The presentation plus panel discussion titled "Peak Oil & Beyond: Creating A Sustainable Society While Entering the Post-Carbon World," was presented at the SOS Mockbee Gallery, Sunday, April 30, starting at 3pm and running till 4:30pm. It was a cool, rainy afternoon but we drew a dozen or so visitors. The gallery is an ancient brewery built into the hillside rather like a cobblestone winecellar and the ambiance of colorful, ubiquitous artwork with quietly task-lit areas was reminiscent of catecombs. Or maybe the Peak Oil topic added a technical seriousness to the artworld's passion for peace and justice. Curiously, three of the dozen or so there had done, or were doing, battle with their local lawn police over more naturalized landscaping. Small world, afterall. Mike did his powerpoint presentation on the basic concept and his explorations of community oriented solutions being considered by some of the less sanguine Peak Oil groups, then opened the panel and invited the group to join in...

Report by Mike Murphy, co-ordinator

The good news is there was considerable animated discussion. The bad news is that no one got to say all they wanted to.

In particular, Jeanette was excellently well prepared, but we did not have enough time to view the power point presentation she brought. The part we saw was really good.

Janet Kalven talked of her experience at the early Grailville, and how they needed to conserve water.

Bob Craig worried that there needed to be more media contact if we wanted to get our concerns heard.

Sharon Jones said she was very interested in hearing more.

Discussion with and among audience participants was animated & irrepressible, and that's very good.

The film, "The End of Suburbia," followed our Peak Oil & Beyond presentation, and everyone stayed for the film, and I think only one person left before it was over. The film repeated and clarified several of the points made earlier, and that was helpful.

Clearly we touched a nerve. Equally clearly we need to allow more time, especially when participants come as well prepared as Jeanette. I'm thinking we need to allow at least one hour of discussion for each hour of presentation.

So, I am looking into sites for future presentations and discussions, other than Mockbee, which is chilly and damp. Also, Saad Ghosn [the SOS Mockbee organizer] is willing to help out with future arrangements.

I'd like to find a time and place for Jeanette to do her presentation. And--at the same or another time--I'd like to show the new film on Cuba made by Pat Murphy and Megan Quinn of www.CommunitySolution.org up in Yellow Springs.

Mike Murphy
mmurphy10@fuse.net [Return to Home Page]
Alternate Energy Association
E-mail: aea@aea1.org