De-Growth Vancouver

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De-Growth Vancouver

Has peak oil theory been debunked ?.

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Has peak oil theory been debunked ? If so what does it mean for ecological sustainability? In the light of new synthetic fuel processing plants coming on line as well as new unconventional oil supplies across the world, does this mean that peak oil theory has been debunked? Please join us for a lively and stimulating discussion on whether we are truly running out of fossil fuels or not. And what are the implications for ecological sustainability either way? Where: Vancouver Library

When: January 16th 7pm -> 9pm

Speakers:

Dave Hughs:

David Hughes is a geoscientist who has studied the energy resources of Canada for nearly four decades, including 32 years with the Geological Survey of Canada as a scientist and research manager. He developed the National Coal Inventory to determine the availability and environmental constraints associated with Canada’s coal resources. As Team Leader for Unconventional Gas on the Canadian Gas Potential Committee, he coordinated the recent publication of a comprehensive assessment of Canada’s unconventional natural gas potential. Over the past decade, he has researched, published and lectured widely on global energy and sustainability issues in North America and internationally. He is a Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute and his work has been featured in the popular press, radio, television and other public media. He is currently president of Global Sustainability Research Inc, a consultancy dedicated to research on energy and sustainability issues.

Bill Tubbs:

Bill Tubbs, Climate and Energy Policy Analyst currently working in the energy supply sector. Interested in how to balance the economic costs of taking action today with the future benefits of mitigating climate change impacts and the kinds of policies that would best achieve that.

Jon Cooksey:

Jon Cooksey is a writer/producer/director living and working in Vancouver. Jon has worked in all genres of film and television, including comedy, drama and family. As a writer, he has won Humanitas, Gemini and Cable Ace awards, and has now won multiple awards, as director and producer, for “How to Boil a Frog,” in which he acts as writer, director, producer and court jester. He’s also an activist, founder of the Vancouver Peak Oil Executive, and is currently working with many others to create a continental blockade of the Alberta tar sands. Jon was a story consultant on the soon-to-be-released feature film “Revolution” and is developing a TV pilot for Impossible Pictures in the UK. Jon’s series “The Collector” won a Leo Award for Best Series, and was nominated for Best Series at the Monte Carlo International Film & TV Festival, based on its success overseas.

Start time: 7pm End time: 8pm

Last Updated on Friday, 04 January 2013 06:24
 

The Economics of de-growth

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It is the law of the universe. What goes up must come down. And it’s not whether we are coming down, but how fast we will come down that is the issue.

We seem stuck on economic growth, but it is not a wholesome growth, it is a growth that undermines itself. The ecological economist Herman Daly asks: “ When the economy is growing, what is it that is getting bigger?”. “Throughput is the relevant magnitude for answering the question of how big the economy is” , Daly says. It’s “the metabolic flow of useful matter and energy from environmental sources, through the economic subsystem and back to the environmental sinks as a waste. “

Last Updated on Monday, 04 June 2012 07:25
 

Purchase DVD

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DVD copies of the 2011 conference are now available.
The cost of the DVD is $20 + shipping.
To purchase please click here

Last Updated on Friday, 15 July 2011 00:54
 

Race to the bottom

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It was not that long ago when I was a software engineer. I worked for a large multinational corporation called Rockwell Automation. They had many offices all around the world. The division that I was part of was located in Delta, a small municipality 30 minutes out of Vancouver.

Once a month we used to have a corporate meeting in the cafetaria. All the programmers, testers and management got together for an international update on how Rockwell Inc. was doing. The meeting I remember the most was when the manager of the division proudly announced "I have great news", beaming from ear to ear , "We are expanding our division in Dalian China. The programmers there work six and sometimes even seven days a week. They literally live on site. They make 1/3 of the salary we pay a Canadian programmer and they enjoy working overtime."

Last Updated on Saturday, 09 June 2012 08:40