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Municipal Government

Pass a Peak Oil Resolution

One of the easiest ways for municipalities to prepare for and respond to the forthcoming oil shortage is to pass a Peak Oil resolution. A Peak Oil resolution calls for:

• Peak Oil to be considered a serious issue
• a city-wide assessment funded by the mayor to be undertaken

And going forward…

• the endorsement of the Oil Depletion Protocol

Click here for information on how to write and pass a Peak Oil resolution, and to learn what other cities have done to pass resolutions.

Read the Oil Depletion Protocol book

The Oil Depletion Protocol coherently describes the Protocol and why such an agreement is necessary. Written for policy makers and the general public, the book is an informative and easy-to-understand must-read. To read more about the book, click here.

National Government

The ultimate goal of the Oil Depletion Protocol is to have nations of the world adopt it and thereby transition away from oil-dependent economies. Citizens can do their part and reduce their oil dependency independently of national programs and commitments; however, if the world is to safely and appropriately wean itself off of oil and prepare for an energy-constrained future, international agreement and planning is necessary.

Many oil-exporting nations are already experiencing declining rates of production – for these countries, there would be little to lose by agreeing to export less in the future. There is also a handful of nations that are already acknowledging the need to reduce petroleum dependency for either environmental or national security reasons. These nations will be some of the early adopters of the Protocol.

Over the next few years we will be working to get the Protocol adopted by national governments around the world. However, governments need not, nor should they, wait for an international agreement to be implemented before they take steps to reduce their oil vulnerability. Immediately, governments can:

• assess their oil vulnerability and alternative energy options
• create and foster a Peak Oil discourse
• develop public awareness campaigns
• encourage research and development into renewable and clean alternative energies

Useful Resources

Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty
Daniel Lerch, Post Carbon Institute, 2007

Communities, Councils and a Low Carbon Future: what we can if governments won’t
Alexis Rowell, Transition Books, 2010.

Report of the San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Taskforce – PDF, 2009

Building a Postive Future for Bristol after Peak Oil – PDF, 2009

International Environmental Agreements: Process, Governance & Case Studies
A preliminary compilation report prepared for the Oil Depletion Protocol initiative.