Saturday, August 26, 2006

Miscellaneous suggestions for local action

On Energy Bulletin, a list of actions - "Helping cities, towns and municipalities adapt to peak oil: things you can do on the local level"
(On Energy BUlletin there's no place to comment; article was originally posted by Peak Progress here on MySpace, but you need to join MySpace to comment on it there.)

An Oil Drum commenter summarized the list:
* Change school curriculum for High schoolers in grades 9 - 12 to prepare for a fast changing world
* Create awareness campaigns and encourage homeowners to buy products and services from local companies
* Create "food preparation, storage and nutrition" classes for citizens
* Expand business and residential composting programs
* Mandate energy efficiency inspections for homes and buildings
* Assess local food production abilities
* Encourage neighborhood grown food swaps
* Foster neighborhood food swaps based on produce grown within the city.
* Create program for sustainable year round water usage for urban farming
* Create or expand neighborhood introduction programs
* Continue to encourage use of public transportation, biking, walking, and carpooling
* Foster neighborhood co-op owned fueling stations
* Offer "Earth Shift" support groups
* Create "Wisdom of the Elders" program
* Create a re-use storage program


Is Guy Dauncey's list online?
(I'm guessing not, since it's the core of his "101 solutions" book )

What do you think of these ideas?
(along with Marston's list from Power Palooza)
Are there other lists?


Solar farm sites?

A suggestion -

"the Grass Valley Water Treatment plant...would be a great place for a solar farm-- sunny, publicly owned, and already protected by high fences. If the city can't be pursuaded to invest in such a project, perhaps the surrounding neighborhood would be willing to help finance this; several of us would like to get solar panels on our houses but this area is too heavily shaded."


What would it take and who would you talk to, to suggest this?

(this being GV's drinking water plant, not the sewage treatment plant.)


Saturday, August 19, 2006

Power-Palooza ideas?

Please add yours as a comment here.


Sunday, August 13, 2006

Transportation ideas

How about a North San Juan to Nevada City bus or rideshare - there's no reason everybody should have to traverse that common stretch of 49 in separate vehicles.
Maybe have the pick-up site be the library, so people can use their 'waiting' time productively; could someday have Gem golf-cart-cars available for rent, for running errands in town.

Gold Country Stage bus schedules (in PDF format); more info here.
(buses don't just run around town; they'll take you to
Penn Valley, Auburn, and (Tuesdays only) to North San Juan.)


Your ideas?