Tag Archives: Renewable

Powering Down

Part of the Transitions Network program is a series of courses called “Skilling Up for Powering Down”. One of the challenges is convincing people that there is value in preparing for a power-down scenario. If you read the news or watch TV – youd’ be forgiven for assuming that the world is already well on track to replacing petroleum products with wind power and hybrid vehicles. As my dad, who was in advertising, always said, don’t believe everything you read – or see on TV.

BSC2009 – The Sustainability of Okotoks

Why be a sustainable community? Involved connected creative community Necessity – statutory requirements of land planning Building within the environmental carrying capacity Population growth 1988 – 4,000 people 2015 30,000 people. (16% growth) Country residential fragments and expands infrastructure of all types Dwellers on the threshold A choice to be made – Planned destiny By […]

BSC2009 – Boulder Transportation – Will Toor

Traditional road-building focus until 1990 Fiscal, political and physical reality intervened Goal – Hold Traffic to 1994 levels, reduce SOV mode share to 25% Why not just build more roads? If Boulder pursued a road capacity building project: $200 million on road capacity projects improve system congestion from 60% in 20 years to 51% congested […]

Clean Energy in Winter

So the shovelling is getting you down? Thinking about breaking down and getting one of those gas guzzling snow-blowers? Consider the plight of those who are leading the alternative fuel efforts around the northern climates. No one said change was going to be easy, but we should be able to learn things from these issues […]