PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Record-setting prices for oil are creating huge problems for America's cities as they cope with soaring fuel costs. In Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty, Daniel Lerch of Post Carbon Institute shows city leaders how to create plans to reduce local vulnerability to rising prices and volatile energy markets.
"The exciting news in this book is that America's local leaders are not waiting for Washington to act," said Lerch. "In the cities I profile, city officials and citizen committees have already started developing immediate and long-term energy plans to move away from fossil fuels and develop alternative sources of energy."
Post Carbon Cities draws on the experiences of American and Canadian cities large and small, to make it easier for cities to learn from what others have done.
-- Portland, Oregon is leading the nation with an ambitious goal to cut
community-wide oil and natural gas use by 50% over the next 25 years.
-- Hamilton, Ontario is reconsidering a major airport expansion after key
officials and citizen activists insisted that future oil scarcity be
taken into account.
-- Willits, California assessed its vulnerability to oil scarcity and was
able to find and resolve potential problems at the main city water
treatment plant.
-- Oakland, California is nearing completion of an eight-month task force
study to identify ways to become "oil independent" by 2020.
"Post Carbon Cities is the first major book written specifically for local government officials, staff, and community activists on how to respond to the fundamental changes taking place in the global energy system," said Debbie Cook, city councilor of Huntington Beach, California. "Every municipal leader in America should read this book."
Lerch started an East Coast promotional book tour this week with presentations and meetings with city leaders in Boston and Providence. The tour continues next week with presentations in New York and Philadelphia, and ends the following week with appearances around Toronto. Lerch is also meeting with student groups and citizen activists during the tour. Tour schedule and details are at http://www.postcarboncities.net/pcc-tour.
Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty is published by Post Carbon Press (Sebastopol, California): information and ordering at http://www.postcarboncities.net/guidebook.
For more information contact Daniel Lerch:
971-207-6334
Daniel@postcarbon.org
Post Carbon Institute
