Environmental Work Group Meeting Notes
December 6, 2006

In attendance: Kathy Shimberg, Gene Marner, Colleen Blacklock, Joe Richardson, Ed Lentz

Regrets: Janet Sutta, Carol Marner, Peter Blue, Paddy Lane

Opening: ~7:00pm

1. Gene reported on the activities of the Franklin Citizen Commission on peak oil. The Commission is focusing on educating community residents about peak oil and in developing various databases, e.g., a food security network d/b, a skills network d/b, a goods exchange d/b, and a ride-sharing d/b. Recently representatives of the Tompkins County Relocalization Project met with the Franklin Commission and agree that at present the primary focus should be education. The Franklin Commission was praised in an article in the Daily Star on Saturday, Dec 2.

2. Colleen reported on her presentations on peak oil to the Otsego County Board of Reps, the OC Planning Commission, and the Oneonta City Council. The presentations were well received. A copy of Colleen's slides is being put on the CfD website (www.democracycoalition.org). Colleen also reported on other activities in the region, including:

1) GO LOCAL - a group of citizens has formed to promote bike and foot paths in the greater Oneonta area. The founder Karl Seeley is an economics professor at Hartwick College and has been aware of Peak Oil since working on his doctorate.

2) Course at Hartwick - Mark Davies will be teaching a course on Peak Oil at Hartwick College and may be going to the meeting tonight

3) Intentional Community addressing Peak Oil - a group of 3 families met for several months to discuss the formation of an intentional community that would address Peak Oil issues

4) Just Around the Corner - a documentary recently completed by local film maker John Miglietta addresses Peak Oil and Global Warming from the perspective of teenagers who interview various experts about the problems and solutions - interviewees include Sheri Boehlert, local farmer Rebecca Morgan, and many others

5) local food production activities of all kinds

6) Solar Energy Collective - Ellen Sokolow has initiated a collective that would help people learn about photovoltaic installation and have systems installed at a reduced price

7) 6th Extinction - Cynthia Marsh, local artist has a multimedia art exhibit up at SUNY Cobleskill addressing Peak Oil and Global Warming - the exhibit includes beautiful large-scale satellite images of the earth's surface. The Exhibit may be shown in Oneonta.

Colleen also reported that there's a bill pending in the Vermont legislature addressing local food production in answer to future decreased availability of petroleum. The bill is Vermont H.654. See http://www.vtpeakoil.net/docs/BILL_H-654.pdf.

3. Kathy and Gene reported on Farm Catskill, a group dedicated to preserving agricultural lands in the Catskills. Gene has been invited to give a presentation on peak oil to the Board of Farm Catskill at a date tba.

4. The floor was then opened to suggestions for EWG activities in 2007. Suggestions included, among others:

• getting involved in reviewing/critiquing the City of Oneonta Comprehensive Plan;
• inviting Congressman Boehlert to present and answer questions at a public forum on the Attitude Towards the Environment on Capitol Hill;
• find ways to encourage local food production, e.g., by engaging with CADE and other groups and farmers who are working to increase local food production;
• developing a canned presentation to be given to Town Boards in Otsego and Delaware Counties;
• arranging for showings of Just Around the Corner.

5. The group decided: subject to discussion at the CfD business Mtg on 12/7, Joe will see if Boehlert would come to a town hall in Oneonta; Ed will check on the possibility of using a venue at Hartwick College; all will review Colleen's slides and send to Ed suggestions for modifying them for use in Town Board presentations. Other ideas, including those noted above, will be discussed at future meetings of the EWG.

6. A date for a next meeting was left open.

Adjourned: ~8:30pm

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updated 12/12/06