South West Rural Update: Oil Energy to Community Energy
Peak Oil and Climate Change - The Challenges Facing Rural Communities
Thursday 12 February 2009, 10:00 - 16:00
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
Speaker(s): Various
In association with the Transition Network, Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, with support from The Royal Agricultural College
Current mainstream agricultural and food retail systems depend heavily on oil. As society is forced to reduce energy consumption and oil dependence, there will be an increasing need for localised economies. Transition initiatives aim to pull the community together to explore the practicalities of re-building local resilience and reducing carbon emissions. This South West Rural Update event will consider the implications of the toughest challenges facing us in the Twenty First Century and the planning and thinking tools required for these uncertain times.
Provisional Programme
10:00 Introduction to National Rural & SW Rural Update ~ Simon King, Chair of National Rural SW Region
10:05 Chair's introduction ~ Professor Chris Gaskell, Principal, Royal Agricultural College
10:15 Invitation to Advocates/keynote listeners ~ Can we live better and consume less?
10:30 Section 1 -- Where we are now? Plan A - Business as usual
- Global Overview of peak oil, climate change and economic change ~ Oliver Baines, Groundswell, Cornwall
- Local Impact of this re debt crisis ~ tbc
11:15 World Café including coffee (reflection and digestion time)
12:00 Section 2 -- Plan B -- What are the alternatives to Plan A?
* Transition scenarios ~ Rob Hopkins, Transition Network
* Oil Vulnerability Audit ~ Simon Snowden, Liverpool University
* Case Study -- Stroud Food Hub ~ Nick Weir, F3
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Section 3 -- Choice of 1 out of 4 Workshops: What tools/skills do we need for plan B?
- Models for Community Supported Agriculture ~ Jade Bashford, Soil Association/ Stroud Community Agriculture
- Carbon reduction toolkit ~ tbc
- Transition Universities ~ Knowledge and Skills for plan B -- Julie Rchardson, Landscope.
- Case Study ~ National Trust. -- Adrian Colston
14.45 World cafe including refreshments (reflection and digestion time)
15:30 Observations from advocates
15:50 Closing remarks - chair
16:00 End
Click here for booking form
For further information or to book, contact: Sue Rabbich
South West Regional Manager
01285 889872 Ext: 2238
srabbich@nationalrural.org
Beverley Allen
SW Rural Update Administrator
01285 889872 Ext: 2236
beverley.allen@rac.ac.uk