Peak Oil report

The UK's Energy Research Centre has just published an important report that's essential reading for policy makers, analysts and anyone with an interest in business continuity.

The ERC are an independent body, and echo the calls of previous such as those from ITPOES - the Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security, who produced 'The Oil Crunch' in October 2008.

That central government departments are not planning or engaging the public or local authorities in peak oil or rapid carbon descent is yet another example of the inadequacy of our existing planning system (which is not planner's fault) to respond to 'game change' information shifts.

A series of 'rapid planning' events planned that we are planning for communities across Wales in the coming months will go some way to populating the plan that we need to map our way forwards.

Do feedback

The first talks from the 2009 Do Lectures go online next week, and we're pretty excited about the prospect of aiming for over one million downloads in the coming year.

In the meantime, in between finances, following up and planning for 2010, David pulled together some of the feedback from this year, which is enough to make anyone feel good:

It was like a double shot of fresh air for my brain.T hank you.

It was the most inspiring and abundant event I have ever attended.

Thanks again for the super fun times. I have been trying really hard to describe everything to my wife. What a great week.

A cross between the Burning Man, the Ted talksand Where the Wild Things Are

Truly excellent.

Great job and great lectures -- I think you all have a very special thing going out there in West Wales.

There¹s a reason that there is not a 5 star Michelin restaurant that seats over 50 folks.  Small is beautiful.  Oh yeah...LOVED not getting emails...

When I say I loved the Do Lectures, I really mean I fell in love with them.

The location, the hosting, the food, attendees and of course the speakers all blended together to form a magical mix.

It’s the most important event of its kind..

You gave me the greatest experience and I will remember it forever.

It certainly for me was the most inspiring conference event thing, (which it clearly isn’t) that I’ve taken part in.

It was like putting a hell of a lot of interesting, clever, funny, sparky people in a blender. In a field.

 A place of storytelling. A place of inspiration.

 It has a Genius of Place.

 I jumped in a river with some of the smartest, kindest, friendliest people on the planet..

 Sotheby’s could learn a lot how to auction axes from these people

 The meals taught us that food is not a thing but a relationship.  Damn that food was good...

 I laughed.  I laughed a lot.  Fuel for the soul...

 Revolutions can start in that pub..

 A melting pot of people and ideas. Just an amazing event.

A bonfire with soul

Cardboard to Caviar

The Able Project is a fantastic example of connected, simple, visionary working that makes effective change happen. Click through here to find out more. This is the project that biomimicry colleague and associate Michael Pawlyn has used as an excellent example of the cyclical and integrated design that can design waste out of the system.

Lining up for action

There's been even more of a spring in my step (worrying for some, I know) since the Do Lectures, with many conversations about converging possibilities around food, design, education and more.

In true Do style, the participants at Herefordshire Environment Partnership that joined for a meeting yesterday agreed unanimously to set out a plan and project to reduce the county's CO2 emissions by 20% in 12 momths; it was a big ask and they responded magnificently.

More Do recommendations will be coming soon from the fine line up of speakers who were with us at the end of the talks. From my left, Gabriel Branby, Geoff McFetridge, Gregor McLennan, Paul Deegan, Duke Stump, Ben Hamersley, Adam Lowry, Alistair Humphreys

We know what to do, so let's take the first step

The fast-penned Leonora Oppenheim has produced her second Treehiugger article on the Do Lectures, all about taking the first step. We pretty much know what needs to be done to make this civilisation of ours a little smarter, better and more civilised. We know the steps. We just need to start Doing them. Leonora's highlights from the Do Lectures shine the way, helped by Uffe Elbaeks, founder of the Kaos Pilots, and many others.