Day-to-Day Life

1. Use a programmable thermostat to lower temperatures when no-one is home, and keep the temperature moderate when they are. Add another layer to what you wear when indoors to allow for a more moderate temperature.

2. Buy food that is grown locally, and products that are manufactured locally. This saves the fuel for these products to be shipped to you; not to mention emissions and supporting your local economy.

3. Begin to transition from driving a car to supporting public transit, car-pooling, or riding a bicycle. Consider alternatives like AutoShare and car rentals, when you feel you really need a car. Buy a fuel efficient vehicle if you feel you must have one. Pressure politicians to improve and expand public transit systems.

4. Purchase an essential emergency kit. This link gives the Ontario government’s comprehensive list of the things that we should all have on hand at all times.

Bigger Picture

Individual responses will not be enough to guarantee us the quality of life to which we’ve become accustomed.

1. Read the SAIC Report * (aka The Hirsch Report) and then strongly encourage the most influential person you know to read it.

*Apologies if you tried this link and it didn't work - see Breaking News...

2. Attend an Oil Awareness MeetUp in your area and increase the power of a network that is working to persuade our public policy planners to include global oil and gas scarcities in their planning strategies.

3. Ask your city councilor, write your MPP and MP and PM and tell them that from what you understand the world is soon to peak in terms of conventional oil production. Then ask them what exactly they as your representative are doing to help mitigate the impact of this geological verity. Ask them if they’ve read the SAIC Report? If not, why not?

Home Heating

Canadian winters can be very cold. The energy disruption that we experienced on August 14, 2003 is unlikely to remain a unique occurrence and equally unlikely to only happen in the summer time. Erring on the side of caution may provide you some peace of mind for you and your family.

1. If your house is heated with gas get yourself a portable electric space heater. If your house is heated with electricity get yourself a portable propane gas space heater.

2. If your house is heated with electricity and/or gas and you can manage it, install a high efficiency wood stove.

3. Insulate your home properly: e.g. double-glazed windows if you are in a home, plastic shrink wrap and caulking your windows if you are renting.

4. Buy thermal underwear and a 30°C below sleeping bag for each member of your family should supply for your heating system become unavailable (Remember August 2003?)

5. The movie "End of Suburbia" paints a sobering picture of the situation. Available at most video stores and many libraries. Lend your friends a copy of the movie and read everything you can get your hands on regarding Peak Oil and Oil Depletion.

6. DON’T PANIC. While there may be challenges ahead, it is best to approach them with an informed, level head and preparation.

4. Keep Yourself Informed. While it’s easier for someone else to tell you what’s going on, it is better for you to search out and consider the information yourself. Revolutionize your world view so that it highlights the role that energy has invisibly played in the rise of the industrial and information ages. Gain a thorough understanding of all the ways that oil and gas and electricity impact on ways that we have ordered our world.

5. Revolutionize your thinking by understanding that globally, oil and gas supplies have always been scarce. For example:

1.5 billion people TODAY have no access to oil or gas or electricity and the bottom 194 countries of the world have access to about the same amount of oil as the United States
Every year since 1970 the U.S. has been forced to import more and more oil. While Canada is a net oil exporter, we still rely on imports for much of the oil supply to Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.