One of the first ways humans used fuel was burning it to stay warm. Over the millennia, our technology for harnessing and delivering that energy has advanced and its uses have diversified. The fuel mix has also shifted, from what we now call biomass sources (wood, peat, chaff, dung) toward fossil fuels -- changing ever more rapidly since the beginning of the modern era.

We've come to rely heavily on those fossil fuels for so much more then mere warmth. That dependency is something we're all more aware of as climate change spurs efforts to reduce fossil fuel use and its attendant greenhouse gas emissions. But in the winter, warmth again becomes a pressing issue. With a shaky economy, ever more people are at risk of fuel poverty this winter: the issue shifts from using too much to not being able to afford enough. And that itself is a mini-version, a practice run, of the peak oil challenge.

1. Efficiencies at a larger scale
2. Providing alternatives to cold houses
3. Local actions update
4. Recent News

While heating may seem like an issue for individual homeowners or facility managers, Daniel Lerch writes about two technological systems that local governments can adopt or encourage to make heating more efficient, and Laurel Hoyt writes about socially-oriented strategies for protecting people from winter's cold.

Photo: Donovan Mueller

1. Efficiencies at a larger scale

by Daniel Lerch, Program Director
"Combined heat and power" (CHP) is catching on. When I was doing graduate work in urban sustainability just a few years ago, it was a bit of a challenge to find new information on CHP (also known as cogeneration) -- especially in the United States. Today it's virtually mainstream, among both governments and business. Do a Google News search on CHP and you'll come up with around 10 articles per day on it.

District heating -- heating multiple buildings with centrally-produced heat (often from a CHP plant) -- is also gaining in popularity. Many European cities, with their denser urban cores, are natural spots for district heating. There's a long history of district heating in some major American cities, though, and even lower-density neighborhoods like one in Portland, Oregon are potential candidates...Read more

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2. Providing alternatives to cold houses

by Laurel Hoyt, Associate Manager
The "Recommended Immediate Actions" section of the Westerly, R.I. peak oil task force's report contains some admirably concrete and inventive problem-solving on how to keep people safe in a time of rising heating costs:

1. Create solutions for an anticipated rapid increase in the population who need shelter during the winter months.

a. Develop a clearinghouse for residents who must vacate their homes during the winter months to connect with residents who need to take people in to help pay their energy bills.
b. Establish additional collective housing contingency plans to shelter families in schools and the Westerly Senior Center.

2. Develop training and a service for people who need to have their pipes drained because they cannot heat their homes.

Certainly people want to stay in their own cozily-heated homes for the winter. But if energy prices make formerly-accustomed levels of energy use economically infeasible for individuals, it's bound to also be a stretch for local governments...Read more

Photo: liz/Muffet
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3. Local actions update

In the last month, we heard of two more U.S. towns passing peak oil-related resolutions:

• Chapel Hill, N.C. -- the city council recognized an obligation to inform the citizens of potential risks related to peak oil, and directed that the issue be integrated into the Sustainability Committee's Sustainability Work Plan.
• Nevada City, Calif. -- the city council acknowledged "the unprecedented global and local challenges of Peak Oil and related energy scarcity" and charged a local nonprofit community organization with forming an Energy Solutions Task Force.

In older news, the Cleveland city council passed a resolution in June, seeking the support of the mayor in forming a working group to assess energy-related risks and make recommendations. Formation of the working group is ongoing. And a good interview from Relocalize.net details some of the process of Bellingham's task force.

If you have news about local government action on peak oil, especially outside North America, please contact us!

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4. Recent news

Each business day, the Post Carbon Cities staff scours the thoroughfares and back alleys of the internet to find news relevant to local and state governments planning for energy and climate uncertainty. We share one story each day in our news section , and many more in our del.icio.us feed . If you run across articles that we should share, please email us at info@postcarboncities.net - or if you use del.icio.us, tag it with postcarboncities.

	Transit systems in a bind Published Oct/Nov by various publications The atmosphere in the U.S. is right for growth in mass transit, but many who are trying to make the shift are finding that the funding is not there - due to years of neglect, underfunding, and now systemic economic problems that are threatening many new and existing plans.
	Mayor launches program to boost locally grown food in London Published 4 Nov by City Farmer News Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Rosie Boycott, Chair of London Food, today launched an innovative scheme to turn 2,012 pieces of land into thriving green spaces to grow food by 2012. The project aims to identify suitable patches of land around London and offer financial and practical support to groups who want to grow food for themselves and for the local community.
	Build it and they will come? Published 4 Nov by Portland Office of Transportation Commuter Central Blog Portland bicycle planners have often employed the phrase, "Build It and They Will Come" to explain their approach to building bicycling infrastructure. The City built a vast network of bicycling facilities, and cyclists came in droves. Two recent articles are showing that the-build-it-and-they-will-come theory may also hold true in other cities, as well.
	SLC mayor wants green rules in black and white Published Nov 16 by Salt Lake Tribune Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker's team is using its black pen to cut the red tape. Marking the first major overhaul since the mid-90s, capital planners are rewriting the city's code book to help ensure sustainability for generations to come.

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