Local governments are facing serious economic challenges because of increased costs as well as decreased revenue. Furthermore, volatile and unpredictable energy costs are adding to these stresses on local government budgets. This conference will give your organization a head start in preparing for an uncertain future. Learn about actions that local government can take now to reduce energy costs.

This study by Warren Karlenzig, author of How Green Is Your City?: The SustainLane City Rankings, ranks the largest 50 US cities by their readiness for $4+ a gallon gas and $100+ barrel oil prices. It considers a variety of factors, including city resident public transit use, city carpooling rates, metro public transit ridership, metro area sprawl, telecommuting, biking and walking-to-work rates, and use of heating oil. This is an update of the May 2008 report.

Under federal tax law, a commuter can shelter up to $115 a month, or $1,380 a year, in pre-tax dollars to help pay commuting expenses. But few employers provide programs that would allow their employees to take advantage of this. San Francisco recently became the nation's first to require businesses with more than 20 employees to offer transit benefit programs -- and Chicago may soon follow.

The risk to the UK from falling oil production in coming years is greater than the threat posed by terrorism, according to an industry taskforce report published today. The report, from the Peak Oil group, warns that the problem of declining availability of oil will hit the UK earlier than generally expected - possibly within the next five years and as early as 2011.

The atmosphere in the U.S. is right for growth in mass transit, but those 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.

A research paper produced for the Municipal Association of Victoria, Australia explores the energy uncertainty adaptation strategy of relocalization through case studies. The report also touches on ways in which local governments can encourage these efforts.

Portland, Ore., and California’s Silicon Valley are leaders in a new paradigm, a high efficiency and environmentally low impact model, reversing Americans’ profligate, high-impact, low-efficiency culture of the past half century. One element in the transition: demand for oil is exceeding supply. Shifts have to be made.

As oil prices surged this year, manufacturers raised the prices of a lot of products — not just gasoline but lotions, toothpaste, plastics and many more items that use oil as a raw material. But even now that oil prices are dropping, the manufacturers are loath to lower their prices until they recoup what they lost in the runup - and are sure the prices won't go up again.

The dilemma for governments is that forecasting has such a poor track record that forgoing today's pressing needs to prepare for an uncertain future carries considerable political risk. Making the wrong choices will lead to unfortunate consequences either way.

A shift to alternative energy sources and energy efficiency is creating jobs in Oregon, where turbines, solar panels and other technologies need to be designed, built, installed, and maintained. Schools and unions are filling a great demand for new training.