After nearly a full century of relying on fossil fuels, what happens when we need to find other options? Participate in a free series of lectures and find out how Santa Barbara is charting the course for a post-oil world.
The free series will feature expert speakers, local insights and a chance to participate in the vision for a better future for our community.
The lectures will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays from March 26 through April 9 at Fleischmann Auditorium at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2259 Puesta del Sol Road.
The series is organized by the Community Environmental Council and hosted by the museum.
The first speaker, on March 26, will be Michael Brune, discussing “Why do we need to think beyond oil?” Brune is the author of Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Addiction to Oil and Coal, with Dave Davis, CEC executive director.
The second in the series, on April 2, will feature Ventura City Manager Rick Cole, described by the Los Angeles Times as “one of Southern California’s most visionary planning thinkers.” Cole’s topic will be “Organizing our communities for life after oil,” and will highlight the recent post-peak oil vision plan created for the city of Ventura.
The final discussion in the series, April 9, is entitled “Organizing our neighborhoods for life after oil,’’ and will include John Kelley and Dennis Thompson, local architects working to increase self-sufficiency and sustainability in the Mesa neighborhood. Also speaking that night will be Linda Buzzell-Saltzman, organizing member of Transition Town Santa Barbara.
Click here for more information. Sponsors of the series are the CEC, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, The Sustainability Project and the California Central Coast Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.
— Noozhawk staff writer Laurie Jervis can be reached at ljervis@noozhawk.com.