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P E A K O I L & E N E R G Y
T R A N S I T I O N :
P R E P A R I N G F O R
C H A L L E N G E S A N D
O P P O R T U N I T I E S
P R E P A R E D F O R
T H E H A I N E S B O R O U G H B Y T H E
H A I N E S E N E R G Y T A S K F O R C E
R E V I S E D F E B R U A R Y 2 8 , 2 0 0 8
PEAK OIL & ENERGY TRANSITION: PREPARING FOR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
DRAFT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PAGE i
Acknowledgements
The Haines Energy Task Force would like to thank the many individuals who
have contributed to this document, beginning with thanks to the Haines
Borough Assembly, past and present, and the Mayor who supported us
legislatively and financially as we worked: Luck Dunbar, Pete Lapham, Jerry
Lapp, Doug Olerud, Scott Rossman, Norm Smith, Steve Vick, Debra Vogt, and
Mayor Fred Shields.
Many thanks to the residents and guests who attended subcommittee and task
force meetings to advise the task force: Bob Andrews, Greg Bigsby, Patricia
Blank, Lisa Blank, Donna Cotti, Darsie Culbeck, Jessica Edwards, George
Figdor, Mark Fontenot, Shallimar Galindo, Leigh Galinski, Matt Hawthorne, Bart
Henderson, Bob Henderson, Renee Hoffman, John Hunt, Ron Jackson, Tommy
Jimmie Jr., Myrna Kornelius, Eric Kocher, John McClain, Sally McQuire,
Kathleen Menke, Sid Moffat, Tom Morphet, Carol Pahl, Mandy Ramsey, Scott
Ramsey, Gina St. Clair, Mike Saunders, Marlena & Gary Saupe, Greg
Schlachter, Burl Sheldon, Meagan Sherman, Madeline Shields, Steve Smith,
Ellen Starr, Greg Stuckey, Scott Sunberg, Luke Tergis, Bill Thomas, Peg
Tileston, Rich & Judy Tolles, Jane Weagant, Ron & Cary Weishahn, John White,
Betsy Wilson.
We would like to extend an extra special thank you to Susie Scollon, Eliza
Lende, and Mikail Denker for the countless hours they donated to this task.
We also relied on Borough staff for technical assistance and information. Special
thanks to Al Badgley, Jerry Blood, Scott Bradford, Jerry Clark and the Sheldon
Museum Staff, Dan Coleman, Julie Cozzi, Cathy Keller, Sue Nelson, Suzanne
Newton, Mark Satterwhite, Connie Staska, Jila Stuart, Scott Bradford, Lori
Stepanski and the Tourism Advisory Board, Robert Venables, and John Wurst.
And to all those whose names we have mistakenly omitted, THANK YOU!
PEAK OIL & ENERGY TRANSITION: FEBRUARY 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ii
Table of Contents
I.A Letter to the Chilkat Valley from the Haines
Energy Task Force
II.Introduction
III.Summary of Recommendations
IV.Peak Oil: An Explanation of the Problem
V.Recommendations and Actions
Initial Measures
Issues Affecting Energy Security
Issues Affecting Food Security
Issues Affecting Economic Stability
Issues Affecting Community Health,
Welfare, and Social Viability
VI.Getting Started
Appendices
A. Resolution
B. References
C. Supplemental Charts and Graphs
D. Supplemental Reading List
E. List of Municipalities Formally Preparing for an Energy Transition
F. Comments
End Notes
PEAK OIL & ENERGY TRANSITION: FEBRUARY 2008
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LETTER TO THE CHILKAT VALLEY PAGE 1
A LETTER TO THE CHILKAT VALLEY FROM THE HAINES
ENERGY TASK FORCE
HETF Members
Melissa Aronson
Nancy Berland
Mike Denker, Chair
Leonard Dubber
Mardell Gunn
John Hirsh
Daymond Hoffman
Evan Humphrey
Tim June, Vice Chair
John Norton
John Schnabel
Staff:
Stephanie Scott
Dear Fellow Residents of the Chilkat Valley,
In March of 2007 the Haines Borough Assembly empowered
the Haines Energy Task Force to investigate the implications
of a decline of world oil supplies to the economy and
security of the Borough and its' inhabitants. This report
examines the current understanding of the concept of Peak
Oil and details the findings of the Task Force regarding
possible impacts upon our community. It also includes
possible solutions and mitigation strategies that may be
appropriate in our community.
In 2005 Robert Hirsch and others published what has come
to be known as the “Hirsch Report”, titled, Peaking of World
Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigations and Risk Management.
Since the publication of this report numerous federal,
international, state, and private agencies have added
additional support to Hirsch's work. The report was
alarming, and as a consequence many communities have
begun to prepare for an inevitable shift in energy supplies.
Preparing for a future scenario of shifting energy supplies is
a difficult task. There are numerous uncertainties, ranging
from supply estimates for current reserves, to potential
undiscovered deposits, to technological innovations in
recovering existing reserves. It is also unclear as to how
additional energy sources such as solar, wind, tidal and
others may mitigate the decline in petroleum supplies. To
this list of uncertainties we can also add the implications of
political instability and volatility, and unseen effects of social
responses to energy constraints. It is because of these
uncertainties, and many more that are mentioned in this
report, the reader must accept that this is a changing
landscape that will evolve as events unfold. It must also be
clear to the reader that this evolution is likely to be at a pace
unseen in historic times. The writers of this report hope that
the information presented here will be helpful as we enter
these challenging times.
Sincerely, and on behalf of the Haines Energy Task Force,
John Norton
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INTRODUCTION PAGE 2
INTRODUCTION
“Crude Oil – Uncertainty
about future oil supply
makes it important to
develop a strategy for
addressing a peak and
decline in oil
production.”
United States Government
Accountability Office,
Report GAO-07-283,
February 2007.
Uncertainties in the world energy markets are posing
significant, accumulating risks to the Haines Borough.
With increasing frequency, credible experts are
warning that the world is rapidly approaching, or has
reached, a peak of oil and natural gas production.
Additionally, other significant issues are complicating
the future ability to produce and distribute sufficient
amounts of affordable petroleum in a sustainable
manner to satisfy escalating world demand.
This report examines these energy issues, the potential
implications, and addresses the expected impacts to
the Borough of Haines. More importantly, however,
the report identifies strategies for the Borough to
capitalize on inherent local strengths and potentials
while utilizing new and evolving technologies to
mitigate the negative impacts.
It must be stated at the outset that this report is only a
first step. Rapidly changing global events, developing
technologies or a changing regulatory environment
may necessitate the evolution of strategies and plans
identified within this report. Leaders, planners, and
citizens within the Borough must initiate frequent
visitation of identified recommendations and action
plans to ensure a successful transition to the new
energy realities
“In the decades ahead, we do not know precisely when, we shall reach a point, a plateau
or peak, beyond which we shall be unable further to increase production of conventional
oil worldwide. We need to understand that problem now and to begin to prepare for that
transition.”
J. R. Schlesinger, former Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, and
AEC Chairman, statement made before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United
States Senate, 16 November 2005.
http://foreign.senate.gov/archives/2005/archive111605.ram (link to video)
PEAK OIL & ENERGY TRANSITION: FEBRUARY 2008
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 3
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS
“Local government can
no longer make policy
decisions based on the
obsolete assumption we
will always have
abundant quantities of
affordable energy.”
Ronald R. Cooke,
Economist
State of the Region
Report,
December 6, 2007
http://www.scag.ca.
gov/sotr/
RECOMMENDATION 1:
Take immediate action to reduce dependence on
fossil fuels and increase community sustainability
based on the recommendations of the Haines
Borough Energy Task Force.
REC. 1 - ACTION 1: RESOLUTION
Adopt an enabling resolution. See the draft Haines
Borough Assembly Energy and Community
Sustainability Resolution – Appendix A.
REC. 1 - ACTION 2: COMMISSION
Establish a 9-person Energy and Community
Sustainability (ECS) Commission to support and
advise the Borough on energy security and
community sustainability
REC. 1 - ACTION 3: STAFF
Provide staff to help the Energy and Community
Sustainability Commission carry out its
responsibilities.
REC. 1 - ACTION 4: FUND
Establish an “Energy Transition and Community
Sustainability Fund” to assist with funding
programs and necessary infrastructure and
technologies.
RECOMMENDATION 2:
The Haines Borough will lead the community in the
overall reduction of fossil fuel use to decrease
dependence on oil, save money, lower greenhouse
gas emissions, and reduce the export of wealth
from the community.
REC. 2 - ACTION 1: IDENTIFY
Identify inefficient and wasteful use of energy
using energy auditing of Borough facilities and
operations and encourage homeowners and
business operators to do the same.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 4
“Prudent risk
management requires the
planning and
implementation of
mitigation well before
peaking. Early mitigation
will almost certainly be
less expensive than
delayed mitigation.”
R.L. Hirsch et. al,
Peaking of World Oil
Production: Impacts,
Mitigation, and Risk
Management, US
Department of Energy,
National Energy
Technology Laboratory,
February 2005.
REC. 2 - ACTION 2: EDUCATE
Establish community-wide energy education
and awareness campaigns that will target
energy conservation and efficiency via local
media.
REC. 2 - ACTION 3: INCENTIVES
Develop financial incentives for residents to
invest in energy conservation and energy
efficient technologies.
REC. 2 - ACTION 4: NON-TRADITIONAL
TRANSPORTATION
Increase community use of pedestrian, bike,
and non-carbon fueled transportation.
REC. 2 - ACTION 5: MOBILITY MANAGEMENT
Support programs and activities that reduce the
number of vehicles transporting less than three
people more than twenty miles round trip daily
(as stated as a goal of the Haines Borough
Coordinated Transportation Plan, December 12,
2007, page 1).
REC. 2 - ACTION 6: EXPAND RECYCLING
Support expanded recycling.
REC. 2 - ACTION 7: REDUCE ENERGY USE
Reduce fossil fuel used by the Haines Borough
government.
RECOMMENDATION 3:
Lead in the development and use of local,
sustainable, and renewable energy sources.
REC. 3 - ACTION 1: IDENTIFY
Identify potential local renewable energy sites
and sources.
REC. 3 - ACTION 2: SECURE
Secure renewable energy sites for future use.
REC. 3 - ACTION 3: DEVELOP
Support the development of local renewable
energy sites and sources, and infrastructure
ensuring that supply and demand can be met.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 5
“Peaking of
conventional oil
production is almost
certain to occur soon
enough to deserve
immediate and serious
attention.”
Green, D., Oak Ridge
National Laboratory
energy analyst, Have we
run out of oil yet? Oil
Peaking from an
Optimist’s Perspective,
Energy Policy 34, 2006.
energy sites and sources, and infrastructure
ensuring that supply and demand can be met.
REC. 3 - ACTION 4: ASSIST CONSUMERS
Support programs that would assist in the
acquisition of technology required to fully utilize
renewable energy sources.
RECOMMENDATION 4:
Plan and prepare for energy shortages.
REC. 4 - ACTION 1: MEASURE ENERGY
Conduct an energy use inventory for propane,
electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, heating fuel,
firewood, solar, wind, and hydro, and how these
energy sources are used (private, commercial,
public, etc.)
REC. 4 - ACTION 2: PLAN FOR SHORTAGES AND
DISRUPTION
Ensure that the Local Emergency Planning
Committee (LEPC) has developed contingency
plans to address a “long emergency” brought
about by oil supply constraints lasting months
or years.
REC. 4 - ACTION 3: COMMUNICATE WITH SUPPLIERS
Open official lines of communication between
Borough leaders and suppliers of energy of all
types to regularly assess the status of supplies,
sources, and delivery infrastructure.
RECOMMENDATION 5:
Identify, protect, and preserve areas appropriate,
accessible, and/or essential for local food
production and gathering, and ensure access to
these areas.
REC. 5 - ACTION 1: IDENTIFY
Identify areas appropriate, accessible, and/or
essential for a pure, clean, adequate water
supply; for agriculture; and for the sustainable
gathering of wild food, including berries, fish,
and game.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 6
“If we humans do not
choose to act, Earth is
poised to make the choice
for us by forcing the
mother of all market
corrections… . In
everyday language, we
humans have used cheap
oil subsidies to create
economics and lifestyles
that depend on the
unsustainable
consumption of Earth’s
resources… .”
David C. Korten, 2006,
The Great Turning from
Empire to Earth
Community, Berrett-
Koehler Publishers, Inc.,
Berkeley, CA , p. 81.
and game.
REC. 5 - ACTION 2: PRESERVE
Protect and preserve the resources and access
to the resources identified in ACTION 1.
Designate “Access Corridors” and “Food and
Potable Water System Preserves.”
REC. 5 - ACTION 3: ACQUIRE
Seek funding solutions to obtain privately
owned agricultural land if a seller is willing to sell
to the Borough expressly for the purpose of
preserving prime agricultural land resources.
REC. 5 - ACTION 4: MEASURE.
Determine how much food Haines needs to
raise in order to be self-sustaining.
RECOMMENDATION 6:
Encourage and support development and
enhancement of local food production, processing,
and storage
REC. 6 - ACTION 1: LAND CLASSIFICATION
Request the Planning Commission study the
feasibility of permitting “agriculture, personal
use,” “animal husbandry,” and “crop
production” as uses by right (UBR) or as
conditional uses (CU) in all land use zones. See
Haines Borough Code Title 18.70.030-040.
REC. 6 – ACTION 2: INCENTIVES
Create financial incentives using tax policy or
other creative solutions to foster development of
local food production.
REC. 6 – ACTION 3: LEASE BOROUGH LANDS
Explore options to lease Borough lands for
activities such as Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA’s), small farms, and school
gardens.
REC. 6 – ACTION 4: COMMERCIAL COMPOST
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 7
“While growth has 500
years on its side, the
downside of the curve is a
vastly different world… .
Our life-style is up for re-
definition.”
Richard Lamm, former
Governor of Colorado, at
the first conference of
ASPO-USA, November
2005
http://www.globalpublic
media.com/articles/573
Encourage local production of non-toxic organic
compost. Consider composting opportunities
for local non-profits, local sanitation companies,
and the Borough Water and Sewer Department.
REC. 6 – ACTION 5: FOOD STORAGE
Explore opportunities to develop community
food storage facilities located in strategic areas
designed to minimize transportation costs.
REC. 6 – ACTION 6: EDUCATE
Partner with other entities to educate citizens
about gathering, growing, processing,
preserving, and preparing local foods.
RECOMMENDATION 7:
Ensure all members of the community have access
to food and water resources.
REC. 7 – ACTION 1: PLAN FOR FOOD SHORTAGES
Task the LEPC (Local Emergency Planning
Committee) will develop and/or enhance
contingency planning measures to prioritize
food security in the event of oil supply
constraints.
REC. 7 – ACTION 2: FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Help local food assistance programs develop
plans to prepare for an anticipated increased
demand for food from a larger percentage of the
population.
REC. 7 – ACTION 3: ACCESS TO WILD FOOD
Work with the Planning Commission and state
and federal agencies to ensure wild food
sources (game, berries, fish) are managed for
sustainability and equal access, with
subsistence use given priority over commercial
use.
RECOMMENDATION 8:
Promote the local economy through education and
awareness of an energy transition while developing
and actively supporting local marketing strategies.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 8
“We do not know what
form a crisis over oil will
take, but we know that a
crisis is coming – one
that could harm the
United States.”
Robert McFarlane, James
Woolsey, Frank Gaffney
and 29 other prominent
DC insiders, in a letter to
President Bush, March
24, 2005.
Linked at
http://www.secureenergy.org/
and actively supporting local marketing strategies.
REC. 8 – ACTION 1: BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGN
Encourage local consumption of locally
produced and/or processed goods.
REC. 8 – ACTION 2: PUBLIC MARKETS
Provide easily accessible venues for public
markets to sell for locally produced and
processed goods.
REC. 8 – ACTION 3: NEW BUSINESSES
Support new business opportunities emerging
from the energy transition.
RECOMMENDATION 9:
Design a safety net to protect vulnerable and
marginalized populations, and insure health care
and social service providers are prepared for the
ramifications of peak oil.
REC. 9 – ACTION 1: EDUCATE
Ensure that local health care and social service
providers are educated about how peak oil will
affect their ability to provide care.
REC. 9 – ACTION 2: PREVENTATIVE CARE
Support efforts to encourage or mandate
preventative care.
REC. 9 - ACTION 3: ASSISTANCE
Work with community members to obtain state
and national assistance for low-income
households to maintain utility service and to
perform weatherization.
REC. 9 - ACTION 4: STAY INFORMED.
Stay abreast of current requirements and
qualifications for housing, food, and energy
assistance programs.
RECOMMENDATION 10:
Seek funding for education and training
opportunities for community members seeking
careers emerging from an energy transition.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 9
“Given that the average
household saving rate in
the U.S. is negative, even
middle income families
have remarkably little
capacity to ‘dig into
savings’ to sustain their
consumer spending. With
oil jumping to $120 a
barrel, household energy
bills will roughly double
to about $6,000 a year,
or about 15% of total
annual
income for the median
family. Most families will
have little choice but to
sharply curtail other
spending. This same
pattern will be mimicked
around the world.”
Robert F. Westcott, What
Would $120 Oil Mean
for the Global Economy?,
Securing America’s
Future Energy,
Washington, DC, April
2006.
opportunities for community members seeking
careers emerging from an energy transition.
REC. 10 - ACTION : APPRENTICESHIPS
Support and foster the development of local
apprenticeship programs.
REC. 10 – ACTION 2: LOCAL POST-SECONDARY
CAMPUS
Partner with educational institutions to develop
a Haines campus offering professional
development courses and training regarding
emerging technologies in renewable energy,
energy conservation, and energy efficiency..
REC. 10 - ACTION 3: GRANTS
Seek funding for educational grants to train
those who will commit to return to Haines, in
emerging careers in renewable energy and
energy conservation and efficiency.
RECOMMENDATION 11:
Ensure that access to information, cultural
activities, and the arts is maintained.
REC. 11 – ACTION 1: EDUCATE
Ensure that program and facility managers are
educated about upcoming energy challenges.
REC. 11 – ACTION 2: CONSERVE
Support energy conservation and efficiency
measures developed by program and facility
managers.
REC. 11 – ACTION 3: FUND
Support efforts to develop supplemental
funding sources developed by program
managers.
REC. 11 – ACTION 4: USE RENEWABLE ENERGY
Explore options to reduce the exposure of these
facilities to fossil fuels by installing technologies
that use local renewable energy sources.
REC. 11 – ACTION 5: PRESERVE THROUGH
CONSOLIDATION
Consider creative options for consolidating
services and information within these facilities
should severe shortages or long-term price
increases threaten the existence of these
entities.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 10
should severe shortages or long-term price
increases threaten the existence of these
entities.
“The challenge over the next several decades is to manage the consequences of
unavoidable dependence on oil and gas that is traded in world markets and to begin the
transition to an economy that relies less on petroleum. The longer the delay, the greater
will be the subsequent trauma. For the United States, with 4.6 percent of the world’s
population using 25 percent of the world’s oil, the transition could be especially
disruptive.”
National Security Consequences of U.S. Oil Dependency, Independent Task for Report
No. 58, sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. 2006, NY, NY. Online at
http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/EnergyTFR.pdf.
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PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION PAGE 11
IV. PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION
“For decades, the
world has been
consuming
increasingly more
oil than it has been
finding. Because
oil is a depleting
natural resource,
world conventional
oil production will
reach a maximum,
called “the peak,”
after which
production will go
into decline.”
Robert L. Hirsch,
Peaking of World
Oil Production:
Recent Forecasts,
February, 2007. p.
6.
It may seem unnecessary to point out that the development
of our modern society has occurred via the vehicle of cheap
and abundant energy, however at this time, this
fundamental statement is critical in framing our immediate
future.
Historians point out that the harnessing of wind energy
spurred the Dutch to world leadership in the 17th century,
while England used the energy of coal to establish
dominance of the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. It
was also their down fall as they remained tied to this
resource when a much higher quality of energy ignited the
next wave of industrial development.
Oil, at first in the form of whale oil, and later in the form of
petroleum led the United States to world dominance in the
20th century. What will occur in the 21st century remains to
be seen, however one point is in absolutely clear - the
scarcity of oil rather than it's abundance will direct world
affairs.
While there are many examples of how oil has changed our
world none is clearer than the change oil brought about in
agriculture. In the second half of the 1800's, approximately
90 percent of our nation was involved in the production of
agricultural goods. The use of horses, mules, and oxen
provided the power to till and harvest crops. Currently less
than 1 percent of our population is engaged in farming, and
this tiny fraction is able to provide vast surpluses to feed the
world, thanks to pesticides and fertilizers, and mechanized
farm implements - all based on an oil foundation.
85 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL EVERY DAY
Here's a figure to remember: 85 million barrels of oil per
day. It’s the amount of oil the world consumes every day.
The super giant oil fields of Prudhoe Bay with reserves of 10
billion barrels of oil could supply the world's oil needs for
about 117 days at today's rates of use. While it’s difficult
for most people to grasp the enormity of this consumption,
it’s not difficult to grasp that at some point we will run out of
this resource.
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PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION PAGE 12
“It’s very unlikely
that we’re going to
be able to see [oil]
supply in the world
grow from the
levels where we are
right now.”
Former Commerce
Secretary Don
Evans (George W.
Bush
Administration), on
Hardball with Chris
Matthews, February
2, 2006
it’s not difficult to grasp that at some point we will run out of
this resource.
WHAT IS PEAK OIL?
Peak oil describes that point when the amount of oil we are
able to pump from the earth begins to decline from its
highest level of production. This is easily seen on any oil
well production curve, where flows increase to maximum
rates, and then reach 0 when the well is dry. Recognizing
the peak foretells the eventual decline of a well or field.
The vast oil field at Prudhoe Bay is a perfect example of the
peak oil paradigm, as depicted in the production graph
below. Beginning in 1977, production quickly rose to
maximum levels before beginning to decline in 1987. As of
January 2008, Prudhoe Bay fields are in an annual rate of
decline of 8%, with production now reduced to less than a
quarter of its peak flow. The remaining life of this field is
quite short.
Prudhoe Bay Oil Production decline 1977-2005
Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO), Jean Laherrere,
Uncertainty on Data and Forecasts, July 2006, pdf downloaded
from www.oilcrisis.com/laherrere/ASPO2006-JL-long.pdf
Similar graphs depict the decline of the vast North Sea oil
fields, the Cantarrel field of Mexico, and numerous other
fields that are also facing rates of decline of 8% or more per
year.
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PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION PAGE 13
“Peak oil will affect
more people in
more places in
more ways than
anything else in the
history of the
world.”
Walter Yonguist,
Professor Emeritus,
University of
Oregon, at first
ASPO-USA
Conference,
Denver, November,
2005
.
Could some other oil field, such ANWR (Alaska National
Wildlife Reserve) provide a similar amount of resource
volume as seen at Prudhoe?.1 Experts agree that this is very
unlikely that this is very unlikely. In the parlance of oil
geologists, “There aren’t any more big elephants out
there.2”
WHAT ABOUT NEW DISCOVERIES?
While exploration companies continue to discover oil, the
fields tend to be more difficult to access, more expensive to
bring to market, and smaller in recoverable oil reserves. All
of the world’s super giant fields were identified in the late
1960s and no others have been found in the past 40 years.
An excellent example of how this is being played out today
is the number of deep sea drilling rigs probing the oceans’
deepest basins in hopes of finding significant reserves.
These rigs currently contract out for $500,000 per day,
some working at water depths greater than 9000 feet.
These staggering costs underscore the determination
required to establish new oil finds. Even with such heroic
effort, new reserves have failed to keep pace with
increasing
world
demand.
Simply
stated, we
are using
more oil
than we are
finding.
WHEN WILL
OIL PEAK?
Numerous reliable sources indicate that the world is at or
near peak oil.3. As seen in the graph, global crude oil
production has been in decline since May of 2005. In its
October 2007 report Crude Oil – The Supply Outlook, the
Energy Watch Group’s key finding of global oil production
was that “Peak oil is now” (p.12). A number of the world’s
largest oil fields are in steep decline, and in many others,
mitigation of the production decline curve can only occur
through the use of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
techniques, which are expensive and energy intensive.
While it may be premature to say that oil production has
definitively peaked, it is generally accepted that we have
reached the end of the era of cheap and abundant
petroleum oil.
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PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION PAGE 14
“…there are a lot
of uncertainties
about when the
peak will occur,
…probably the
biggest
uncertainties have
less to do with how
much oil is under
the ground rather
than risks above
ground.”
Congressman
Roscoe Bartlett, R-
MD,
Congressional
Record, GAO
Report on Peak Oil,
March 29, 2007, p.
22
definitively peaked, it is generally accepted that we have
reached the end of the era of cheap and abundant
petroleum oil.
WHAT ABOUT ALTERNATIVE FUELS?
In the short-term, alternatives may offset some or most of
the shortfall between production and demand. However,
many analysts are skeptical that alternatives alone can
make up the future shortfall expected by peaking
conventional oil production.4 They argue that both supply
and demand side measures will be required. Additionally,
“mitigation will require a minimum of a decade of intense,
expensive effort, because the scale of liquid fuels mitigation
is inherently extremely large”. (Hirsch, R.L., 2005, pg 5).
WHAT ABOUT THE CANADIAN TAR SANDS?
The tar sands in Alberta, Canada are the largest contributor
to what is called “unconventional oil,” but nonetheless
contribute less than 3 percent of world liquid fuel supplies
(Hirsch, R.L., 2007, p. 9).
Future tar sands production estimates have been revised
downward by 200,000 bpd by 2015 due to constraints in
human resources and increased production costs5.
Infrastructure problems and limitations in the energy and
water resources needed also limit long-term tar sands
production. There is also some question about whether the
extraction of this oil “pencils out” in terms of energy
expended for energy gained6.
WHAT ABOUT LETTING THE “MARKET” CORRECT FOR
SUPPLY AND DEMAND?
The argument has been made that “the market” will take
care of the problems by supply and demand economics.
However, due to the essential role oil plays in the
economies of the world, and the fact that alternatives or
mitigation programs are estimated to take decades to fully
develop, the market signals will likely come too late – the
crisis will have already developed (see “Hirsch” report,
2005). Therefore, the problem is one of time. Additionally,
the socio-economic costs of rising prices and threats to
availability tend to disproportionately affect the poorest
members of society first and the hardest. As the Hirsch
report puts it, “without timely mitigation, the economic,
social and political costs will be unprecedented” (Hirsch,
R.L. 2005, pg. 4).
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PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION PAGE 15
Iran, Iraq, Nigeria,
and Venezuela
possess proven oil
reserves greater
than 10 billion
barrels but they
also face high levels
of political risk.
The US imported
5.4% of its 2006 oil
from Iraq, 10.25%
from Nigeria, and
11.29% from
Venezuela.
US GAO-Report,
February, 2007.
availability tend to disproportionately affect the poorest
members of society first and the hardest. As the Hirsch
report puts it, “without timely mitigation, the economic,
social and political costs will be unprecedented” (Hirsch,
R.L. 2005, pg. 4).
OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
UNCERTAINTY OF OIL SUPPLIES
ESCALATING GLOBAL DEMAND. Developing nations,
especially Brazil, China, and India, are consuming more and
more of the global liquid fuel supply. Additionally, rising
demand from the oil producing nations themselves is
limiting the amount available for export. Jeff Rubin, chief
economist at CIBC World Markets, reports that export
capacity of OPEC, Russia and Mexico, representing 60% of
current world oil production, “will fall 2.5 million barrels a
day by the end of the decade as soaring domestic demand
cannibalizes export capacity.7”
GEOPOLITICAL CONCERNS. The Government Accountability
Office acknowledges that “oil production could be shut
down by wars, strikes, and other political events, thus
reducing the flow of oil to the world market…resulting in a
peak …” (GAO, Feb. 2007, p. 21).
An additional threat to stable world oil markets is a
phenomenon known as Resource Nationalism. Most
Americans are familiar with this concept as witnesses to the
nationalization of Venezuela’s oil resources in February
2007. At that time independent oil companies such as
Exxon and others saw their investments in Venezuela taken
from them and transferred to Venezuela’s national oil
company. Analysts suggest that the nationalization of
resources is significant in two respects. First, it removes the
market force that will be needed in time of shortage. The
second point has to do with the chilling effect on resource
development since newborn national oil companies are
often corrupt and unable to undertake the technological
challenges of oil production. In either event, the outcome is
less oil.
The United States is vulnerable to these political disruptions
because it imports more than half the amount of oil it
consumes. 8
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PEAK OIL: AN EXPLANATION PAGE 16
INFRASTRUCTURE VULNERABILITY. Even if there were plenty of
petroleum and natural gas in the ground, acquisition and
distribution depend on viable infrastructure. Analysts point
out that global and US infrastructure, both physical and
human, is aging. Corrosion shut down the Alaska pipeline,
August 2006. Oil production was reduced by 400,000
barrels per day or about 2.6 percent of US supply including
imports. Infrastructure is vulnerable to terrorism as well as
international and civil wars. Unpredictable acts of nature,
like Hurricane Katrina, can also incapacitate infrastructure.
Closer to home, we can all remember when. Specific
examples of these vulnerabilities and the effect on the oil
supply are described in the endnotes9.
THE ESSENCE OF THE PROBLEM
Peak oil is a “liquid fuels” crisis. It presents significant and
severe challenges, specifically to the transportation sector.
Due to our reliance on globalized markets, and the very
elaborate transportation systems in place, the required time
to mitigate this crisis is measured in decades. However,
should the world be at or near peak as many analysts
believe, hoping for supply-side alternatives may not be an
option and immediate demand-side arrangements will now
be necessary.
THE HAINES ENERGY TASK FORCE CONCLUDES…
Credible information suggests peak oil is real, imminent and
warrants the immediate attention of the Haines Borough.
Additionally, other significant issues affecting global energy
security add to the extreme urgency of the situation. As
events unfold on the national and international stage, so too
will these events impact the community of Haines.
Cities, towns, and municipalities that change with the
changing energy landscape will prosper, those that
don’t, won’t. HETF wants Haines to be one of those
places that prosper. So Haines has to change.
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RECOMMENDATION ONE PAGE 17
V. RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS
The Haines Energy Task Force (HETF) suggests that the community and the
Borough Assembly view the following recommendations and actions as
suggestions – not as mandates, with one caveat. The only mandate is the
obligation to ACT NOW. As HETF member Leonard Dubber succinctly said:
“The towns that are going to survive, are the towns that adjust” (January 29,
2008). While we believe all recommendations should be implemented,
implementing any will begin that necessary adjustment.
INITIAL MEASURES
National, state, and local
governments all over the United
States have commissioned
groups to advise them about
peak oil. Each report urges its
parent group to ACT NOW.
The Haines Energy Task Force
(HETF) concurs with this
assessment and urges the Haines
Borough Assembly to establish a
standing commission dedicated
to carry out these
recommendations.
RECOMMENDATION 1:
Take immediate action to
reduce dependence on
fossil fuels and increase
community sustainability
based on the
recommendations of the
Haines Borough Energy
Task Force.
“Increasing world demand and
decreasing supply are early warnings of the larger problem of supply decline
and the need to transition away from fossil fuels. As the gap between supply
and demand increases, fossil fuels will be so expensive and/or scarce that we
ACT NOW
“Act Big, Act Now….The Task Force is
unified in urging strong and immediate
action.” City of Portland Peak Oil Task Force,
Descending the Oil Peak: Navigating the
Transition from Oil and Natural Gas, ,
Executive Summary, January 18, 2007, p. 2.
“Intervention by governments will be
required, because the economic and
social implications of oil peaking would
otherwise be chaotic.” Hirsch, R.L., Peaking
of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation,
& Risk Management, Executive Summary,
February 2005, p. 5.
“To address this situation, aggressive
action must be taken by the government
and industry to abate growth in U.S. oil
demand and to increase production of
fuels from domestic sources.” Task Force
on Strategic Unconventional Fuels, America’s
Strategic Unconventional Fuels, Volume I –
Preparation Strategy, Plan, and
Recommendations, Executive Summary,
February 2007, p. 1.
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RECOMMENDATION ONE PAGE 18
will require replacement sources of energy to meet a wide range of our current
needs. However … there is no one easy replacement for fossil fuels, and all the
current alternatives added together still fall far short of current (and anticipated)
world usage. To have a smooth transition to our new energy future, it is vital that
our culture both intensively reduce its total energy needs and develop
alternatives, starting at least 10 to 20 years before the oil production peak.
Unfortunately, we might now or soon be at the peak, increasing the urgency.”
Charting a Path for a New Energy Future for Sebastopol, Maintaining City Municipal Services,
April 3, 2007, p. 24.
“Domestic oil
production peaked in
1970 and continues to
decline. Proved domestic
reserve lifetime for oil is
about 3.4 years. World
oil production is at or
near its peak and current
world demand exceeds
the supply.”
Fournier and. Westervelt, Energy
Trends and Their Implications for
U.S. Army Installations, Army
Corps of Engineers, September
2005,Executive Summary, p. xi.
. 2007.
“Peak oil will affect
more people in more
places in more ways
than anything else in the
history of the world.”
REC. 1 - ACTION 1: RESOLUTION.
Adopt an enabling resolution. See the draft Haines
Borough Assembly Energy and Community
Sustainability Resolution: Appendix A.
REC. 1 - ACTION 2: COMMISSION.
Establish a 9-person Energy and Community
Sustainability (ECS) Commission to support and advise
the Borough on energy security and community
sustainability.
Suggestions for composition and tasks:
The Commission should include of one member of the
Haines Borough Assembly, one member of the Planning
Commission, and 7 at-large members from the public.
Community members of the commission should have
appropriate knowledge and skills
to support inquiry and implementation of methods to
increase energy efficiency,
to reduce dependence on fossil fuels,
to increase local use of renewable energy,
to increase local production of essential goods and
services, including food, and
to mitigate social and healthcare issues that may
arise as a result of economic hardship due to energy
related rising costs and scarcities.
The ECS Commission will track energy and sustainability
issues, and advise the Borough as events unfold. As part of
this work, it will:
1) Collect key information from a variety of sources on these
topics, especially:
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RECOMMENDATION ONE PAGE 19
more people in more
places in more ways
than anything else in the
history of the world.”
Walter Yongquist, Professor
Emeritus of Geology,
University of Oregon, at first
ASPO-USA conference,
Denver, November 2005v
“We have already
peaked…Everyone is
going to have to come to
grips with this in the next
two or three years.”
Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens.
Our medical system: it’s
time to face peak oil. Dan
Bednarz. 2 Dec 2007. posted
on www.energybulletin.net.
a) Ongoing trends in energy supply and demand, and
their impact on pricing and availability;
b) Alternative technologies and approaches, for the
Borough’s needs; and
c) Successful actions taken by other governments
and communities that might be useful options for the
Borough to consider to address these challenges.
2) Seek funding to encourage proactive and timely
implementation of solutions.
3) Report bi-annually or as needed to the Borough
Assembly on the status of these energy supply issues and
the recommendations in this report.
REC. 1 - ACTION 3: STAFF
Provide staff to help the Energy and Community
Sustainability Commission carry out its responsibilities.
Duties to include but not be limited to:
1. Preparing grant applications for such things as alternative
energy installations, energy conservation and efficiency up-
grades, bike paths, etc.
2. Recording minutes of Commission meetings,
3. Carrying out Commission directives,
4. Facilitating communication between the Commission and
the Haines Borough Assembly and other entities.
5. Drafting correspondence, reports, news releases,
brochures, fact sheets, opinion pieces,
advertising, etc. help implement energy and food security
measures.
REC. 1 - ACTION 4: FUND.
Establish an “Energy Transition and Community
Sustainability Fund” to assist with funding programs
and necessary infrastructure and technologies.
Possible sources of revenue include:
1. Dedication of a portion of sales tax revenues received
from petroleum-based fuel sales.
2. Some community advisory groups (e.g. Willits Economic
Localization and Willits Ad-Hoc Energy Group, Willits, CA)
suggest adding a half-cent ‘carbon tax’ on all fuels sold
within the municipality. The money raised from this tax may
be directed into programs that fund renewable energy
installations for community buildings.
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RECOMMENDATION ONE PAGE 20
suggest adding a half-cent ‘carbon tax’ on all fuels sold
within the municipality. The money raised from this tax may
be directed into programs that fund renewable energy
installations for community buildings.
“Significantly increased fuel and energy costs combined with high unemployment rates,
limited local economies, and local governments struggling to provide basic local services
continue to present rural Alaska ...with challenging circumstances with no long-term
solution in sight.”
Current Community Conditions: Fuel Prices Across Alaska, June 2007 Update, Alaska
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, August 2007, p. 7
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RECOMMENDATION TWO PAGE 21
AN EXAMPLE OF ENERGY DISRUPTION.
“November 9, 1965, Toronto, Canada
went black. Then, Boston, New York
and other cities along the North
American east coast, large and small,
went dark. In just 13 minutes…80,000
square miles and over 30 million
people were without electricity.
Luckily, with a few days, the power
grid was up and running again. But,
within those few days civilian and
military leaders saw signs of the
economy coming to a halt; society
beginning to unravel; increasing
violence; and the political system
beginning to break down.”
(http://www/eceme.ension.eb.br/eventos/7
ciclo/palestras/energy_security_united_sta
tes_ppt).
ADDRESSING ISSUES AFFECTING ENERGY SECURITY
Despite the energy crisis of the 70’s, the
US continues to increase its imports of
foreign oil – from 25% in the 1970’s, to
40% in the 1980’s, to presently 63.5%.
Right now, oil provides the lion’s share
of US energy: oil – 40%, gas –23%, coal
–23%, nuclear 8%, other – 6%10.
But energy security in the 21st century
goes beyond “breaking an addiction to
oil” (President George W. Bush, State of
Union Address, 2006). According to Dr.
Daniel Yergin, Chairman, Cambridge
Energy Research Associates, the
concept of energy security must be
updated to include diversifying supply, a
buffer against shocks, recovery after
disruptions, quality information,
renewing of the commitment to energy
efficiency and conservation, and the
developing and deploying of new
technologies11.
Recommendations 2 through 4 were developed to provide a level of energy
security for the Haines Borough.
RECOMMENDATION 2: The Haines Borough will lead the
community in the overall reduction of fossil fuel use to
decrease dependence on oil, save money, lower greenhouse gas
emissions, and reduce the export of wealth from the
community.
“Conservation and efficiency increases are by far the most effective means of
reducing cost to the individual, reducing emissions and reducing fuel usage. The
beauty of increasing efficiency is we can start today. With available know-how
one can immediately start to save money on our utility and … heating bills. There
are a multitude of simple measures that range in price and energy savings.
Education is key to producing these energy savings, so the casual implementer
will know what measure will provide the best bang for their buck. Efficiencies can
happen at all levels, from installing compact fluorescent light bulbs to installing
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RECOMMENDATION TWO PAGE 22
the most efficient combined cycle gas turbine.” – Fairbanks Energy, November
2007, Strategic Business Plan, p. 29.
REC. 2 - ACTION 1: IDENTIFY
Identify inefficient and wasteful use of energy using
energy auditing of Borough facilities and operations
and encourage homeowners and business operators
to do the same.
Two examples:
1. Seek funding to sponsor a workshop or class to educate
contractors and homebuilders on Alaska’s Building Energy
Efficiency Standards (BEES) and how to use the AKWarm
software for determining a building's thermal energy
requirements12.
2. Seek funding to bring an AKWarm certified technician to
Haines to conduct home energy audits or workshops to
show homeowners where their homes are losing heat and
how to make them more efficient. There are three licensed
technicians in Juneau.13.
REC. 2 - ACTION 2: EDUCATE
Establish community-wide energy education and
awareness campaigns that will target energy
conservation and efficiency via local media.
Seven examples:14
1. Seek funding to publish Energy Conservation Tips in the
Chilkat Valley News (CVN). 15
2. Seek funding for enhanced PSAs about energy
conservation and efficiency run daily on KHNS.
3. Seek funding for a weekly radio segment on energy
conservation to be aired on KHNS16.
4. Showcase local energy efficient projects at the Southeast
Alaska State Fair possibly in conjunction with an Energy Fair
to show applications of renewable energy technology.
“High energy costs
are one of many
factors leading a
noticeable number
of rural residents
to desert their
homes for larger
communities.”
adn.com | our view : Fuel
costs strap the Bush.
Bright side? Those high
prices drive search for
alternatives Published:
December 18, 2007
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RECOMMENDATION TWO PAGE 23
5. Stimulate interest in using renewable energy by posing a
challenge to the community to generate a certain
percentage of its energy through renewable sources17.
6. Link the Borough website to energy efficient home
building/renovating sites such as the Green Home Guide
from US Green Building Council
http://www.greenhomeguide.org/
7. Provide each building permit applicant with a checklist of
energy efficient elements18.
REC. 2 - ACTION 3: INCENTIVES
Develop financial incentives for residents to invest in
energy conservation and energy efficient technologies.
Two examples:
1. Exempt local sales tax for the purchase of energy saving
and renewable energy technology.
2. Provide property tax credit for local homes and
businesses that convert from fossil fuel based energy to
local renewable energy. Conversely, exempt the value
added by the addition of renewable energy technology from
property tax.
REC. 2 - ACTION 4: NON-TRADITIONAL
TRANSPORTATION
Increase community use of pedestrian, bike, and non-
carbon fueled transportation.
Seven examples:
1. Request the Planning Commission identify continuous,
connected, and safe non-motorized corridors in the town-
site and to the town-site from outlying areas.
2. Develop the corridors identified in 1 above.
3. Request that the Planning Commission consider
transportation efficiencies and the transportation costs
incurred by “sprawl” when making land use planning and
zoning recommendations.
4. Seek funding for covered, locking bike racks at
convenient locations through the town-site and “park and
bike” areas at the three major town-site entry points (Haines
Highway, Lutak, and Mud Bay).
“The impact of
excessive,
unsustainable
energy
consumption may
undermine the
very culture and
activities it
supports…The
days of
inexpensive,
convenient,
abundant energy
sources are
quickly drawing
to a close.”
Donald F. Fournier and
Eileen T. Westervelt,
Energy Trends and
Their Implications for
U.S. Army
Installations, Army
Corpos of Engineers,
September 2005, p. xi
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RECOMMENDATION TWO PAGE 24
convenient locations through the town-site and “park and
bike” areas at the three major town-site entry points (Haines
Highway, Lutak, and Mud Bay).
5. Provide bikes for public use (perhaps funded through a
collaborative grant with SEARHC or through the Police
Department’s abandoned or stolen bicycles)
6. Seek funding for installing charging stations for
Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV’s) and other vehicles
powered by renewable energy.
7. Lobby the state for changes in State Department of
Transportation road regulations pertaining to vehicles such
as NEVs.19
REC. 2 - ACTION 5: MOBILITY MANAGEMENT
Support programs and activities that reduce the
number of vehicles transporting less than three people
more than twenty miles round trip daily (as stated as a
goal of the Haines Borough Coordinated
Transportation Plan, December 12, 2007, page 1).
Two examples:
1. Open discussion between the Haines Borough, the
Haines Borough School District, the Chatham School
District, and the Alaska Department of Education’s Pupil
Transportation Program to discover how to amend the
program to increase the public’s use of these transports and
to decrease transportation duplication as described in the
Haines Borough Coordinated Transportation Plan strategy
section (pages 8, 10).
2. Apply for state or federal funding for a community
Mobility Manager position to coordinate transportation
information and arrangements for residents as described
and recommended in the Haines Borough Coordinated
Transportation Plan, pages 9 and 10.20
REC. 2 - ACTION 6: EXPAND RECYCLING
Support expanded recycling.
Three Examples21:
1. Work with private and non-profit entities to establish
curbside pick up for recyclable materials22.
“When it comes
to drastically
reducing oil use,
the only short-
term option is
mode shifting:
Carpooling,
Biking, Public
Transport, and
Walking.
Ironically, even
before oil prices
rise, mode
shifting has
gigantic societal
benefits in terms
of cost, health,
and safety.”
Investing in Mode
Shifting, Preparing for
a Peak Oil World Alt
Energy Stocks at
http://
Altenergystocks.com/
Archives/2007/10/
investing
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RECOMMENDATION TWO PAGE 25
curbside pick up for recyclable materials22.
2. Work with existing entities to expand recycling to include
burned out compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs),23and "white
goods."24.
3. Recycle construction and demolition debris(C&D)
(concrete, asphalt, drywall, wiring, piping).25
5. Support expansion of the electronic waste recycling
program.26
REC. 2 - ACTION 7: REDUCE ENERGY USE
Reduce energy used by the Haines Borough
government.
Ten examples:
1. Develop a Borough energy budget that provides quantity
(e.g. in kilowatt hours, gallons, therms) and dollars spent for
each energy and fuel source by department and month for
the previous fiscal year.
2. Require the Borough government as a whole to meet
vehicle and heating fuel reduction targets of 4% annually or
an overall reduction of 30% by the year 2015 relative to the
baseline of the Borough’s vehicle and fuel use for FY 200727.
3. Develop a data tracking and analysis system to monitor
progress towards this goal. (The ICLEI software described in
Recommendation 4, Action 1 will enable tracking and
progress monitoring).
4. Change lighting in public buildings to compact
fluorescent light bulbs (CFL).28
5. Change streetlights to Light Emitting Diode (LED)
technology. An average LED streetlight has about 240 LEDs
and draws about 19 watts. They last anywhere from 5 to 10
years without any maintenance. These savings offset the
initial costs of purchase and installation.
6. Replace office equipment, heating and lighting, and major
appliances with EPEAT registered or Energy Star rated
products.29.
“It takes 95%
less energy to
recycle
aluminum than it
does to make it
from raw
materials.
Making recycled
steel saves 60%,
recycled
newspaper 40%,
recycled plastics
70%, and
recycled glass
40%. These
savings far
outweigh the
energy created
as by-products of
incineration and
land filling!”
National Recycling
Coalition
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RECOMMENDATION TWO PAGE 26
7. As Borough vehicles are retired, analyze the cost/benefit
of replacing vehicles with new efficient technologies such as
hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Factor in rising price of
petroleum.
8. Study the feasibility of using local sources of energy to
heat buildings. Consider field proven wood energy systems
such as the installation of a wood fired hearing system in
Craig, Alaska30, to heat the Craig swimming pool and
elementary school.
9. Consider the biodigester31 proposal from Willits, CA for
heating the sewage treatment plant.
10. Use an established a set of guidelines for energy
efficient construction. Require that any new public
construction or major renovation comply with guidelines.
“The cheapest
unit of energy is
the one not
used.”
Fairbanks
Energy,
November 2007,
Strategic
Business Plan,
p.29
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RECOMMENDATION THREE PAGE 27
RECOMMENDATION 3: Lead in the development and use of
local, sustainable, and renewable energy sources.
Using figures in the FY07 and FY08 Borough budget the cost of heating
borough facilities rose by 32% while electricity costs remained steady.
The Haines Borough can mitigate the rising cost of heating fuel by planning to
meet municipal energy needs with energy sources that do not depend on fossil
fuel.
“… a peak in oil
production presents
problems of global
proportion whose
consequences will depend
critically on our
preparedness. The
prospects will be most
dire if a peak occurred
soon…because
alternative energy
sources…are not yet
available in large
quantities.”
CRUDE OIL – Uncertainty About
Future Oil. Government
Accountability Office, 2007.
REC. 3 - ACTION 1: IDENTIFY.
Identify potential local renewable energy sites and
sources.
Utilize public and private information sources such as the
Alaska Energy Authority
(AEA)(www.akenergyauthority.org/).32
REC. 3 - ACTION 2: SECURE.
Secure renewable energy sites for future use.
Suggestion:
Establish a zoning classification for energy “preserves” and
associated infrastructure access corridors.
REC. 3 - ACTION 3: DEVELOP.
Support the development of local renewable energy
sites and sources, and infrastructure ensuring that
supply and demand can be met.
Four possible strategies:
1. Partner with private and non-profit entities. For example,
work with AP& T to determine the capacity of the existing
hydroelectric infrastructure to meet increased demand
created by Haines residents switching to electrically heated
homes and hot water systems. Could significant increased
demand enable AP&T to lower their rates? Consumers who
heat water with oil would then be able to shut down their oil
furnaces seasonally.
Estimate of $ spent on electricity and heating
fuel for borough facilities
(not including the school district)
FY Electricity Heating Fuel
07 $114,236 $97,446
08 $114,650 $128,415
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RECOMMENDATION THREE PAGE 28
“As peaking is
approached, liquid fuel
prices and price volatility
will increase
dramatically, and,
without timely mitigation,
the economic, social, and
political costs will be
unprecedented. Viable
mitigation options exist
on both the supply and
demand sides, but to have
substantial impact, they
must be initiated more
than a decade in advance
of peaking”
U.S. Department of Energy
sponsored report: Peaking of
World Oil Production:
Impacts, Mitigation and Risk
Management. The “Hirsch”
report. Feb 2005. Pg. 4.
homes and hot water systems. Could significant increased
demand enable AP&T to lower their rates? Consumers who
heat water with oil would then be able to shut down their oil
furnaces seasonally.
2. Explore the option of establishing and/or joining local or
regional energy co-ops.
3. Identify and apply for federal and state funds to develop
alternative renewable energy sites and infrastructure.
4. Lobby for pro-active statewide legislation that supports
and provides state funding for development of local,
sustainable renewable energy.
REC. 3 - ACTION 4: ASSIST CONSUMERS
Support programs that would assist in the acquisition
of technology required to fully utilize renewable energy
sources.
Examples of strategies:
1. Identify and seek funding for “pilot projects” to utilize
local source renewable energy sources.
2. Establish criteria for local installation of renewable energy
technology that would qualify for sales tax and property tax
exemptions.
3. Lobby for state legislation that provides funding for end-
user access to the technology and infrastructure needed to
utilize local, sustainable, renewable energy.
“Christy Tengs Fowler said electricity and fuel costs were ‘huge’ in her decision to
close the Pioneer Bar and Bamboo Room for dinner hours during the winter. ‘We
used to heat with propane but we switched over to oil because it was cheaper, but oil
got more and more to the point that it doesn’t even matter.’ “
Fuel Costs Drive Winter Closures, Tom Morphet, Chilkat Valley News, November 15, 2007, Vol. XXXVIII
PEAK OIL & ENERGY TRANSITION: FEBRUARY 2008
PREPARING FOR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES DRAFT
RECOMMENDATION FOUR PAGE 29
.RECOMMENDATION 4: Plan and prepare for energy
shortages.
Compounding a reduction in the supply of liquid fuels and predictable price
escalation, natural and political events can create sudden price-spikes or cut off
supplies all together. This can seriously disrupt the government’s ability to
provide basic services (police, ambulance, fire, education, road and building
maintenance, administration). The Haines borough should have contingency
plans in place to address these logistical challenges as well as the public unrest
and panic that can occur during shortages. Plans should address shortage
situations that persist well beyond the shorter-term events for which emergency
agencies typically prepare.
“You can’t manage what
you don’t measure.”
-An old management
adage.
REC. 4 – ACTION 1: MEASURE ENERGY
Conduct an energy use inventory for propane,
electricity, gasoline, diesel fuel, heating fuel, firewood,
solar, wind, and hydro, and how these energy sources
are used (private, commercial, public, etc.)
Purchase software specialized for measuring amount of
energy used community-wide:
The Clean Air and Climate Protection (CACP) software is
provided through membership in ICLEI – Local
Governments for Sustainability. This software assists in
inventorying the energy used in municipal buildings,
vehicles, outdoor lighting, and water and sewer and waste;
and in a community-wide inventory or residential,
commercial, transportation, and waste disposal energy use.
The software calculates energy and cost savings associated
with the above dimensions as energy conservation
measures are applied. Juneau, Fairbanks, anchorage,
Homer, and Kenai are members of ICLEI. Communities join
for a one-time fee of $600, which includes the software.
REC. 4 – ACTION 2: PLAN FOR SHORTAGES AND
DISRUPTION.
Ensure that the Local Emergency Planning Committee
(LEPC) has developed contingency plans to address a
“long emergency” brought about by oil supply
constraints lasting months or years.
Consider the following initiatives:
1. Using the information from an energy use inventory
(Action 1), have strategies in place for a rapid reduction of
fuel use.
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RECOMMENDATION FOUR PAGE 30
“Energy price spikes and
supply disruptions could
prevent your municipality
from continuing normal
operations. The
municipality has a
responsibility to recover
in the minimum amount
of time, with minimum
disruption and at
minimum cost. This
requires careful
preparation and
planning.”
http://energyprepared
ness.net/services
fuel use.
2. Assess current Borough fuel supply levels and
procedures. Determine if the Borough should increase
minimum levels maintained in storage tanks or establish
additional backup sites. Remember that the borough must
rely on diesel when and if the hydro feed is interrupted.
Interruptions could occur as a result of seismic events or
even over-demand.
3. Assess the “emergency basis only” electrical
consumption for each department, how much stand-alone
backup electrical generation capacity is current in place,
and where this backup power is. Determine what amount of
downtime that backup power covers, and decide if the
Borough wants to extend the coverage, incase of longer-
term outages of the grid and/or shortages in the supply of
other energy sources.
4. Determine if backup generators could use alternative
fuels (for instance, bio-diesel for diesel engines, and ethanol
for gasoline engines.) Assess costs and benefits.
5. To prepare for fuel constraints, prioritize which vehicles to
send out, based on energy supplies and vehicle mileage
rate. This could provide savings compared to sending out
more vehicles than necessary.
6. Develop a system for allocating emergency fuel supplies
between competing needs, such as water/wastewater,
backup generators, police and fire vehicles, borough
administration, and police/fire EMS command and control.
Also consider transportation needs for food, medicine, and
other essential freight, as well as any agricultural fuel needs.
7. Determine how department staff would be impacted by
sustained fuel shortages (i.e. officers and staff who live out
of the town site).
8. Work with Borough manager and department heads to
consider how to include energy vulnerability scenarios in
each Borough department’s ongoing procedures and
planning processes.
REC. 4 – ACTION 3: COMMUNICATE WITH
SUPPLIERS
Open official lines of communication between Borough
leaders and suppliers of energy of all types to regularly
assess the status of supplies, sources, and delivery
infrastructure.
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RECOMMENDATION FOUR PAGE 31
assess the status of supplies, sources, and delivery
infrastructure.
December 17 and December 19, 2007, Alaska power and
Telephone president and manager were sent the following
questions via email from HETF staff. Although the emails
were acknowledged, to date, there has been no response.
1) What percent of the electrical power consumed by the Haines
Borough is generated by hydro?
2) If there was an increase in demand for electricity by the
consumers in the Haines borough, would that demand be able to
be met with energy generated through hydro? How would that
increase in demand be reflected in the rate structure? We are
anticipating the following scenario: As fuel oil becomes more and
more expensive, consumers might consider switching from
propane or heating oil to electricity as a heat source. Has AP&T
anticipated and planned for this situation?
3) Does AP&T have an interconnect policy (relative to net
metering) that applies to consumers in the Haines Borough. Does
AP&T have an interconnect policy in any of the communities it
serves? If so, what is that policy? If not, is AP&T considering
developing a policy?
4) Will you please comment on the pros and cons of net metering
as you see them.
5) Is the description and estimate of AP&T capacity, as printed in
the Haines Borough Comprehensive Plan, still current?
From the Haines Borough Comprehensive Plan, page 88:
“Alaska Power and Telephone Company provides Haines
electricity via the Goat Lake hydroelectric facility. The previously
used diesel powered generating plant within the town site has
been quieted and will now serve the community as a back-up
electricity source. The total hydroelectric peak-load capacity of
the system is 4.900 KW. The total load capacity, with diesel
electric backup generators included is 7,400 KW. HL&P serves
approximately 1,150 residential, commercial, and industrial
customers at an approximate cost of 17 cents/KWH. The existing
system and the diesel back up could accommodate safely a 50%
increase in the number of customers.”
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RECOMMENDATION FIVE PAGE 32
ADDRESSING ISSUES AFFECTING FOOD SECURITY
Our food system relies heavily on cheap oil. The US food system uses about
17% of the total fossil fuels consumed each year. Threats to our oil supply are
also threats to our food supply. When people learn how dependent their current
supply is on fossil fuels for production, processing, transportation, storage, and
preparation, many turn their attention to growing their own food.
According to the Christian Science Monitor, “Food prices worldwide hit record
highs in 2006, and all the signs are that they will go on rising this year, and for
the foreseeable future. The era of cheap food, the experts say, is over and we
are going to have to get used to it. Corn, milk, bread, and other farm products
hit record high prices in 2006 – and will likely keep rising in 2008.”
Why the Era of Cheap Food is Over, Christian Science Monitor, online at
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1231/p13s01-wogi.html
RECOMMENDATION 5: Identify, protect, and preserve areas
appropriate, accessible, and/or essential for local food
production and gathering, and ensure access to these areas.
Land and clean water are the raw materials of a locally sustainable food system.
In order to reduce reliance on a food system heavily influenced by the vagaries
of fossil fuel, the community must ensure that local agricultural land,
watersheds, and wild food resources are preserved and protected.
“Truly sustainable
practices require that
food be grown closer to
the point of consumption
in order to reduce the use
of fossil fuels for shipping
food long distances.”
New Solutions, Food, Feed,
and Fuel, Number 12,
November 2007.
REC. 5 - ACTION 1: IDENTIFY
Identify areas appropriate, accessible, and/or essential
for a pure, clean, adequate water supply; for
agriculture; and for the sustainable gathering of wild
food, including berries, fish, and game.
Suggestion: This task could be assigned to a subgroup
reviewing and rewriting the Haines Borough Comprehensive
Plan.
REC. 5 - ACTION 2: PRESERVE
Protect and preserve the resources and access to the
resources identified in ACTION 1. Designate “Access
Corridors” and “Food and Potable Water System
Preserves.”
Suggestion: Explore creating a “Food Preserve” land use
classification with designations for wild food gathering and
land suitable for agriculture. Similarly, create a “Potable
Water Preserve” classification.
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RECOMMENDATION FIVE PAGE 33
“From farm to plate, the
modern food system
relies heavily on cheap
oil. Threats to our oil
supply are also threats to
our food supply. As food
undergoes more
processing and travels
farther, the food system
consumes ever more
energy each year.”
Daniel Murray (2005) Oil
and Food: A Rising
Security Challenge, Energy
Bulletin, energyBulletin.net
Water Preserve” classification.
REC. 5 - ACTION 3: ACQUIRE
Seek funding solutions to obtain privately owned
agricultural land if a seller is willing to sell to the
Borough expressly for the purpose of preserving prime
agricultural land resources.
Local Example: Henderson’s farm is prime agricultural land
that is in danger of being subdivided for housing by his
heirs.33
REC. 5 - ACTION 4: MEASURE.
Determine how much food Haines needs to raise in
order to be self-sustaining.
Conduct a Food Inventory based on a standard caloric
intake per person per day with a vision of what crops can be
raised here34 and their associated caloric value. From this,
calculate how much of what type of locally produced or
gathered food is needed per person. With respect to
production, calculate the amount land (water and fertilizer)
required to raise that amount. Compare this to how much
arable land is available. Simultaneously, calculate the
current turnover rate of the local food supply in Haines’
markets.
To get a sense of what food it is possible to raise in Haines,
consult The Farm Report, prepared by the HETF Food and
Agriculture Subcommittee, on file in the Borough office.
“The US food system uses over 10 quadrillion Btu (10,551 quadrillion Joules) of
energy each year, as much as France’s total annual energy consumption. Growing
food accounts for only one fifth of this. The other four fifths is used to move, process,
package, sell, and store food after it leaves the farm.”
Daniel Murray (2005) Oil and Food: A Rising Security Challenge, Energy Bulletin,
energyBulletin.net
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RECOMMENDATION SIX PAGE 34
RECOMMENDATION 6: Encourage and support development
and enhancement of local food production, processing, and
storage.
Food production and
delivery systems are heavily
dependent on petroleum. As
the costs of nitrogen
fertilizers and diesel fuel
have gone up sharply,
production costs rise
proportionately. Corn
prices have also gone up,
driven in part by
government mandates for
ethanol, reducing the
amount of corn available for
animal feed.
Add possible disruption of the transportation system itself to the rising prices
and you have a potential disaster. This situation is best mitigated by developing
of local sources of food.
“The US food system
uses about 17% of the
total fossil fuels
consumed each year in
the nation. This is the
equivalent of 400 gallons
of oil per person per year
or about 9.5 BOE barrels
of oil equivalent per
person per year for food
alone.”
New Solutions, Number 13,
July 2007.
REC. 6 - ACTION 1: LAND CLASSIFICATION
Request the Planning Commission study the feasibility
of permitting “agriculture, personal use,” “animal
husbandry,” and “crop production” as uses by right
(UBR) or as conditional uses (CU) in all land use zones.
See Haines Borough Code Title 18.70.030-040.
REC. 6 – ACTION 2: INCENTIVES.
Create financial incentives using tax policy or other
creative solutions to foster local food production.
Consider the following:
1. Lobby the State to eliminate the condition that an owner
must derive 10% of their gross income from farm activity in
order to qualify for the farm discount (see AS. 29.45.060)
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RECOMMENDATION SIX PAGE 35
“Without cheap
transportation fuels we
will have to reduce the
amount of food
transportation that
occurs….This implies
increased local food self-
sufficiency.”
Richard Heinberg, Threats of
Peak Oil to the Global Food
Supply,
www.richardheinberg.com
“Governments must also
provide incentives for
people to return to an
agricultural life.
…Successful traditional
agriculture requires
social networks, and
intergenerational sharing
of skills and knowledge.
We need not just more
agricultural works, but a
rural culture that makes
agricultural work
rewarding. “
Richard Heinberg, Threats of
Peak Oil to the Global Food
Supply,
www.richardheinberg.com
REC. 6 – ACTION 3: LEASE BOROUGH LANDS
Explore options to lease Borough lands for activities
such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s),
small farms, and school gardens.
Consider this possibility:
Partner with a local non-profit to develop and manage the
vacant lot adjacent to the Public Safety Building for raised
bed gardening.
REC. 6 – ACTION 4: COMMERCIAL COMPOST
Encourage local production of non-toxic organic
compost. Consider composting opportunities for local
non-profits, local sanitation companies, and the
Borough Water and Sewer Department .
Consider the entrepreneurial possibilities provided by
sludge from the Borough Sewage Treatment Plant; manure
from the horse barns; food refuse from restaurants, and
retail food outlets; fish wastes; and sawdust piles.
REC. 6 – ACTION 5: FOOD STORAGE
Explore opportunities to develop community food
storage facilities located in strategic areas designed to
minimize transportation costs.
Possibilities include root cellars and cold storage facilities.
REC. 6 – ACTION 6: EDUCATE
Partner with other entities to educate citizens about
gathering, growing, processing, preserving, and
preparing local foods.
Consider the following educational initiatives:
1. A partnership between the Haines Borough, the State of
Alaska Extension Service, SEARHC, Chilkoot Indian
Association, the Haines Borough Library, Community
Education, and the Museum to address an increased need
to educate citizens about food growing, processing,
preserving, cooking, and composting.
2. Encourage the school district to seek funding for school
gardens and associated curriculum that addresses nutrition,
where foods come from, how to grow, harvest, process,
preserve, and prepare food, how to compost. For an
example of a partnership between a school district and a
non-profit organization devoted to food production see
Calypso Farms in Fairbanks, Alaska (www.calypsofarm.org)..
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RECOMMENDATION SIX PAGE 36
www.richardheinberg.com where foods come from, how to grow, harvest, process,
preserve, and prepare food, how to compost. For an
example of a partnership between a school district and a
non-profit organization devoted to food production see
Calypso Farms in Fairbanks, Alaska (www.calypsofarm.org)..
3. Encourage the school district to include a science or
social studies curriculum to study the international, national,
and local impacts of “peak oil” and its implications for the
food supply.
“With food, … loss of traditional skills is particularly dangerous. Not only has much of
the knowledge of how to grow food without fossil fuels been lost, but the understanding of
good food and nutrition is also disappearing. Some of the most nutritious vegetables,
such as kale, collard, and Swiss chard, are no longer reported in the U.S. government’s
agriculture statistics. Many people don’t even know how to cook them.’
New Solutions, Food, Feed, Fuel, Number 13, July 2007
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RECOMMENDATION SEVEN PAGE 37
RECOMMENDATION 7: Ensure all members of the
community have access to food and water resources.
USAID defines food security as “ When all people at all times have both physical
and economic access to sufficient food to meet their dietary needs for a
productive and healthy life” (USAID Policy Determination #19, downloaded from
www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/200/pd19.pdf). The USAID states that food
availability will be constrained by “marketing and transportation systems which
inhibit the cost-effective movement of food from source to need” and an
“inability to predict, assess and cope with emergency situations which interrupt
food supplies.” The transition from cheap to expensive liquid fuels has already
impacted the price of food. No crystal ball is needed to alert us to the need to
plan for an increase in demand for food aid.
Unless we take urgent
action, as oil security
deteriorates, so too will
food security.
Fueling a Food Crisis: The impact
of peak Oil on food security. Jan.
3,2007
energybulletin.net/24319.html
REC. 7 – ACTION 1: PLAN FOR FOOD SHORTAGES
Task the LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee)
to develop and/or enhance contingency planning
measures to prioritize food security in the event of oil
supply constraints.
REC. 7 – ACTION 2: FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Help local food assistance programs develop plans to
prepare for an anticipated increased demand for food
from a larger percentage of the population.
REC. 7 – ACTION 3: ACCESS TO WILD FOOD
Work with the Planning Commission and state and
federal agencies to ensure wild food sources (game,
berries, fish) are managed for sustainability and equal
access, with subsistence use given priority over
commercial use.
“Because oil is used to transport the goods of our consumer society from all over the
nation and globe, the price of most products will also go up. Food prices will be the most
evident as food spending as a percentage of income rises.”
www.communitysolution.org/problem.html#12
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RECOMMENDATION EIGHT PAGE 38
ADDRESSING ISSUES AFFECTING ECONOMIC
STABILITY
On June 15, 2006, Ben Bernake,
Chairman of the US Federal Reserve,
discussed the many ways energy is
essential to our economy (see box).
Increases in the cost of energy will
threaten the supply demand for goods
and services. As prices continue to
escalate the variety of goods will be
reduced.
However, advances in technology may
provide alternatives that increase
business efficiencies, and demand may
evolve, creating opportunities for local
entrepreneurs and businesses. The
community must be ready to capitalize
on emerging opportunities arising from
an energy transition.
RECOMMENDATION 8:
Promote the local economy
through education and
awareness of an energy
transition while developing and actively supporting local
marketing strategies.
An energy transition will require communities to refocus attention inward and
rely on local strengths. Many dimensions of our local economy may need to be
re-invigorated. Educating the community on the importance of supporting local
business is vital. Fostering an environment for local business and
entrepreneurship to grow will require community creativity and vision. Due to
the risks involved with peak oil and an energy transition, government guidance
and assistance is of utmost importance.
WARNING!
”…energy commodities are special,
in part because they are critical
inputs to a very wide variety of
production processes of modern
economies. They provide the fuel
that drives our transportation
system, heats our homes and
offices, and powers our factories.
Moreover, energy has an influence
that is disproportionate to its share
in real gross domestic product
(GDP) largely because of our limited
ability to adjust the amount of
energy we use per unit of output
over short periods of time.”
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S.
Bernanke, before the Economic Club
of Chicago, Chicago, IL, June 15,
2006,
http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsev
ents/speech/bernanke20060615a.htm
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RECOMMENDATION EIGHT PAGE 39
“The price and
availability of virtually
everything that we
import, export,
manufacture, construct,
transport, eat, wear, buy,
sell, rent, live in or use in
our daily lives will be
affected by peak oil.”
Standing Committee on
Rural Regional Affairs and
Transport, Australian
Senate, Submission 80,
Australia’s Future Oil
supply and Alternative
Transport Fuels – Final
Report, February 2007, p.
27
“The real lesson here is
that it only requires a
relatively small amount
of oil to be taken out of
the system to have huge
economic and security
implications.”
Oil Shockwave, June 23,
2005.
REC. 8 – ACTION 1: BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGN
Encourage local consumption of locally produced
and/or processed goods.
Three suggestions:
1. Partner with local business entities such as the Chamber
of Commerce, to develop a creative and vibrant “Buy
Local!” marketing campaign to strengthen local businesses
and the entire community by ensuring that wealth is not
exported from the community.
2. Use tax policy as a stimulus to provide financial incentives
to develop local demand for locally produced products.
3. Establish a strong local vendor preference. Consider
giving local vendors preference in the form of a 5 to 15%
contract bid differential. Keeping products and services
local, even at slightly higher costs, ensures local businesses
survive and that people within the community have jobs. A
goal of local employment reduces travel-related energy
consumption since over 50% of our present fuel appetite is
for transportation fuels.
REC. 8 – ACTION 2: PUBLIC MARKETS
Provide easily accessible venues for public markets to
sell locally produced and processed goods.
Providing venues for public markets can create
opportunities for entrepreneurs, commercial fishermen,
small-scale farmers, gatherers, and family businesses.
These venues can also create vibrant market centers and
promote a sense of community. Locations can include
Borough land or city streets in various population centers,
which are easily accessible, and promote efficient transit.
REC. 8 – ACTION 3: NEW BUSINESSES
Support new business opportunities emerging from an
energy transition.
Develop and support initiatives and financial incentives to
promote new business opportunities. Consider lobbying the
State to provide low interest loans to entrepreneurs offering
sales and services related to renewable energy.
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RECOMMENDATION NINE PAGE 40
HAINES BOROUGH MEDICAL SERVICES
Disrupted medical services would be
catastrophic. Consider the following
benchmarks indicating the current level of use:
The ambulance was called out 190 times in
2007 (Mark Satterwhite, Chief Dispatcher).
Marcia Scott, Administrator for the Haines
SEARHC reports (via telephone January 25,
2008) 19,622 visits to the clinic in 2007. This
count includes visits to a physician, nurse,
pharmacist, or physical therapist. It does not
include dental or Wise Woman related visits.
There were 89 medivacs out of 153
“encounters” with patients who needed to stay
in the clinic 2 hours or more. Lynn Canal
Counseling administrator Becky Chapin (via
email January 25, 2008) reports that LCC
served 183 clients in 2007, 76 of which were
classified as “psychiatric emergencies.”
ADDRESSING ISSUES AFFECTING COMMUNITY
HEALTH, WELFARE, AND SOCIAL VIABILITY
Increasing oil prices and threats of supply shortfalls will likely affect access to
health care, social services, education, information, cultural activities, and the
arts. Budgets will strain as costs increase. At the same time, demand for these
services will also increase.
More and more residents may become “vulnerable and marginalized” because
fixed and low-income families are hit hardest by rising prices and job shortages.
A 2007 Alaskan study35 found that utility costs for road-system communities like
Haines were 39% higher in 2006 than in 2000. But more importantly, they found
that “…utility costs take a much bigger share of the smaller incomes of poor
households. That’s especially true in remote places, where incomes are lowest.
Utility costs take from 8% to 33% of the income of poor households but about
2% to 4% among wealthy households” (p. 3).
Measures should be put into place to insure that health and welfare programs
and services are prepared for the effects of peak oil and the ensuing energy
transition.
RECOMMENDATION 9:
Design a safety net to
protect vulnerable and
marginalized
populations, and insure
health care and social
service providers are
prepared for the
ramifications of peak oil.
Vulnerable and marginalized
members of the community will
increase, and be hardest hit by
peak oil. Health care and social
service providers will likely see
increased demand along with
increased costs that may affect
their ability to provide care.
More people will need
assistance as family budgets are strained. As the economy becomes stressed,
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RECOMMENDATION NINE PAGE 41
businesses will continue to shift costs for health coverage to employees,
increasing the number of the underinsured and uninsured.36 People without
insurance tend to wait to see health providers until an emergency develops.
Therefore, the need to provide emergency care will increase. Efforts must begin
now to educate and prepare providers.
REC. 9 – ACTION 1: EDUCATE
Ensure that local health care and social service
providers are educated about how peak oil will affect
their ability to provide care.
Three Suggestions:
1. Identify and inventory products and services impacted by
declining oil. Identify what aspects of their services may see
increased demand
2. Determine energy needs of facilities and medically related
transport.
3. Undertake conservation measures.
REC. 9 - ACTION 2: PREVENTATIVE CARE
Support efforts to encourage or mandate preventative
care.
Prevention has the lowest cost of all health care strategies,
leaving more money for those who truly need medical help.
REC. 9 - ACTION 3: ASSISTANCE
Work with community members to obtain state and
national assistance for low-income households to
maintain utility service and to perform weatherization.
REC. 9 - ACTION 4: STAY INFORMED.
Stay abreast of current requirements and qualifications
for housing, food, and energy assistance programs.
“Modern health care
is dependent upon
large inputs of
energy as well as an
array of products
derived from
petroleum.”
Bednarz, & Mac Crawford,
Energy: Healthcare’s
Preconditional Crisis, Feb,
17, 2007.
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RECOMMENDATION TEN PAGE 42
RECOMMENDATION 10: Seek funding for education and
training opportunities for community members seeking careers
emerging from an energy transition.
The shift toward renewable energy and energy efficient technologies is expected
to create new jobs, often referred to as “green collar” jobs. There will be
increased demand for wind turbines, solar panels, and biomass engines. New
businesses will develop to market, install, and service on-site power production.
Workers will be needed to design, construct, weatherize, and retrofit buildings
and homes. Just as we need to prepare for the pitfalls of peak oil, we have to
be equally prepared to take advantage of the opportunities.
“This 21st century 'Green
Rush' will expand at a
rate and power that will
stretch human and
material resources to the
limit.”
www,greenenergyjobs.com
REC. 10 - ACTION 1: APPRENTICESHIPS
Support and foster the development of local
apprenticeship programs.
Suggestion:
Create a data- base of local experts interested in mentoring
others in their fields of expertise.
REC. 10 – ACTION 2: LOCAL POST-SECONDARY
CAMPUS.
Partner with educational institutions to develop a
Haines campus offering professional development
courses and training regarding emerging technologies
in renewable energy, energy conservation, and energy
efficiency.
REC. 10 - ACTION 3: GRANTS
Seek funding for educational grants to train those who
will commit to return to Haines, in emerging careers in
renewable energy and energy conservation and
efficiency.
.
“Consumer demand for green power—along with the progress of utility restructuring and
proposed state and federal mandates/incentives for consumers and utilities to purchase green
power—could substantially strengthen the renewable power industry. This, in turn, …may increase
the number of jobs available in the renewable energy industry.”
US Department of Efficiency and Renewable Energy
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/careers_renewable_energy.html
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RECOMMENDATION ELEVEN PAGE 43
RECOMMENDATION 11: Ensure that access to information,
cultural activities, and the arts is maintained.
As oil prices rise, budgets for information, cultural activities, and the arts service
providers may shrink. But the Library, Sheldon Museum, and Chilkat Center are
essential community resources. The Haines Borough Library provides meeting
places, internet access, after school programs, information, and events; the
Sheldon Museum provides meeting places, events, and houses knowledge of
our heritage; the Chilkat Center provides places for meetings and recreation and
houses the local public radio station – the valley’s safety net through its
Emergency Alert System. The Chilkat Center also provides venues for cultural
events and learning opportunities. Community members and visitors during the
tourist season use all three facilities heavily.
Some Amazing Local
Statistics and Facts
Haines Borough Public
Library, 2007:
*Exceeded the state
average for items used
per patron: Haines 41
items per patron, state
average: 6.08 items per
patron.
*Hosted 351 community
events/meetings in 2007
with a total attendance of
3,590.
*Offered 876 adult and
children’s programs with
a total attendance of
6,993.
*Number of Internet
uses: 28,597.
-via email from Library
Director Dan Coleman,
January 25, 2008.
REC. 11 – ACTION 1: EDUCATE
Ensure that program and facility managers are
educated about the upcoming energy challenges.
REC. 11 – ACTION 2: CONSERVE
Support energy conservation and efficiency measures
developed by program and facility managers.
REC. 11 – ACTION 3: FUND
Support efforts to develop supplemental funding
sources developed by program managers.
REC. 11 – ACTION 4: USE RENEWABLE ENERGY
Explore options to reduce the exposure of these
facilities to fossil fuels shortfalls by installing
technologies that use local renewable energy sources.
REC. 11 – ACTION 5: PRESERVE THROUGH
CONSOLIDATION
Consider creative options for consolidating services
and information within these facilities should severe
shortages or long-term price increases threaten the
existence of these entities.
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GETTING STARTED PAGE 44
VI. GETTING STARTED
“How do we buy time,
the time that we will
need to make the
transition to
sustainability?
Obviously, there are only
two things that we can
do to buy time.
One is to conserve, and
the other is to be more
efficient.…”
Congressman Roscoe
Bartlett, Chairman of the
Projection Forces
Subcommittee of the Armed
Services Committee,
presentation on Peak Oil to
the US Congress on March,
2005, download full
transcript from
http://www.energybulletin
.net/4733.html
Conservation and efficiency. That’s where to start.
Now.
Start by taking actions that require just a little effort,
but will produce concrete, measurable differences.
Start with the actions that will result in obvious
savings. Owing to the escalating prices of energy,
these savings should be expressed as gallons and
kilowat hours. By reducing the gallons of fuel burned
and the kilowat hours used, the Borough should, at the
very least, be able to remain at a flat-line, even though
the cost of energy is rising.
So, we advise you start with Recommendation 2,
Action 7: Reduce Energy Use (pages 25-26):
Develop a Borough Energy budget
Establish fuel reduction targets
Develop a data tracking and analysis system
Change to compact fluorescent light bulbs
Change to LED streetlights
Replace equipment with Energy Star rated or EPEAT
registered products
It is also vital to install the Energy and Community
Sustainability Commission to stimulate progress in
Haines – through educational campaigns, discovery
and analysis of local renewable energy, and through
articulation and implementation of the policy changes
recommended throughout this report. Please bear in
mind that a fully functional Commission will require
staff, particularly in the preparation and administration
of grants. The Commission is described in
Recommendation 1 beginning on page 17.
The Haines Energy Task Force recommendations will
take time to be fully implemented and utilized,
perhaps years. But what is important is that we begin
the nesecarry energy and attitude transition now in
order to prepare for the effects of peak oil
and propell us to a new and brighter future.
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APPENDIX A: RESOLUTION PAGE 45
APPENDIX A
HAINES BOROUGH RESOLUTION 08-__-___
A RESOLUTION OF THE HAINES BOROUGH ASSEMBLY
SUPPORTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE HAINES
BOROUGH ENERGY TASK FORCE AND ESTABLISHING AN
ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION TO ASSIST
THE BOROUGH TO MAINTAIN AND ENSURE ENERGY
SECURITY, FOOD SECURITY, AND COMMUNITY
SUSTAINABILITY.
WHEREAS, the Haines Borough is committed to a sustainable future based on a
vibrant local economy; and
WHEREAS a growing number of professionals in the energy industries believe
that world oil production is nearing its point of maximum production (“Peak Oil”);
and
WHEREAS peak oil will usher in a prolonged period of ever-increasing energy
prices; and
WHEREAS, price signals of petroleum scarcity are likely to come too late to
trigger effective mitigation efforts in the private sector, thus requiring
governmental intervention at all levels in order to avert social and economic
chaos; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Energy-sponsored study on mitigation of Peak
Oil demonstrated that a twenty-year lead time is required for effective mitigation;
and
WHERAS, the importance of making this energy transition proactively rather
than reactively, and integrating this transition into the Borough’s planning and
daily actions is abundantly clear,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Haines Borough Assembly:
Section 1. Supports the development and implementation of action plans to
reduce fossil fuel consumption and increase utilization of local renewable energy
for all borough facilities, activities, and the community at large;
Section 2. Supports the development and implementation of action plans to
provide for food security, for economic stability, and for the health, welfare,
and social viability for the residents of the Haines Borough while navigating the
era of Peak Oil;
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APPENDIX A: RESOLUTION PAGE 46
Section 3. Establishes a 9 member Energy and Community Sustainability
Commission composed of one member of the Haines Borough Assembly, one
member of the Haines Borough Planning Commission, and seven community
members with the following powers and duties:
a. To coordinate, propose, and promote energy conservation and
efficiency, utilization of renewable energy, and production of food
locally among residents, businesses, and non-governmental agencies
and educational organization through education and outreach
programs.
b. To make recommendations to the Haines Borough Assembly and the
Planning Commission on policies and programs that promote energy
conservation, energy efficiency, sustainability, utilization of renewable
energy, economic stability, food security, and health, welfare, and
social viability in the Haines Borough.
c. To determine, in cooperation with the Haines Borough and the public,
Haines’s energy consumption profile.
d. To provide a biannual “energy consumption” assessment. The
Assessment shall be included in a report provided to the Assembly
and the public.
e. To research and apply for grants or other funds or gifts from public or
private agencies for the purpose of carrying out any of the provisions
or purposes of this resolution.
f. To review and build on the work of the Haines Energy Task Force.
Section 4. The Borough manager shall designate staff support for the Energy
and Community Sustainability Commission; and
Section 5. Provides for an Energy Transition and Community Sustainability Fund
in the FY09 Haines Borough Budget.
Adopted this _____ day of __________, 2008.
________________________
Fred Shields, Mayor
Attest:
______________________
Julie Cozzi, Clerk
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APPENDIX B - REFERENCES PAGE 47
APPENDIX B
References and Resources Not Fully Cited in End Notes
Hirsch, R.L., Bezdek, R., Wendling, R. , 2005, February, Peaking of World Oil
Production: Impacts, Mitigation, and Risk Management, U.S. Department of
Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory. Download pdf version from
http://www.pppl.gov/polImage.cfm?doc_Id=44&size_code=Doc.
Hirsch, R.L. 2007, February, Peaking of World Oil Production: Recent Forecasts,
U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory/1263,
Washington, DC. Download pdf version from
www.netl.doe.gov/.../Peaking%20of%20World%20Oil%20Production%20-
%20Recent%20Forecasts%20-%20NETL%20Re.pdf
Portland Peak Oil Task Force, 2007 March, Descending the Oil Peak: Navigating
the transition from Oil and Natural Gas, City of Portland, Portland, OR.
Download PDF from
www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=145732
Westervelt, E.T., Fournier, D.F. 2005, September, Energy Trends and their
Implications for US Army Installations, US Army Corps of Engineers, Research
and Development Center, www.erdc.usace.army.mil.
United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), 2007, February, Report
to Congressional Requesters, Crude Oil: Uncertainty About Future Oil Supply
Makes It important to Develop a Strategy for Addressing a Peak and Decline in
Oil Production, GAO-07-283, Washington, DC. Download pdf version from
www.gao.gov/new.items/d07283.pdf
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APPENDIX C – SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTS AND GRAPHS PAGE 48
APPENDIX C
Supplemental Charts and Graphs
1.Field by Field Analysis of the North Slope Oil Production in Alaska
2.
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APPENDIX C – SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTS AND GRAPHS PAGE 49
3. Consumption by Sector, AEO 2008
4.Food and Energy Use
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APPENDIX C – SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTS AND GRAPHS PAGE 50
5.Top Oil Producers, Exporters, Consumers, and Importers, 2006
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APPENDIX C – SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTS AND GRAPHS PAGE 51
6.Median Utility Costs for Poorest and Wealthiest Alaskan Households,
2000 and 2006
Saylor, B., Haley, S., March 2007, Effects of Rising Utility Costs on Household
Budgets, 2000-2006, Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of
Alaska, Anchorage, p. 7
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APPENDIX C – SUPPLEMENTAL CHARTS AND GRAPHS PAGE 52
7. House size Increase from 1950 to 2000
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APPENDIX F – COMMENTS PAGE 53
APPENDIX F
PUBLIC COMMENTS –
IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY AUTHOR’S LAST NAME
The following comments were received by the posted deadline: noon, February
19, 2008. In response to the comments received, HETF took two actions at its
February 20th, 2008, meeting. 1) The HETF amended Recommendation 5,
Action 2 the final draft of the report as recommended by Kathleen Menke; and 2)
the HETF included Chapter VI. Getting Started.
February 18, 2008
To: Julie Cozzi, Borough Clerk
From: George Figdor
Re: Comments on the Haines Energy Task Force draft report
Thanks to the HEFT for their highly productive work!
I think their draft report is well researched, thorough, and well organized. The
recommendations and associated action items are comprehensive and clearly presented.
Just one, hopefully constructive, comment: I would like to see the task force prioritize
the 45 action items they are recommending.
As presented in the report, the recommendations and action items all have equal weight
and urgency. I think that an implementation plan/timeline, which assigns levels of
priority, would be highly valuable to the assembly, especially in initially launching the
recommended actions. Implementing the entire set of action items is a huge undertaking
that probably needs to occur in phases over a period of time. Even though the assembly is
likely to be interested in moving ahead, it may be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of
the tasks being recommended and may not be able to easily see where to begin.
(Obviously, the passing of the resolution and the creation of the commission are steps one
and two, but then what?)
A plan that breaks the workload into bite-sized pieces and spreads the implementation of
the recommendations into phases is bound to be more digestible for the assembly.
Clearly, there are actions that are needed sooner than later and actions that are simpler
and less costly to implement. Phase one of the plan should probably contain a relatively
short list of actions that would be pretty straight forward for the assembly to implement
under its existing infrastructure and budget and that would have the potential for showing
early signs of success as well.
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APPENDIX F – COMMENTS PAGE 54
It would seem that the best strategy for the task force would be to keep the momentum of
their work going by having the assembly follow through on some of the
recommendations right away, sending a message to the community that the borough is
not going to have this report simply gather dust. I know that the task force has given
some thought to this, but my sense is that its strategy is to have the permanent
commission begin to identify priorities at a later date. While setting up such a
commission is critical, my concern is that momentum will be lost in creating and
organizing the new body and bringing it up to a high level of proficiency. The current
task force already has the expertise required to establish priorities and implementation
phases. I think it would be beneficial to the assembly if the HETF took the initiative to at
least identify what phase one would look like.
I think the addition to the HETF report that I am suggesting can be done rather easily,
without the risk of missing the approaching deadline. The main body of the report would
not have to be altered. I think the implementation plan could be assembled by extracting
from the report a reasonable number (maybe five to ten) of individual actions that the
assembly could begin to implement over the next six months (or year), within its current
capacities. The idea is to get a few easy successes under the belt. The task force could
suggest subsequent phases as well, or leave that to the permanent commission. (The
latter, I presume, would have the latitude to fine tune any implementation timelines
contained in the current report, so its hands really wouldn’t be tied.)
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APPENDIX F – COMMENTS PAGE 55
From: KmKm/Crystal Images <ci@akmk.com>
Date: February 6, 2008 1:17:53 PM AST
To: jcozzi@haines.ak.us, "Mike & Lisa" <blankdenker@aptalaska.net>, Stephanie Scott
<sscott@aptalaska.net>, "Suzie Scollon" <sbkscollon@aptalaska.net>
Subject: Comments Energy Task Force Report
Good job to all involved the Energy Task Force initial report. Thanks for the opportunity
to review. Here are a couple of my comments at this time.
Suggestions for clarifying intent:
Recommendation 5 (Action 2)
Change "protect and preserve access to the resources" to "protect and preserve the
resources and access to the resources"
Recommendation 6 (Action 1)
Land Classification: This paragraph would be more consistent with the rest of the
document if it were expanded to include land and watershed protection for subsistence
resources as well as crop production. Mentioning crop/agricultural resources is good, but
not sufficient.
Recommendation 7 (Action 3)
Elevate the priority of this wording. It is excellent!
I wish to add the Mike Denker has done an excellent job of involving the community on
this work and in keeping us all informed. And thanks to Stephanie for her excellent work
in combining many ideas in many different forms from many different groups into one
coherent logical--easy to follow and easy to comment upon--document. And also thanks
to Suzie Scollum for her extra energy and communication efforts. And to all involved for
their volunteer time and good ideas.
Regards, Kathleen
--
Kathleen M.K. Menke
Crystal Images Photography and Publishing
http://www.akmk.com
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APPENDIX F – COMMENTS PAGE 56
From: Sally McGuire [mailto:chilkootmcguire@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 12:32 PM
To: Julie Cozzi
Subject: RE: Energy Task Force
To the members of the Haines Borough Assembly,
Thank you for seating the members of the task force which looked at the problems of
peak oil. I must say I was most impressed that Haines would be so pro-active in taking
this step, which so few other government bodies wanted to step forward and do- I do
realize that it can be very hard to go first!
I have been reading the final draft of their Report and am most impressed with their
work. They have managed to explain a very complex subject in such a way that even
people who haven't heard about it can understand it and will surely be motivated to take
action.
I also think that they have done a fine job of deciding which actions would be most
important for the Borough to take first. My own particular interest is in the food security
section. As they point out, our national food supply is very seriously enmeshed with oil,
not only to make and run equipment but to irrigate the fields, and to fertilize- as noted,
modern fertilizers are made of oil- and of course transportation. Haines is on the end of a
very long supply line, and running low (or out) on oil is not the only thing that can affect
it, as we all know. Haines is lucky to have three fine food stores, a lot for such a small
community, but no food store keeps more than a few weeks ahead on supplies, how can
they? We cannot depend on them to every thing.
For both the short and the long run I urge you to adopt this Report. In particular I would
urge you to ask the Planning Commission to do all it can to encourage home raising of
foods. Animal husbandry should be a Use by Right, and I would like to see the Borough
find ways to encourage it. Other points that I would urge you to take up very quickly,
this summer, would be to establish more community gardens, to use Borough land for
this, and to pay for fencing, water, and so on. Also to dedicate land near the schools for
the kids to participate in growing food, preferably as part of the curriculum, perhaps
summer school. This report also includes many other suggestions for encouraging local
food growing, all great.
Again, I'm very impressed with the Report and with the hard work of so many of Haines'
people. It's truly admirable and I hope that others of Alaska's communities read the
Report and write their own. Thank you, Sally McGuire
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APPENDIX F – COMMENTS PAGE 57
To: Haines Borough Clerk
Thank you to the Haines Borough Assembly and the Haines Energy Task Force for the
well-thought-out and thorough draft report on Peak Oil & Energy Transition: Preparing
for Challenges and Opportunities.
I would like to make the following suggestions:
A. In prioritizing actions it might be prudent to look carefully at the opportunity to
expand recycling (Recommendation 2) as a community project that would introduce
borough residents and visitors to the role each person plays in conserving energy.
To build a basis for problem-solving and cooperation for the more daunting initiatives
and imperatives, recycling also can serve as an energy-related model for
establishing effective, constructive, results-oriented communication between
governmental entities, businesses and the general public.
The Borough already has Haines Sanitation, Friends of recycling and
ACME with some infrastructure in place for recycling and a dedicated core of residents
who recycle. If these entities join forces with other interested parties in the borough
would likely bring tangible results in a short period of time.
For example, modest investment of funds managed by a team of knowledgeable,
innovative thinkers and leaders could initiate
1. an expanded public education program involving students that might include a radio
program, radio PSAs and CVN coverage/or possibly a weekly column
2. an increase in the kinds of materials recycled
3. a website developed by high school students as a technology course project
4. an energy-efficient way to establish curbside or neighborhood recycling pick-up
5. a demonstrated reduction in the non-recycled waste stream and possibly in the long run
cost reduction for the public
B. This is a bit unconventional, but I wonder if there couldn't be a way to combine
police patrol with door-to-door mail delivery in town, especially in the summer when
bicycles can be ridden. It would greatly reduce the number of drive trips made by box
holders and greatly increase friendly police presence in the community.
C. Investigate geo-exchange as an option for institutional and private heating.
Thank you again for the excellent and very useful study.
Sincerely,
Carol E. Tuynman * 907-766-3715 * PO Box 633 * Haines, Alaska 99827
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END NOTES PAGE 58
End Notes: Chapter IV: Peak Oil: An Explanation
1 There is oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge and people argue that "that's why we
need to drill ANWR" when talking about our oil situation in the world, as if ANWR is the
magic bullet. However, the United States Geologic Survey estimates that production
from ANWR will range from 600,000 to 1.6 million barrels a day, approximately 5% of
total US oil consumption. These production estimates will not even get Alaska to the
peak production levels of the late 1980’s. Additionally, peak production levels of the
ANWR fields are estimated to last only 3-4 years before declining. ( Energy Information
Agency, March 2004, Analysis of Oil and Gas Production in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge, Introduction, Washington, DC, download from
tonto.eia.doe.gov/ftproot/service/sroiaf(2004)04.pdf).
2 In Peaking of World Oil Production: Recent Forecasts , 2007, prepared for the US
Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), R.L. Hirsch
states, “We know of no region [in North America] that has reached maximum
production in recent years and stayed on a plateau for an extended period of time” (16).
In other words, all the conventional oil fields, the easy to get oil, in North America,
including Alaska, are in decline.
3 Corroborating analyses can be found in reports from the Energy Watch Group, R.L.
Hirsch, the Portland Peak Oil Task Force, the Army Corps of Engineers, the
Government Accountability Office, the US Energy Information Agency, the International
Energy Agency, and the Task Force on Strategic Unconventional Fuels. All of these
reports are fully cited in Appendix B – References
4 See the reports by R.L. Hirsch, M.R. Simmons, and the Army Corps of Engineers
listed in Appendix B - References
5 http://www.thestar.com/article/276971
6 “At Fort McMurray’s pit mines, it takes 2 tons of sand, 250 gallons (947 liters) of water
and 1,400 cubic feet (39.6 cubic meters) of natural gas to produce one barrel of
synthetic crude, says Peter Wells, director of research firm Neftex Petroleum
Consultants, Ltd. In Abingdon, England. That’s enough water for a day’s use of a US
family of four and enough natural gas for 5.6 days… “ (Lippert, J & Ohnsman, A, 2008,
Prius Designer Says Toyota-Led Industry Must Lose Oil Addiction, Bloomberg.com,
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aoCSD7m5zHhA&refer=ho
me)
7 CIBC World Markets, OPEC’s Growing Call on Itself, Occasional Report #62, Sep
10, 2007. This concept, known as the “Export Land Model” is also now being referred
to as “Peak Export”. For further reading see www.theoildrum.com
8 Quite a few of the importers fall into the GAO’s category of “high political risk.” “High
political risk” is defined as the “likelihood that events such as civil wars, coups, and
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END NOTES PAGE 59
labor strikes will occur in a magnitude sufficient to reduce a country’s gross domestic
product growth rate over the next 5 years” (GAO, page, 21).
9 Threats to the infrastructure from lack of investment. The International Energy
Agency believes that the demand for oil and gas can be met if producers invest $4.3
trillion and $3.9 trillion (in 2005 dollars) over the next 25 years (Improving global Energy
Security, Geneva, November 28, 2006,
www.iea.org/textbase/speech/subjectresults.asp?keys2=4103). This recommendation
reflects concerns about the state of oil exploration and production facilities in oil rich
nations including Iran, Mexico, Russia, Venezuela.
Threats to the infrastructure from Civil War: Nigeria, from whom the US imported
10.25% of its oil in 2006, is a good example of a place where threats to the
infrastructure from war and the relationship to oil production and distribution is clear.9
Threats to the infrastructure from Terrorism: Everyone is worried about Al Qaeda’s
threat to attack the oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia – a threat that was given teeth by
the November 8 Al Qaeda attack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that killed 17 and wounded
over 120. On November 16, 2007, Simon Webb, writing for Reuters, reported that “The
Saudi’s are building a 35,000-person security force to protect their infrastructure… .
Saudi Arabia pumps around 9 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, over a tenth of global
supplies, and severe damage to its infrastructure could have far-reaching effects. The
kingdom is also keeper of most of the world's three million barrels per day (bpd) of
spare oil capacity, a reserve crucial to the global energy system to deal with any
surprise supply disruption”
(www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL1528115720071116).
End Notes: Recommendation Two
10 Strategic Studies Institute Mandate: Identify, develop, and promulgate key national
security issues,
http://www.eceme.ension.eb.br/eventos/7ciclo/palestras.energy_security_united_states
_ppt.
11 Daniel Yergin, testimony before the US House of Representatives Committee on
Energy and Commerce, May 4, 2006, http://www.cera.com/aspx/cda/public1/news.
12 Classes and workshops are available from the Alaska Building Science Network
through their Building Energy Efficiency contract with Alaska Housing Finance
Corporation. See www.absn.com.
13 There are no currently AKWarm licensed auditors living in Haines. An Energy Rater list
by community can be downloaded from
http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/reference/energyraters.cfm
14 The people-power needed for many of these campaigns might be willingly provided
by non-profits if some of the basic cost could be defrayed through grants supported or
sought by the Borough.
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END NOTES PAGE 60
15 A 2” x 5” column run every other week for a year would cost $90 per publication in
the CVN for an estimated total of $2160. This fee includes a 10% discount for a year’s
commitment. Here is an example of a “Tip” that would be worthwhile circulating in the
valley:
Unplug the “secret energy addicts” in your home: TVs, VCRs, DVD players, cable
TV boxes, computers, printers, video game consoles, microwave ovens and AC
adapters for cell phones, digital cameras and other electronics. Most electronic
equipment, including anything that uses a remote control, is designed to
consume energy when it is turned off. That “off” setting is actually a “standby” or
“idling” mode. Standby power in the average household consumes 1,000
kilowatt hours of electricity annually. That’s enough energy to power an entire
home for two months, or more. The solution? Unplug anything that isn’t being
used. Downloaded from The Green Home Guide at
www.greenhomeguide.org.living_green/sustainable_
lifestyles.html.
16 Studio time for production is estimated at $75/hour. Locally produced shows with a
similar information format are The Safety Guys, The Museum Report, The Library
Report, and Watershed Weekly.
17 . Consider using data derived from the Clean Air and Climate Protection Software
(ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability).
18 For more information visit the US Green Building Council’s website:
www.usgbc.org/LEED. Download a check list for homes at
http://greenhomeguide.org/green_home_programs/LEED_for_homes.html
19 Current State of Alaska regulations state that low-speed vehicles are not permitted on
highways with a maximum speed greater than 35 miles per hour (mph) but are
permitted to cross a highway that has a maximum speed limit greater than 35 mph if
the crossing is made at the intersection with a highway that is authorized for low-speed
vehicle use. See Alaska Statutes 28.10.041, 28.35.261, 28.40.100)
20 “Mobility Management brokers a variety of networked transportation services to suit
individual needs. It is a highly personalized, local system dependent on communication
and dispatch. This approach to providing transportation services to the general public
as well as targeted user groups may be adequate, and also may be the crucible out of
which a public transportation system grows (page 9).” Haines Borough Coordinated
Transportation Plan, 2007.
21 Please refer to Carol E. Tuyman’s thoughts on recycling in the Comments appendix.
Comments are alphabetical by author.
22 Borough residents can recycle plastic, paper, cardboard, aluminum, and glass
through Solid Waste Solutions, a commercial entity, and plastic, paper, cardboard,
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END NOTES PAGE 61
aluminum, and tin through Haines Friends of Recycling, a membership supported non-
profit entity. Glass can be dropped at Acme Transfer; it is crushed, but not reused.
HFR sent out 385,000 pounds of material to be recycled in 2006 (email January 26,
2008 from Melissa Aronson, HFR treasurer and board member).
23 To date, mail-in recycle services for CFLs are not available in Alaska, Hawaii, or
Puerto Rico (see http://www.recycleyourcfl.com/). Anchorage recycles its CFLs through
EcoLights Northwest in Seattle (http://www.ecolights.com/).
24 White goods are major appliances, including refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers,
and water heaters. The name originated when most of these items were manufactured
in just one color – white. Address the need to have a certificate showing the CFCs were
recovered by a certified technician using a certified recovery machine.
25 See the Environmental Protection Agency's website on C&D debris at
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris-new/index.htm.
26 Haines Friends of Recycling currently recycles electronics annually. Twenty
thousands pounds were shipped in 2007.
27 This target is modeled after Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal
Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, signed by President Bush,
January 2007. The federal government was ordered to “ improve energy efficiency and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions of the agency, through reduction of energy intensity
by (i) 3 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2015, or (ii) 30 percent by the end
of fiscal year 2015, relative to the baseline of the agency’s energy use in fiscal year
2003. Another model that the Borough might consider is the vehicle fuel reduction
target for the Federal Fleet incorporated in the Energy Independence and Security Act
recently passed. Section 400FF(a) (2) of this legislation requires that “not later than
October 1, 2015, and for each year thereafter, each Federal agency shall achieve at
least a 20 percent reduction in annual petroleum consumption.” A third model to
consider is the goal cites in the Haines borough Coordinated Transportation Plan
(2007): “Reduce the annual consumption of petroleum-based vehicle fuel by 10%
annually” (p.1).
28 According to a Duke University 2006 publication downloaded from http://www.duke-
energy.com/ohio/savings/advantages.asp, a CFL is a low wattage, high lumen output
lamp that commonly replaces incandescent bulbs today. The savings advantage
afforded by CFLs is recognized by government and consumer agencies.
29 In a report on the savings realized by Energy Star products, prepared by the
Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, ENERGY STAR¨ is described as “a voluntary labeling
program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products, buildings and
practices. Operated jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), ENERGY STAR labels exist for more than thirty products,
PEAK OIL & ENERGY TRANSITION: FEBRUARY 2008
PREPARING FOR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES DRAFT
END NOTES PAGE 62
spanning office equipment, residential heating and cooling equipment, commercial and
residential lighting, home electronics, and major appliances.”
30 Wood fired Boiler Heating System Presentation, PDF, is appended to this report. It
can also be downloaded from http://www.tananachiefs.org/natural/AWEC2007.shtml. .
According to the Craig City Manager’s presentation at the Alaska Wood Energy
Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska (Nov. 2007), Craig will save between $63,000 and
$28,000 in oil or propane costs once the wood fired facility is in place.
31 Capture energy from the sewage treatment plant by modifying the headworks to
divert a significant portion of the incoming solids into a “biodigester” to produce
methane gas – a natural byproduct of sewage treatment and an equivalent of natural
gas and propane. This methane would be fed directly into a gas turbine generator to
produce electricity to offset the sewage treatment plant’s energy needs.
End Notes: Recommendation Three
32 According to the Renewable Energy Atlas of Alaska, published by the Alaska Energy
Authority (www.aidea.org/aea/index.html), and Renewable Energy Alaska Project
(REAP), Haines may have sites for hydroelectric, wind, and biomass renewable energy.
Biomass fuels include wood, sawmill wastes, fish by products, and municipal waste. In
the future, map data will be available in interactive format at the State of Alaska’s new
energy inventory web site at www.energyinventory.alaska.gov.
End Notes: Recommendation Four
33 Communicated by Bob Henderson to the Haines Energy Task Force Food &
Agricultural Subcommittee.
34 This information is available in the Food & Agricultural Committee’s Farm Report filed
with HETF documents in the Haines Borough office.
End Notes: Recommendation Nine
35 Saylor, B. & Haley, S. (2007 March), Effects of Rising Utility Costs on Household
Budgets, 2000-2006, Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska,
Anchorage.
36 Peak Oil Task Force, Descending the Oil Peak: Navigating the Transition from Oil and
Natural Gas, Portland, OR, March, 2007, p. 24-26.