a few short years Cubans changed their diet, modes of transportation (bikes, buses), commerce (localized), and became independent and resilient. This is a model the rest of the world must use as more countries are hit by energy shortages.

The video was produced by Pat Murphy, Megan Quinn Bachman and others at Community Solution, a wonderful organization that promotes sustainable solutions in the face of Peak Oil. Check their site for excellent resources and presentations. In 2008 I attended a conference organized by CommunitySolution, in Ann Arbor Michigan. It was an excellent conference, with over 350 attendees. It was my first exposure to the German Passivhaus building standard which in my opinion is far superior to LEED. See the Canadian Passive House site for more info.

In order to survive Peak Oil, North Americans need to find low energy solutions to transportation, housing and food production as well a localized economy. Changes can't wait for Government policy, but are occurring right now in pockets called Transition Towns. Google it here. See Transition Ottawa for an example.