Alex T writes, “As you may have seen here on this site and elsewhere, CMC hosted a Sustainability Festival at the Orpheum Theatre in Buena Vista a couple of weeks ago. The event, which focused on local green and community-oriented businesses as well as the path forward into a world with an uncertain energy future, left me thinking about a variety of things, but one question in particular. Randy Udall, who’s career as an activist promoting alternative energy, opened the event with a frank discussion on the realities of the coming decade. Early in his talk, he made a comment that immediately brought a truly difficult question to mind: How does one live in Buena Vista with $300 oil? ($10+ per gallon of gas)? The demand curve says that we’re going to get there within 5-7 years (and don’t let today’s close at $90/barrel fool you. Global demand is only headed one way. Up.). What does life look like when City Market’s the transportation costs triple? What does life look like in a tourist town when $10 gas has them staying home on the weekends? How can we even begin to have a discussion about ‘Sustainable Living’ or ‘Affordable Housing’ or ‘Attracting Good Jobs’ or any of our favorite campaign issues if we don’t have a way to locally produce enough food or power to feed ourselves and heat our homes? I’m not trying to be an alarmist, I’m just trying to imagine budgeting 1/3 of my income just to drive around town and triple what I spend now on $10 dollar diesel to get my cheerios shipped over Trout Creek pass. As the movie title says, ‘Something’s gotta give.’

The rest of the conference showed me that there are other people concerned with these issues also. And there are some who are working to cushion our community against our inevitable future. On the food front, assuming that item 2H on the ballot this November passes, the farm is looking to expand their production. The local dairy co-op is just getting started. The local food discussion session at the conference may have lead to the start of a local beef co-op as well. Guidestone notes that there are three CSA’s operating in Chaffee County at present with more on the way. On the Energy front, Udall noted that our valley is well positioned for small and large scale solar. We have the river that could be utilized for Micro-hydro power with little impact. He mentioned a number of state and federal tax credit programs that can help you fund the large up-front costs of a renewable energy system. And is anyone talking to Sangre de Christo about SLV Rural Electric’s success with their 8.5MW Solar power plant? Why not one for our valley as well?

Personally, I’m feeling the pressure to start taking care of my own food and energy requirements now. Putting in a greenhouse is the simplest and most effective hedge against energy prices I can think of. The burning desire to pop for a set of photovoltaic cells for the house is moving up the list too. A good bike and a home located close to the center of town are things that, under other circumstances might seem like luxuries. The truth is, my the desire for those things are no longer wrapped up in my love affair with New Urbanism. The principles are all the same, but living well and within reason will actually be possible if I live a localized life instead of a life designed around a $2 dollar gasoline world who’s time has come and gone.

I like sharing these ideas stream-of-consciousness style, but I understand that my ricocheting thoughts may be hard to follow at times. I wanted to share this idea because, if you and your friends are thinking about these things, then maybe you’ll move closer to town, or put in a veggie greenhouse or start riding your bike 2 days a week. It’s obvious that our world is in transition economically, socially, and climatically. We must transition with it. Each small shift, small step we take towards de-centralized power and food, towards self-reliance and service to the local community is a choice that will ease the change that is coming. We can think about it, prepare for it and transition with it or not.

$300 oil is coming. Are you ready for it?”

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