Hampden Community Energy

Expo aims to educate, inspire.

2008-06-14T15:12:00.001-07:00

By David Bruce on Sat, 31 May 2008

The small North Otago community of Hampden is going to be at the forefront of the energy efficiency field on Monday when it stages its first energy expo.
The expo is another initiative by Hampden Community Energy Incorporated, formed to cope with the demands of climate change and peak oil production.

Funding from the Ministry for the Environment has helped the small community group stage the expo, which is aimed at presenting good ideas and products for energy efficiency and do-it-yourself ideas to make life simpler and cheaper.

One of the organisers, Dugald MacTavish, hoped people would go away from the expo with good ideas to make their lives easier, less expensive and more secure.

Exhibits cover a wide field - from the efficient use of energy to conserving water.

Organisers expect exhibits on solar and wind energy, sewage treatment options, electricity-use meters, energy-efficient vehicles, low-carbon woodburners, "pedal power", low-tech cooking aids, water collection and storage, straw bale building and home insulation.

There will also be demonstrations on remodelling clothing, tending orchard trees, cider pressing, home-made disinfectants and creams and efficient home irrigation systems.

The expo runs from 10am to 4pm on Monday at the Hampden Hall, with money raised going towards a new sound system for the hall.

Hampden Energy Expo team members are ready for the Hampden Energy Expo on Monday. From left: Bobb Burton, Kate Wallace, Rick Tanaka, Sam and Arrow Koehler, Howard Selwood, Maurice Corish, Annette Selwood, Dugald MacTavish (at top of sign), and Trevor and Elizabeth Norton. Photo by Bill Campbell

reprinted from Otago Daily Time.

Waitaki District Council preparing a peak oil report

2008-06-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

It is a step forward, albeit a very tiny one for the mankind, that peak oil finally made it to the minds of our local Waitaki District Council.

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Thursday 12 June 2008

Council to seek views of the Community on its role on sustainability issues

At Tuesday’s meeting, Waitaki District Councillors resolved to undertake consultation with the community on the Council’s role in issues such as energy efficiency, sustainable living and sustainable development. This followed consideration of matters raised in Annual Plan submissions requesting that Council take a more proactive stance on sustainability issues, and support sustainability initiatives.

The Council has an obligation under the Local Government Act 2002 to take a sustainable development approach. At the meeting, Council indicated that it would seek community views on how Council could meet this obligation and what role the Council should play in matters such as energy efficiency and sustainability. Council staff will prepare a report outlining how consultation could be undertaken for a future Committee meeting.

As a result of a submission from the Hampden Community Energy Group on peak oil matters, Council staff will also prepare a policy paper considering how peak oil issues can be taken account of in Council planning.

Council will also allocate $1,000 to fund a sustainable living programme, as a result of a submission supporting this initiative.

For further information please contact:

Richard Mabon

Strategy Group Manager

Waitaki District Council

Phone: 03 433 0300

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Energy Efficiency Expo 2008

2008-06-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

On June 2, we held our first EEE.
Here are some of the pictures taken by Bent Jansen.

Sustainable Energy Futures for Small Communities

2007-10-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

summery of the talk by Ken Mitchell
given at Hampden community hall on 16/11/2007

Electricity Consumption in NZ

Domestic Household – 8000kWh p.a.
Europe – 4000kWh – more use of gas
Most energy used for Thermal applications
Most electricity is renewable (CO2) - hydro
Minimal storage or diversity – pricing risk
Centralised system – high line investment
Cheap abundant generation – low efficiency BUT completely unsustainable

Old Verses New

Demand

Demand drives power system investment
Design for peak demand – all electric house standard connection is 15kVA
In areas where assets can be shared – design for 5kVA per connection
100% average demand of a 8000kWh p.a. house is only 1kVA or 22kWh/day
Household demand exceeds 5kVA for a duration of 5%

Hampden

Feeder – 481 consumers 90% residential
50% in Hampden av. 24h demand 700W
Feeder MD 430kVA ADMD 340kVA
15km 33kV + 65km 11kV + 2818kVA Tfmr
9 distribution tfmrs supplying 240 consumers 10km LV
12% capacity utilisation – holiday homes

At what cost?

MEL retail charges p.a. for 8000kWh
$1761.47 = 22c/kWh
MEL low user 4000kWh (15% consumers)
$911.28 = 23c/kWh (28c/kWh hol. homes)
Close to diesel genset cost – not cheap!
System Operating costs - $100k
240 consumers – supporting $2.1M capex
Actual investment higher but subsidised – hurdle for change – pricing policy supports status quo

Big Opportunity

We are installing 3 times the amount of asset needed to service the top 5% of demand
If we live with 5% less utility (below 5kVA) then there will be much less power system investment needed.
If we reduce demand to 1kVA then we don’t need any more power system than localised 230V interconnection

Diversity is Key

Load with multiple energy sources and storage – water, heat, wood, gas, batteries
Diverse generation portfolios' in diverse locations
Distributed generation & active networks
Balances supply risks – no price shocks
Isolates from price path associated with unsustainability

Planning for the Future

Peak Oil tells us that by 2050 the worlds energy consumption will be at 1960’s level but population will be 3 times larger.
Most houses that will exist in 2050 have already been built
All the technology that will let us live in a lower energy scenario already exists and is economic to retro-fit now

Low Energy Homes

Can already keep demand below 5kVA with no more loss of utility than living off a water tank
Homes with diversity - low energy lighting, gas cooking, solar hot water and/or log burner space heating – 2000kWh 2kVA – just through choice of appliances not use
Add storage/batteries - 1kVA – next step zero emissions

Zero Emission Homes

Add insulation, PV cells, small turbine
And/or add DG at community scale
20-50 homes 100kVA interconnect at LV
Min 2 different generators of 100kVA for base load
Eg. Windmill and biodiesel genset (firm)
No 11kV power lines, transformers, or redundant asset for security

Not just Electricity

Water, waste water, storm water – 3 sets of infrastructure
There is sufficient solar energy falling on the roof of garage p.a. to power an electric car – NZES 60% by 2050 - communal
Can share hot systems and batteries also
No infrastructure means no bills – not an issue of cost just different choice of solution – benefit if lower cost

Sustainable Community Power Supply Options

Best gains from integrated community wide solutions.
Design as discrete communities – don’t make too large/inclusive – intensity is important
Look holistically at all energy and waste issues – they are the solutions to each others problems – heat from genset usable – host loads
Food and food production are energy issues
Glasshouses, waste heat, load dumps, ice bank
Grey water irrigation, compost sludge – low tech

Community Level System

50% base load – hydro, biomass, geothermal
25% Peaking (2h) Firming (8h) – bio gas/diesel
25% Variable - wind, PV
15% Storage – batteries, hydro, pumped, heat
25% DSM – load control, fuel switching
Load Dumping – pool, glasshouse, school
Can stage implementation – retain grid connection – allows other initiatives priority

Can this be done in Hampden for less than $2.1M?

Wind turbine 225kVA $300k
Diesel Genset 350kVA $150k
Hydro/Irrigation? 100kVA $250k
PV 50kVA $250k
Batteries/charger 3000Ah $20k
LV Reticulation $400k
Controls, buildings, etc $80k
Conventional system total $1.45M

Will this meet consumption?

240 users @ 4000kWh 960,000kWh
Wind 200kW 6h/day 438,000kWh
Hydro 100kW 8h/day 292,000kWh
PV 50kW 8h/day 146,000kWh
Diesel shortfall 84,000kWh
@ 300kW = 280h p.a. 1h for 6 days/week
Alternative to PV and Diesel – trickle charge off network

Enablers

Community will and buy-in
Life-style choices - Living with 4000kWh
Appliance choices when renewing
Equitable sharing of costs/benefits
Power company participation – capital, reuse of reticulation, design and operating know how
Exporting surplus if resources available

Energy Future Forums (Hamraki Rag Advert May2006)

2007-10-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

On the 18 April our Prime Minister stated the reason for high oil prices was “because we’re probably not too far short of peak (global) production, if we’re not already there”. On the 2 May she added that she had little doubt that “the long-term trend will be for the price to go higher”.

Do you agree with Helen Clark? What will happen if fuel prices keep increasing steeply? Would it affect the price of other types of fuel? Will some equally efficient substitute emerge once the price is right? Or is this simply profiteering by oil companies? What is happening to global demand for fuel? How much oil or gas is likely offshore New Zealand? If there is going to be a shortage, how will it affect us? Is there anything we should do for ourselves, our families and our communities to improve security and reduce our exposure?

An ad hoc group of locals has arranged a series of 3 information forums so you can hear experts on these questions and ask your own. The programme is: -

Tuesday 11 July 7.0pm, Hampden Hall

Global energy supply and demand - Professor Rick Sibson (Geologist, Otago University)
Oliver engaged: a view of our planet - Anton Oliver (All Black)
Tuesday 1 August 7.00pm, Hampden Hall

Movie on Peak Oil
New energy options and solutions? - Assoc Professor Bob Lloyd (Physicist, Otago University)
Tuesday 29 August 7.00pm, Hampden Hall

Planning a reliable energy future for communities – Dr Susan Krumdieck, Senior Lecturer (Mechanical Engineer, Canterbury University)
Facilitated community workshop - deciding if anything should be done

For effective participation in the final “workshop” meeting, attendance to the series is restricted to adults (+15years) and it is important to attend at least the first two forums. Therefore, tickets for them are on sale as a pair for a total of $10 and we seek your commitment to attend both. Light supper to be offered.

Don’t miss this opportunity! With such high calibre speakers and Anton, we expect 100 tickets to go quickly. A maximum number of locals will enable thorough discussion about any implications for our community. However, tickets unsold by later in June will be made available more widely.

Tickets available at the Hampden Hilltop Store and at the Herbert Garage or directly from an organising committee member from 1 June 2006.

We warmly invite you to these important (and probably entertaining!) forums:

Rob Campbell 4394333 Geof King 4395628
Ian Carter 4394440 John Munro 4395559
Margaret Johnston 4394625 Dugald MacTavish 4394824
John Laing 4395337 Annette Selwood 4394160
Martin Finnie 4394818

Hampden Energy Forums Summary Report

2007-10-11T15:54:00.001-07:00

Background to Peak Oil and Hampden Energy Forums

Presented to

WDC Visioning Workshop, Hampden Hall, 22.11.06

Dugald sends his apologies and has asked me to give a short account of what our group has been doing on his behalf.

Dugald informed himself about peak oil and felt so concerned about its massive implications and the fact that nobody was prepared even to consider it in planning processes that he got together with a team of local people who were prepared to give it a go. They organised the energy forums, which gave our community a unique opportunity to learn from three extremely knowledgeable people about the constraints which we face in the future – the near future, it would appear.

The first lecture was given by a geologist, Professor Rick Sibson. He outlined the concept of peak oil. The basis for this concept is that oil is a limited resource, and its availability will follow a Bell curve. We are at the peak of this curve now, or will be very soon. Furthermore, all the best and most easily available oil has already been extracted: what is left will be harder to extract and harder to refine.

Add to that the fact that the global demand for oil is increasing – our own demand continues to grow and the demands of countries like India and China are rising dramatically. Instead of a few privileged countries competing for ample quantities of oil, we have many more people competing for limited quantities of oil. There will be an increasing shortfall. The enormity of the impact is hard to imagine, as almost everything we do, use, put together has not only a visible oil component, but also a hidden one. For example, any crop we grow here uses fertilisers, pesticides, steel, plastic, machinery and transport, all of which come from oil. Generally, for every calorie of food we produce, we use 10 calories of oil energy.

The second lecture by Bob Lloyd, Professor of Physics at Otago University, looked at energy alternatives. That is his specialty area. He says there are none that can fill the gap. He pointed out New Zealand’s good fortune in having a lot of renewable energy options, but said that any substitute for fossil fuels is not nearly as energy efficient. In other words, to get 10 barrels of oil we have to use one barrel of oil. At the moment, to get one barrel of biofuel we have to put in .8 of a barrel of energy.

Of the other fossil fuels there is coal. The trouble is, as David Parker, the Minister of Energy and Climate Change pointed out in our fourth forum, coal releases even more carbon into the atmosphere than oil, and that atmospheric carbon is already changing our climate. During the ice ages, the world’s temperatures were a mere five degrees cooler than now. We are already nearly one degree hotter, and temperatures are predicted to rise by about 4-5 degrees by the end of this century (Canterbury University study 2006). Nobody knows what that will do to the earth, because nobody has ever been there but some scientists predict that change greater than 2 degrees will have serious consequences to ecological systems (Jim Hansen NASA 2006).

Our third speaker was Dr Susan Krumdieck of Canterbury University, who is a mechanical engineer with particular interest in energy-efficient communities. She made the point, very relevant this evening, that some paths are pre-ordained and they happen whatever the circumstances e.g. if you’re born a cow you grow, eat and behave like a cow. But we humans are capable of another kind of planning, which is imaginative. In other word, we can comprehend that circumstances might change, and we are capable of planning in order to meet conditions which are different to the familiar ones.

The trouble is, it’s hard to keep the reality of altered scenarios in our heads – we turn on taps, flick on switches and zoom all over the country and the world. That’s our normal, present way of life, and most of us don’t know any other. But our group believes that we are at that peak point where we can no longer assume that the parameters of our familiar world will continue indefinitely. We believe that we have to plan for a world with finite resources of oil, energy, water, phosphates, etc, etc – a world which is hard to imagine as we hurry on as we always have done, but a different world vision which we must face if we and our children are to stand a chance in the future.

The conclusions our group drew from our speakers were basically that

Fossil fuels are finite and will be less available and more expensive
Our community will therefore be more isolated
We must therefore be more self-reliant as a community
We should look to meeting our needs as much as possible from our own resources. This means nurturing, in a sustainable manner, our resources, our skills and knowledge base, our social relationships.

We decided that we must (a) acknowledge the probability of resource constraints, (b) consolidate what we already have that is useful and valuable in our community, and (c) aim towards positioning ourselves better for the future.

The group came up with many wonderful and inspiring suggestions. Four were prioritised for immediate investigation – the establishment of a local market, looking into bulk orders of solar panels, a sign or sculpture to tell people that we are an energy-aware community, and ways of improving our skills and knowledge base through education.

The ripples from our meetings have been amazing. They seem to have struck a chord and there have been inquires from Southland to the middle of the North Island about how to set up similar community groups. In fact, Dugald is in Dunedin at the moment helping them get one under way there.

Here, there are initiatives being taken with bio-fuel; offers have come in to help the people of the community to better insulate their houses at little or no cost. Information about how we might get cheaper, and maybe even locally made, solar panels has emerged. An investor has pledged money for virtually interest-free loans to help people to install solar panels and stormwater collection tanks. And we have the first of what we hope may become regular markets to showcase some of our hidden skills on 17 December. We hope you’ll all come. We have made a start on the road to the future we see, and in doing so we have recovered a sense that we, ordinary people, can make planning choices, and that it need not all be sacrifice – there is a sense of achievement in being more self-sufficient, making do with less and getting to know our community again.

As a way forward we suggest that the meeting may wish to adopt our society’s proposed vision:-

“A more secure, self-reliant and vibrant community, better prepared to sustain the

effects of a decline in fossil fuel availability and climate change and better able to meet

the essential needs of future generations.”

Hampden speech　by Anton Olivers

2007-10-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

SKY SLIDE

Firstly can I say that I feel humbled to be speaking to you this evening about issues that I care very deeply about, issues that I have no University qualifications for or years of job experience under my belt, just an interest in nature and the natural world. Perhaps this is one of the first things that should be garnered from this series of seminars, that, as a human beings and concerned citizens we all have the right to speak our minds, debate and contest current dogma and orthodoxies, in fact we have the obligation to do so.

And so it is that I find myself here, performing my duty, and this is what I wish to talk about

SHOW SLIDE WITH THREE POINTS

Put quite simply the Earth is very ill; we humans have poisoned and polluted it to the point where some of us are questioning if the illness is terminal.

The planets problems can be described succinctly.

-There are far too many of us on this Earth.

POPULATION SLIDES AND INFORMATION

-The catalyst for this has been the introduction of fossil fuels, which have extended the natural limits of human carrying capacity and this has created an unsustainable environment, an environment that now sees more than 6.5 billion of us co-existing.

-Trade exploded with fossil fuels, distance now no longer a concern, we humans extracted resources via machinery from sources once thought an impossibility, and we assiduously went about our work of exploitation and expansion.

- Capitalism eclipsed Communism, which also did the Earth no favours. In the 20th century Capitalism flourished and it’s fundamental economic plinth, to make money for its shareholders has been one of the greatest and most wicked foes of the Earth.

For fundamentally Capitalism is underpinned by a simple but devastatingly powerful human trait-greed.

The result of this simplified summary has seen the Earth polluted, raped and plundered.

Witness some of its illnesses;

-Collapsing fisheries; In 2002, an estimated 75% of the world's oceanic fisheries were fished at or beyond capacity.

-Shrinking forests, Today, only one-fifth of the planet's original forest cover remains in large tracts of undisturbed natural forests, tropical forests being the worst effected. From 1990 to 2000, more than 370 million acres of forest cover-an area the size of Mexico-was converted to other uses. If the loss of 49 million acres per year, which was typical in the 1990s, continues to increase at 2% per year, the unprotected forest will be gone before the end of this century.

-Eroding soils, The first global assessment of soil loss, based on studies of hundreds of experts, found that 38%, or nearly 1.4 billion acres, of currently used agricultural land has been degraded,

Species are disappearing at an unfathomable rate, water tables are falling, glaciers are melting, grasslands are deteriorating, seas are rising and rivers running dry, and deserts are expanding.

CO2 EMMISSIONS GRAPH

The increased CO2 emissions caused by fossil fuels is causing the world to heat up and is the cause of many of the aliments that I have just outlined. Sure the world’s temperature has fluctuated wildly over the annals of time, huge droughts and ice ages are known to have occurred. The point is however, that these changes have occurred over thousands of years, not sixty.

Since temperatures have been officially recorded which was in 1880, as at 2004 , five of the last seven years were the hottest ever recorded

TEMPERATURE GRAPH

This rise in temperature has caused cataclysmic changes to world ecosystems, an explanation of these changes is too extensive for the scope of this talk.

However, the rather obvious point of permafrost, tundra ice, glacial and polar ice melting and hence raising sea levels has a crude but elegant point to make. The sea level has risen 10-20 cm since 1900. Most non-polar glaciers are retreating, and the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice is decreasing rapidly in summer.

SEA WATER GRAPH

With vast numbers of humans living at sea level and vast amounts of farmland, particularly in the subcontinent at sea level, raising our sea levels mere centremetres will have catastrophic implications for millions of humans.

Our weather patterns are becoming more and more unstable, something that has, rather brutishly been displayed in Aotearoa in the last month.

WEATHER PICTURES

Finland:

"The ongoing winter in Finland has been extremely freaky: very mild, with record storms, culminating in a rise in the sea level of nearly two metres in Helsinki. "The city erected flood barriers of cardboard bales, but they didn't do much to help; the water reached the streets."

Water palace

"This picture is of the Jal Mahal (Water Palace) in Jaipur, India. The appearance of fog suggests the photo was taken in the morning. "That is not the case. It was taken in the afternoon, and the 'fog' is actually pollution.

Samoa

"A house damaged when cyclone Heta hit Samoa in January 2004." According to some scientists, the ferocity and frequency of hurricanes in the Caribbean last year were caused by warming water in the Atlantic.

CHCH

"This picture is of the parched hills just south of CHCH during the summer heat wave and drought of 2003-2004." Europe also suffered a major heat wave in 2003, with temperatures soaring to unprecedented heights in some places. According to climate scientists, heat waves in the 21st Century will become more frequent, more intense and lasting longer.

HOAR FROST SLIDE

And still we continue to consume fossil fuels as if they were both inexhaustible and have no adverse effect on our environs.

But fossil fuels are finite and we have always know this, and that point makes the folly of our addictive dependence on them all the more incredulous.

Those that have been labeled ‘conservative experts’ believe we will reach peak oil, or topping point, by definition-the point where we have reached the highest possible production and after that we are in decline-by the end of the decade and that after that point we have roughly two trillion barrels left to consume. Those labeled ‘optimists’ believe we are at least twenty five years away from our topping point and that after that point we will have three trillion barrels left in supply, a massive difference in the parties estimations.

HEN AND CHICKENS SLIDE

Jeremy Leggett writing for the UK Independent in January this year published these very telling figures ‘Ninety per cent of all our transportation, whether by land, air or sea, is fuelled by oil. Ninety-five per cent of all goods in shops involve the use of oil. Ninety-five per cent of all our food products require oil use. Just to farm a single cow and deliver it to market requires six barrels of oil, enough to drive a car from New York to Los Angeles. The world consumes more than 80 million barrels of oil a day, 29 billion barrels a year, at the time of writing. This figure is rising fast, as it has done for decades. The almost universal expectation is that it will keep doing so for years to come. The US government assumes that global demand will grow to around 120 million barrels a day, 43 billion barrels a year, by 2025. Few question the feasibility of this requirement, or the oil industry's ability to meet it.’

It is this dependence on oil that has seen America, the world’s single largest consumer, guzzling 20% of total world annual supply, slowly convert the function of it’s military into an oil protection agency.

FAVOURITE TREE SLIDE

The Earth’s size and its carrying capacity are limited, they both have a finite end point. Growth and limits are diametrically apposed concepts under our current economic practices. If the Earth grew commsurately as we humans and our consumption rates did then there would be no need for meetings such as these, but of course the Earth doesn’t grow and we continue to be ignorant.

What is it that drives this ignorance? Why are we unable to understand our plight and change to a path of redemption for Mother Nature and mankind?

SKY SLIDE

One of the main reasons for our ignorance is the resistance of the omnipotent. The entrenched political, economic and religious systems that we live in constrain attempts of individuals or small groups to function by different rules or to obtain goals different from those sanctioned by the system. Those currently in power are those who have the most to lose and therefore they hide and smear the truth. They look to make the collective ignorant, postpone action, organize and facilitate apathy: they want us to be isolated and alone.

Highly contentious and generalising statements some may say, and of course the comments are both, but if breaking our inability to think differently requires some contentious talk then it must be done.

Capitalism has reduced nature to ‘assets’ and ‘resources’ making the idea of attaching a price system seems logical, and to reduce nature to capital assets is the equivalent to saying the world was made for humans.

Economic growth, full employment and universal prosperity are incompatible with conservation and the ecological integrity of the Earth and we are now at the point where the world’s economy is out of sync with the world’s ecosystem.

Organisations like the World Bank, WTO, IMF have been a disaster for the Earth.

William Lines is very illuminating, Lines contends ‘The World Bank makes development loans on the condition that recipient countries dismantle their native economic and social arrangements and redesign them according to free trade ideology. Conditions include the lifting of tariffs protecting local industry, the removal of rules controlling foreign investment, and the conversion of self sufficient, small scale, diverse agriculture to corporate-controlled, export orientated monocultures.

WTO rulings free the world’s largest cooperations to, enter any market, sell any product, overturn any tradition or custom, quarry any mine and land, clear fell any forest, fill any wetland, pave any grassland, fish any sea, dump all toxic waste, poison any waterway, pollute any atmosphere without constraint by local laws or citizens’.

MOUNT ST BATHANS SLIDE

And it is Globalisation that brings it all together committing everyone to the same rules, the rules are, the buying and trading of the Earth’s resources, distorting lives and establishing a world of wealth and waste.

The usual defence for Free Trade and Capitalism is that it has improved the standard of living for all, especially the poor-this is simply not true. During the past three decades the poorest 20 per cent of countries have seen their share of global income decline from 2.3 per cent to 1.4 per cent. As a result, the ratio of the income of the richest 20 per cent of countries to the poorest 20 per cent has more than doubled. It rose from 30:1 to 61:1 in the last three decades. In more than a hundred countries, the average income per person in 1995 was lower than it had been fifteen years previously, according to the 1996 Human Development Report. More than a quarter of humanity -- 1.6 billion people -- were worse off despite the fact that between 1960 and 1993, total global income had increased six-fold. Only 8% of the world's people own a car. Hundreds of millions of people live in inadequate houses or have no shelter at all- much less refrigerators or television sets.

Social arrangements common in many cultures; save, invest, and multiply their capital. In 1998 more than 45% of the globe's people had to live on incomes averaging $2 a day or less. Meanwhile, the richest one-fifth of the world's population has 85% of the global GNP.

The rich continue to expand their wealth at the expense of man and nature.

CAR SLIDE

We must view the land in terms of what it naturally will allow us to do. Leopold’s golden land ethic rule- A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise’.

This has to be our golden rule too. Thus we should be asking ourselves,

What is the nature of this place? And then think about what will nature permit man to do here in a sustainable fashion? How can we sustainably maintain farming practices in harmony with the land-without abstracting that which nature did not intend?

Pouring millions of litres of water and fertilizers onto land in the Mackenzie Basin to set up dairy farms clearly goes against these philosophies.

The second major reason we find ourselves unable to make a change is because Humans are animals, just as Desmond Morris so famously stated in his book ‘The Naked ape’. And just like any other animal we behave in certain ways: human nature.

SKY SLIDE

We always want more, never satisfied with what we already have, an insatiable need to elevate and to consume. And it is so hard today to fight against consumption; marketers bombard with messages-overt and subliminal- desirability playing on our insecurities and need for control and status. More gadgets more appliances more land with little concern for others and for the future: Individualism and hedonism in collusion.

A measurement of one’s quality of life now seems to be a measurement of how much stuff one owns and how much stuff one consumes.

And we are all complicit in this regard; it just depends to what extent. I am a perfect example of this. I fly around the world in gas thirsty jets, stay and eat at wealthy five star conglomerations, my work apparel is covered in global branding which is in direct conflict with my own personal beliefs. Indeed a few months ago I was made to do a Coke television commercial that I objected for obvious personal reasons however my request came I was contractually obligated to furfill my obligations. I try to live my life according to my moral and social principles, however I am finding it extremely difficulty ceding my autonomy and personal philosophies to the collective-as my job requires me to.

EAST COAST TREE SLIDE

Many of us, at one time or another, would have asserted our right to express our individual choice while not wanting to acknowledge the fact that this individual choice often means the deprivation and or destroying of others treasures. Many of us espouse noble causes such as ‘make the world a better place’ and ‘ help make a difference’ without making any real sacrifices in our own lives; sacrifices that are going to change the way we live, not just recycling or buying organic apples but significant changes.

SEA SLIDE

Recently when Auckland was without power there was a massive furore, millions of dollars of productivity lost they said, and outrage, this must never occur again they said. And yet many families in the south went without power for three weeks, without the normal facilities for heating and food preparation. Many elderly needed special attention to survive-literally not to die. However human lives vs. four hours of lost economic productivity loses out here in NZ, for we placed more emphasis on money over man, and I was greatly sadden by it.

The more we become isolated from nature the more we become dislocated from the consequences of our actions and so it happened with the power shortage a few short weeks ago.

Our lifestyles and attitudes are increasingly abstracted to the stage where we are insulated from nature and a vast majority of those who live in big cities do not have a direct and intimate relationship with the natural world.

ME AND BRIAN SLIDE

Again Lines says ‘Proximity to nature does not always turn into love for nature. Without proximity, however, there is little chance for love. What will motivate the adults of tomorrow to fight for nature if, as children, they never breathed the open air?

We humans have to start understanding that we are, in-fact, part of a natural community, not commander of it. We have a responsibility to see that the economy is there to serve the Earth not the other way around. For any parent who really cares about their children should be ultimately concerned about the Earth’s future well being.

KID SLIDE

The negativity of my speech to this juncture has been factual and necessary, it is how things have been and the trends we will continue to follow unless we decide enough! The time for strong words and small steps are behind us. We, as a race need to take action and take action now.

Firstly there has to be an admission that growth has limits, and that means an admission that fossil fuels are going to run out and far sooner than projected by Oil companies and Oil stakeholders.

The ultimate goal is to live in a sustainable society, one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. An easy example of sustainability in practice would be that birthrates would roughly equal death rates. We have to change and conceptualise a society that is almost diametrically different to the current philosophies that underline modern man.

TANE MAHUTA SLIDE

We have to view growth in a different way.

Sustainability, in our new world would mean an attempt to discriminate between different kinds of growth and the purposes for that growth. Some of the questions I think sustainability would ask are, what kind of growth is it? who stands to benefit from that growth? And crucially, what is the environmental and otherwise cost of that growth?-can the earth accommodate the pollutive aspect of growth so that the net balance is zero.

How, you might say, do you intend to achieve all of this? I believe the answer lies in small, dedicated groups, communities that have an awareness of themselves and the natural world around them. The phrase community must be altered from the current dogma of man singularly, to a new definition that encapsulates the natural communities that are particular to that area, to encompass the rivers, mountains, trees, grasses, and animals.

OPITO BAY SLIDE

These communities have the ability to stay focused and a determination to follow and believe in the path that they follow is the right one. Small communities can be seen, in many ways, like a family. The people that you can call upon in times of need, the ones who support each other and also the ones that fight ritualistically but always are able to disagree and commit. It is this type of community with communal sharing of assets and skills and property that will adapt and survive into the future. This type of community would see a growth of knowledge for the good of the group, not for individual careers or to make people better staff members, but for the accrued knowledge of the collective. It is this type of flexibility that will see communities sustain themselves locally both work wise and food wise in a manner that doesn’t damage their environment and therefore endanger their existence. It is this type of community that shares it’s fate with every other member of that community so that there is a joint membership of failures and success, so that all members are inextricable tied to the direction and future of that community, so that there are no OE trips or emigration plans when times are not as one would desire.

SKY SLIDE

You can’t change everything, I cannot influence what is happening in Iraqi and Israel, but I can make a difference in my own back yard; that is where I can be truly effective and where my energies are most wisely used.

Mary Mead once said ‘Never deny the power of a small group of committed individuals to change the world. Indeed that is the only thing that ever has’ and when you think about it she is couldn’t be more correct.

For if we do not change, the Armageddon that is referred to often in biblical texts will not be wrought down via divinity, rather it will be brought about by man.

I personally think that whilst the simplification of lifestyle that I have just outlined is not beyond our means-I think we would be able to achieve it- I think that it may be outside the reach of our desires.

ME LOOKING OUT OVER SEA SLIDE

There is no panacea for the future but one thing we must have is hope, for what else do we have if we relinquish that?

Ends

Ideas from Hampden Energy Workshop, 5 September 2006

2007-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Ideas from Hampden Energy Workshop, 5 September 2006

How will we experience oil shortfall in our community?
Farm/Food

Difficulties for farmers

Farming change

Change in farming patterns

Farming could continue but differently

Money / Costs

Price rises

Money income less important

Increased cost of goods & services that are essential and can’t be produced locally

Save fuel costs

More money

Transport / Mobility

Less travel

Transport costs rise

Less mobility

Plan trips

Trains? Coal offset by fewer cars

No transport – would take more manpower

Railway more important

Goods / Services

Essential goods (i.e. difficulty in getting essential goods that are not produced locally)

Fewer goods

Less access to non-local goods and services

Central exchange

Deprivation – won’t be able to get stuff

Less choice

Electricity generation

Cooperation / Contact

Less oil, less opportunity to travel

Networking – for shopping, traveling

Much slower and less frequent physical contact with the outside world

More self-sufficient

Greater dependence on local resources

Share

Communicate

Increased community spirit

Work / Livelihood / Commerce / Education

Tourism disappears or is sourced locally – loss of vendors

Loss of educational opportunity

Need for local work rather than commuting

People move

Change in occupation

Redeployment to smaller enterprise

What does our community have that will work for us in a future with less oil?
Physical Resources / Infrastructure / Physical Capital

Gardens

Livestock

Schools

Tavern

Church

Store

Hall

Library

Doctor and surgery

Port

Water supplies

Railway

Local energy generation

Local infrastructure

Wharf at Moeraki

Main trunkline

Harbours

Port facility

Water supply

Proximity to other towns

Land

Railway

Local sporting facilities

Technology

Farms

Mixed farming

Social Resources / Social Capital

Small size

Strength of community

Good range of skills

School as local focal point

There is already a strong community here – note these meetings

Community attitudes

Community cooperation

Community spirit

Communities will become closer, more stable

Community resources

Skill bases – more sharing

Local capacity to produce food

Environmental Capital

Farms

Forests

Rivers

Flexible environment (?)

Sea

Ocean – sail

Sun

Renewable energy – hydro, wind, solar

Land – highly productive

Natural attractions for the rich few

What (realistically) can we do as a community to prepare and respond?
Learn More

Identify people with skills locally

Run workshops (permaculture, organics, community gardens)

Awareness of the current oil situation through education

Run workshop; education, knowledge and skills data base

Act

Economic Actions

Central exchanges; goods etc

Encourage buying local goods

Develop a local market

Strive to be debt free

Invest locally

Establish corporate-free zone

Support local business

Downsize

Political Actions

Lobby councils to plan

Develop independence i.e. not be dependent on councils

Develop local entity (for planning etc)

Hampden as model

Strive for Eco-village status as a model for NZ

Create a local community body for leadership

Develop local “government”

Communication event – community awareness education

Change political focus on economic growth

Lobby local & national government to plan for future, eg. keep fertile land for agriculture

Change political focus from economic growth to more sustainable activities

Spread the message

Self Sufficiency Actions

Physical Resources / Infrastructure

Retain, maintain, develop and use our existing facilities

Local sporting facilities

Community artefacts (?)

Reduce waste - recycle – reuse (plastics, etc)-repair

Encourage purchase/collection/preservation of long-lasting, useful goods

Structure education at local level

People Resources

Upskill

Use local talent

Build local awareness

Encourage people with skills to come to our area

Identify people with skills already living locally.

Knowledge / skills databases

Think ahead – medical needs, etc

Environmental Resources

Protect local resources ie sustainable management of resources

Transport

Share transport

Breed Horses

Bicycles & trails / short cuts

Food / Farming

Farmers’ market

Source locally

Heritage plants

Plant trees

Gardens

Nuts

Diversify farms / forestry to prepare & respond & follow up

Collect pest and disease resistant plants e.g. seed bank

Power

Wind turbines

Wave turbines

Wind turbines power cable cars?

Power plant

Develop local energy e.g. solar, wind, hydroelectricity supply

Cooperate

Pool resources

Pool skills

Share knowledge with other groups nationally

Form local groups eg car pool

Trade as a community

Coordinate a transport system – carpooling

Develop a strong sense of community

What to do next?

1) Another public meeting in 2 months to review responses to questions

2) Committee reconvenes to advance what has been started with the forums.

Facilitators: Patti Vanderburg and John Cocks