Free ‘Peak Oil’ conference in London, 15 July 2006

July 14th, 2006

The agenda is available here as a PDF

A free-to-attend conference looking at many aspects of Peak Oil is taking place on Saturday 15 July 2006 at the BedZed development in Hackbridge, just outside London. The event, Peak Speak 2, is the follow up to the successful Peak Speak 1, held at the same location last year.
Organised by PowerSwitch.org.uk, and run in a friendly and informal manner, it is designed to give plenty of opportunity to discuss an issue that will dominate the 21st century – the ongoing decline
of global oil supplies, how it will affect all lives and what we can do about it. Along with Climate Change, it will make this century very different to the last.

As Jeremy Leggett wrote in the Independent, January 2006, “We have allowed oil to become vital to virtually everything we do. 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.” Meanwhile there is a quickly growing acceptance of the concept of imminent Peak Oil. Notable figures such as Bill Clinton and Al Gore believe we are at Peak Oil while the oil company Total sees it as occurring around 2020. The challenges that Peak Oil and Climate Change presents are stark indeed, and it is important for individuals, businesses and government to begin addressing this as soon as possible.

For some, Peak Speak 1, which had seventy people in attendance, was a life changing experience.
“Peakspeak-1 motivated me to take the plunge and change direction so that in the year that followed I have almost completed an MSc in Renewable Systems Energy Engineering, and hope to make a career in that area going forward, and contribute to the coming problems in some way,” wrote a previous attendee.

The speakers include:

  • Donnachadh McCarthy, author of Saving The Planet Without Costing The Earth (3acorns.co.uk);
  • Chris Vernon, of PowerSwitch and OilDrum UK, with analysis of UK power supply; Norman Church with his follow up to Systems and Interdependencies;
  • Doly Garcia speaking about Peak Oil Action in Brighton, and Naresh Giangrande who will be discussing Biofuels on the back of Hubbert’s Curve.

The emphasis, however, will be on everyone participating.There will also be an opportunity to see and discuss “The Power of Community : How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” as well as a workshop in learning how to “ Build Networks and Relationships for a Post Peak
World.” And as last year, there will be the PeakNik’s Picnic.

Entry is free but you will need to register in advance as places are limited. Email
info@powerswitch.org.uk or call 020 8123 2500.

The event takes place at the eco-friendly BedZed Pavillion, BedZed, in Hackbridge, Surrey, 25
minutes by train from London Victoria. More details about BedZed can be found at www.bedzed.org.uk.

PowerSwitch.org.uk is dedicated to raising awareness of Peak Oil. More information can be found at www.powerswitch.org.uk and details on other Peak Oil events can be found (and added) at www.powerswitch.org.uk/peakoilevents

info@powerswitch.org.uk

Technorati Tags: london events energy post-carbon

Via the Creative Forum list

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

March 8th, 2006

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Thursday March 9th
Film and Food @ The Synergy Centre

Another World Is Blossoming Screening
March 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th from 6pm
Entry by donation

This month The Synergy Centre is hosting uniteddiversity’s series of Another World Is Blossoming events, including four weeks of screenings starting this Thursday 9th, and a big Centre fundraising party on Friday March 31st. It’s all taking place as part the NODE.London Season of Media Arts.

Thursday March 9th
Main Feature - 8pm Sharp
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
http://www.chavezthefilm.com/
International Jury: “The best television programme in the world this year”

Hugo Chavez, elected President of Venezuela in 1998, is a coulful unpredictable folk hero, beloved by his nation’s working class and a tough-as-nails, quixotic opponent to the power structure that would see him deposed. Two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace on April 11, 2002, when he was forcibly removed from office. They were also present 48 hours later when, remarkably, he returned to power amid cheering aides. Their film records what was probably history’s shortest-lived coup d’état. It’s a unique document about political muscle and an extraordinary portrait of the man The Wall Street Journal credits with making Venezuela “Washington’s biggest Latin American headache after the old standby, Cuba.”

Second Feature Film - 10pm
Network (1976)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074958/
Won 4 Oscars and Voted one of the best 100 films of all time.

Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is an ageing TV anchorman for UBS who is fired, effective in two weeks, after his ratings have been steadily deteriorating. He reacts to this by sensationally announcing on live television his intention to commit suicide on air. In doing so, Beale becomes a major TV icon and one of the most valuable assets to the Communications Corporation of America (CCA), the company that is gradually taking control of UBS. As a result he is given his own show as `the mad prophet of the air-waves’. He appears live on television every week-day evening to tell the real truth to the people of America. The programme is a huge success but Beale uses his power to make startling revelations about CCA, leaving the company executives with a serious problem.

Shorts - from 6pm

Real2Real
http://www.real2reel.co.nr

Founded as an off-shoot of Lifecycles (Pedal Powered Cinema And Multimedia Outreach Collective) in mid 2002, Real2Reel is a small group of video artists making short and occasionally amusing films about counter-cultural activities, social struggles and environmental concerns, all with a strong grassroots direct action bias.

Reclaim Love
http://www.o-i-l.org

Footage from the annual Reclaim Love event that takes place at the Eros Statue in Picadilly Circus each year. Check the website for more info and what its all about.

There will also be healthy food from the Synergy Sattva Cafe, served from 7pm.

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Creative Forum OpenSpace event

March 7th, 2006

** Creative Forum OpenSpace @ The Square social centre, 21-22 Russell Square, London WC1, 19th March, 2pm - 12am **

Part of United Diversity’s ‘Another World is Blossoming’ festival

You are invited to the Creative Forum this Sunday at Russell Square.

A collectively self-organised conference for linking with others, discussing, and planning. Use the event to reach people to help make your projects happen.

Everyone agrees to the ‘Law of two feet’: if you feel you are not contributing or gaining from a particular session it is fine to move on to another. This creates a focused, creative, informal environment to be in.

Add to the shared list of ‘wants and needs’, to tap into the skills and resources of those gathered for the event.

The event features a debate done in a Cogers-style on the ’state of the world now and the challenges that face us’, with speakers introducing alternative technologies and diverse business models. A debating method as way to negate the difficulties of networking and the meeting of minds.

Leap-frogging from this event there is to be much more public event at a later date specifically for expanding and actively promoting the projects.

Creative Forums are a gathering of capable and knowledgable people to pool our resources and create solutions. A creative, environmental, grass-roots, forward thinking atmosphere. Come to share your projects and to learn from others.

Current participants:
Solaroof/Ecoshelter
London Biennale self-organised art festival
EcoAction Sustainable communities Forum
The Conscious Fashion Week
Globalvision 2000
Art Not Oil
PeaceNotWar collective
A World to Win
Caracas Trollparty report and talk on open-source
A new model for Housing Co-ops
Deptford.tv
LETSlink
Open Capital
Sunday Soundz accoustics
…more

Networking and Creating Friendships
Economic Change Discussions
Practical Activism
Positive Change

There will be food, music, films and photography exhibition.

We ask for a non-compulsory donation to support our related projects.

To get involved and suggest a session:
info@creativeforum.org

Thanks and be great to see you and hear your ideas on Sunday!

The Creative Forum

wiki.uniteddiversity.com

creative visions of
another world: harmony;
inclusivity; participation;
empowerment;
authentic communication

The Creative Forum exists as a space for bringing together different and diverse groups and individuals to meet and share and network alternatives to the conventional way of thinking with regards to global political ecological and ethical relationships.