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PROVIDING EDUCATION AND RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: PREPARING FOR THE COMING SEA CHANGES FROM PEAK OIL AND GLOBAL WARMING in the DELAWARE VALLEY BIOREGION The February 2, 2007 release of the the Fourth Assessment Report from the IPCC has opened a new chapter in our appreciation of global warming. It is a new chapter in our efforts to bring the process to a halt. It may be a new book. We are confronted by a daunting task. It is time to begin to "eat the elephant". It is a task for all humans, and we do it one bite at a time. The "lifeboats" we need to build are for our our children, and our grandchildren. They are for our communities and for the survival of humanity. Nothing short of an all out effort is likely to succeed. We, who have enjoyed the dubious luxury of the fruits of cheap oil, owe it to our children and the yet-born. Are you ready? There is a simple "first step" that can be taken today. You don't even need to finish reading this to do it. We must eliminate every incandescent light bulb that we can. It won't be a big bite but it's easy and doable. California is "mulling" a ban on them. Europe plans to tax them. We don't have to wait for that. If we all do this dozens of our oldest, coal fired power plants become unnecessary. You'll still have plenty of light. To get that to happen we all must act. Just do it. On February 1, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced an $850 million "energy independence strategy" to cut greenhouse gasses and save consumer's $10 billion in ten years. Of course, many of us know that much more is needed. Missing from that proposal is a plan to help low income families pay for the added costs of energy efficient technology. We propose that for starters, an additional $150 million be added to that budget for those who can't afford to buy the technology they need to cut their energy bills. A round, billion dollars is more appropriate given today's new reality. Never before has the expression, "we are all one" been so meaningful and true. GROWING A USEFUL "LIFEBOAT" ACADEMY: As we continue to develop and "fit out' the Earth Charter Lifeboat Academy of PA we'll proceed with setting up our school and online resources. William Marston AIA LEED PA is Dean of our Academy. Our primary area of influence and operation is the Delaware Valley. Our name reflects a deep connection to the United Nation's Earth Charter Initiative (www.earthchartercitizens.org). Their local Energy and Climate Working Group supplied key personel for this venture. We expect that the synergy and symbiosis of these two proven organizations, along with the others, will prove to be valuable and interesting. We hope they will be as educational and useful to you as they are to us. We are proud to announce that we are now affilliated with the Philadelphia-based Energy Coordinating Agency (www.ecasavesenergy.org). The ECLA PA Coordinator, now on an an internship there, can be reached there during normal business hours (GMT-0400) - 215.988.0929 or by email: lizr@ecasavesenergy.org. The Energy Coordinating Agency is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to ensuring that low and moderate income people have access to safe, affordable and reliable sources of energy and water. ECA works to develop a sustainable energy future for the region through energy conservation and renewable energy. ECA is a leading organization promoting sustainable living in Phila. especially among low-income households. Over the years they have been generous with their help to this "outpost", the Earth Charter Energy & Climate Working Group (our earlier incarnation) and Warminster Township's, now disbanded, groundbreaking Energy Advisory Committee (EnAC). Their "for-profit" division, Smart Energy Solutions (SES) is a leading regional agency for energy efficient advice, weatherization, solar technology, conservation, and installations. Give them a call at 215.988.0929 when you want to take your next step in becoming a part of the solution. DELAWARE VALLEY DEMOGRAPHICS: The Delaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Combined Statistical Area, is named for the Delaware River which flows through the region. The Delaware River is on the Atlantic coast of the United States. The river meets tide-water at Trenton, New Jersey. Its total length, from the head of the longest branch to the capes, is 410 miles (660 km), and above the head of the bay its length is 360 miles (579 km). The mean freshwater discharge of the Delaware River into the estuary is 11,550 cubic feet (330 m³) per second. The Delaware Valley is composed of several counties in Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, and contains a population of 5,951,797 (as of the 2005 Census Bureau estimate). Philadelphia, being the region's major commercial, cultural, and industrial center, maintains a rather large sphere of influence that affects those counties that immediately surround it. The majority of the region's populace reside in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Greater Philadelphia Area is also one of the wealthiest regions in the United States, due to many people with high-end jobs working in Philadelphia. (More complete demographics is located further below.) This site will continue to evolve. We will change according to our abilities and your input. We will continue to develop an educational center for sustainability, survival, and energy cost reduction during the time of Peak Oil and global climate change. Our first major project, already underway, is a "how to" video for making existing homes more sustainable, in cooperation with Pierre Terre Productions (www.pierreterre.com). Our resident engineer, Andy Wright, has begun working on the new primary web site.We will continue to provide public educational programs throughout the region and consult to numerous local organizations and individuals. We believe that NOW is the time to prepare for the twin crises of peak oil and global warming. When the effects become more obvious, the choices for remediation will be fewer and the costs greater. One 1,300 square foot suburban home has become a demonstration project for how to reduce energy costs and our carbon footprint. Heating and hot water costs for last winter were under $400. We've just completed a unique heat zone system. We will also soon install demand hot water and extend the successful INSIDE insulation project that we experimented with in 2005. We are working in cooperation with the Alliance for a Sustainable Future (www.asustainablefuture.org) the parent organization for the Earth Charter Citizens (www.earthchartercitizens.org), the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (www.aceee.org), the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (www.chesapeakeclimate.org), the Climate Crisis Coalition (www.climatecrisiscoalition.org), the (Elmwood) Center for Ecoliteracy (www.ecoliteracy.org), Delaware Valley Sustainability (dvs@actionpa.org), Earth Policy Institute (www.earth-policy.org), The Gnossos Project (www.geniusloci.org), Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org), the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philly (www.sbnphiladelphia.org), and others. Please visit their websites because each one has valuable information for you. THE ECLA of PA is still looking for new members. If you are interested in joining us, or would like to post information, a comment or an event, please contact us. If you represent an organization that would like to collaborate with us, send a message to: soundsynergy@comcast.net. We understand that, in the web of life, the interconnections are the keys to success.