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The first speaker was Robert Hirsch, the internationally acclaimed author of Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, and Risk Managment (also known as The Hirsch Report), and a private consultant for MISI. He spoke on federal planning for peak oil and outlined where we are currently. He argued that we are not prepared for the decline in liquid fuels and we need to move quickly. He is a hydrogen believer and seems to believe in finding ways to get as much out of oil, and continue the use of oil, over the next 20 years. Hirsch sees a need to find common ground between climate change and peak oil. Mitigation is his solution, and it includes: speed limits, carpooling, 4-day work week, telecommuting, rationing, opening ANWR and other places like the coast of Santa Barbara. Fuel efficiency is fine, but we will still need liquid fuels in the near future. Definitely stay away from corn based ethanol - it is not a solution. Commented that 2/3 of oil production in the U.S. is for transportation needs.

Robbie Diamond is the founder and president of SAFE - Securing America's Future Energy - and he spoke on the ramifications of an oil shockwave, our fragile oil infrastructure, and a description on how by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels we can boost he economy and improve national security. From my notes, his solutions were: reduce demand through mandates and standards; effective public and private sector R&D; develop and expand alternatives to increase domestic supply; and, strengthen military and diplomatic arrangements.

Both these men gave kind of an overview of the problem, so lots of doom and gloom, with a few solutions. They both received challenging questions from the audience. It was disappointing to not hear more about electric and other renewable options as part of the solution. The next four speakers were more local and brought the conversation to our town, our city.

City Manager of Ventura, Rick Cole, offered an inspiring solution and talked about the direction Ventura is moving. He started by saying, "fear is not a mobilizing condition" and that "zoning is a landscape for cars, not people." It was shocking to hear him talk about our "retched" consumptive habits and how it relates to peak oil. Ventura is trying to reinvent around people rather than cars, to reclaim the traffic "sewers" (4-8 lane of roadway), to protect farmland, and to reclaim the traditional neighborhood design of California. The City commissed a plan to look at the issues surrounding peak oil. Read more on the City Manager Blog. (Yes, a City Manager Blog...what a concept!!)

Susan Anderson came from the forward thinking city of Portland, Oregon. She is the Director of the City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development (OSD). Their goal in Portland is to move the American Dream to a "20-minute neighborhood dream" where you don't have to get in the car. (Hello, Ojai!!) Portland made a goal to reduce CO2 to 1990 levels and they have been successful (rest of the U.S. is up 6%). How? Significant reduction in vehicle miles; 85% increase in transit use; transit is free downtown; 5% of all trips to work are by bicycle (1% nationally); has 150 LEED certified buildings; has a 2010 plan for 100% renewable power in all City buildings using solar; and contracting for local sources of biodiesel for city vehicles. Amazing! Read more on the OSD web site. In particular, you might want to check out the Peak Oil Task Force Report, the result of over 40 community meetings.

Pete Schwartz, teaches physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo focusing on energy, society, and the environment. His report talked about the lower lifetime cost of electric transportation and that electric is 6% 6.5 times more efficient than gasoline - even taking into account electricity from fossil fuels, electric transporation is 2.5% 2.5 times more efficient. He highlighted that over 98% of people in the U.S. drive less than 100 miles per day - easily handled by an electric vehicle. If you need to travel further, rent a car.

The Energy Program Director and Attorney for the Community Environmental Council, Tam Hunt, gave an overview of CEC solutions. It comes to six categories and are solutions that can be implemented immediately and without any modification to law or policy.

1. Ridesharing (Fossil fuel reduction potential: 20%)


2. More Effecient Vehicles (Fossil fuel reduction potential: 17%)


3. Sustainably Produced Biofuels (Fossil fuel reduction potential: 20%-25%)


4. Bus Mass Transit (Fossil fuel reduction potential: 3%)


5. Bicycling (Fossil fuel reduction potential: 3%)


6. Next Generation Vehicles such as plug-in hybrids (Fossil fuel reduction potential: 1%-2%)

The details of this solution are online at Fossil Free By 33.

Updated 6/6/08: CEC is already doing lots of work on the building side (with Architecture 2030 and renewable energy) and that the new information he presented is the results from our recent transportation plan with detailed recommendations for the transportation sector.

Updated 6/7/08: Presentation Handouts
So, what about Ojai? It was exciting to hear Ojai mentioned several times by speakers and to see John Mirk, an Ojai Planning Commissioner, in the audience (though he was representing his employer). I chatted with him after and felt a sigh of relief and knew that John would make a report of some kind to the Planning Commission. As Ojai embarks on our Roadmap for a Sustainable Ojai [PDF - updated Roadmap of 5/5/08], we have many resources in our region to draw upon. In particular, the cities of Ventura and Santa Barbara seem to be ahead of the game with some strong leadership in Rick Cole (Ventura) and Marty Blum (Santa Barbara). It is time to be involved and help our community and the world.