Conference 2009

September 25, 2009, DMACC Ankeny Campus

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -- Members meeting follows

More and more people are beginning to wake up to the fact that nature has limits.  With the rapid decline, depletion and despoiling of the earth’s natural resources and climate instability, we are being urgently called to change the way we live. 

“Change can come orderly, or it can come violently because we waited too long to prepare. Either way, change will come.  Our job is to prepare for change and be ready for it,” said Fred Kirschenmann, farmer and former executive director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, at Iowa State University.  

The changes needed are not about getting things ‘back on track.’  We cannot just tweak what we’re doing now.  As Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."  Nature’s limits are dictating that the changes we make be revolutionary. 

Therefore, at our 2009 conference, you will hear from individuals proposing and making revolutionary changes in the fields of food systems, energy, water protection and community life.  They are just a few of the many who are now leading the way to a more just and sustainable world.

Presenters and workshops:

Opening: Preparing to Live Sustainably in a Rapidly Changing World
Presenter: Fred Kirschenmann, farmer, Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and Board President for Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture

It is becoming increasingly apparent that we are likely to see major changes in our global community in the decades ahead. We will be transitioning to a post-fossil fuel economy while being subjected to more unstable climates. Many of the eco-system services we have taken for granted---biodiversity, genetic diversity, fresh water, biologically healthy soils---are in a state of depletion. In addition our own ingenuity has fostered dramatic changes in communication, in business enterprises, in agriculture. Meanwhile the command and control management strategies that dominated our industrial era are becoming increasingly ineffective, making our world much less predictable. These changes present us with incredible challenges but also with unprecedented opportunities. The task facing thoughtful citizens who want to be good stewards of the planet may no longer be how to change the world, but how to prepare for the changes that are already on the way.

Keynote: Adapting to the Post-Peak Economy
Presenter: Richard Heinberg is a Senior Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute and is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost Peak Oil educators. He is the award-winning author of nine books including The Party’s Over and Peak Everything. He has written scores of articles for print and online journals, and has appeared in many film and television documentaries, including Leonardo DiCaprio’s 11th Hour. He is also a recipient of the M. King Hubbert Award for Excellence in Energy Education.

In 2008 world oil production peaked and oil prices went stratospheric; coal prices also doubled. The auto industry had a near-death experience as a result, and the economy is still contracting. This presentation will provide an update on global and US fossil fuel supplies, trace the connections between energy and the financial system, and show how individuals and communities are adapting to the post-growth economy and pioneering the transition to a renewable-energy, sustainable future. 

 The Transition Movement: From Fossil Fuel Dependence to Local Resilience, one Community at a time
Presenter: Michael Brownlee and Lynette Marie Hanthorn, co-founders of Transition Colorado, the first official Transition Initiative in North America.

The permaculture-inspired Transition movement seeks to engage whole communities in strengthening themselves against the effects of global crises, resulting in a life that is more fulfilling, socially connected and resilient. This session will demonstrate how hundreds of communities around the world are joining together in what is perhaps the fastest-growing and most significant social change movement in history, unleashing their collective genius to meet the monumental challenges of peak oil, climate change, and economic instability. This session will explore the revolutionary Transition process as it is being applied in communities from the UK to Japan, focusing on keys to relocalizing and strengthening local economies. The presenters will also share an interactive glimpse into the psychology of change.

Sustainable Approaches to Water Quality
Presenter: Jonathan Todd, CEO of John Todd Ecological Designs, Inc.

Mr. Todd will provide a visual journey and narration of the history of Eco-Machines, restorers, and other ecological strategies to remediate impaired water and wastewater. He will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities of the future, such as endocrine disruptors, and heritage pollutants, along with addressing the diminishing amount of potable water on the planet and enlarging to scope of ecological design to deal with these challenges. The talk will focus on water issues specific to Iowa, especially excessive nutrients in the ground and surface waters, and explore the integrated use of wetlands and mycelia to provide riparian protection. Mr. Todd will also address the use of bioswales and their ability to intercept nutrients and improve soil quality.

Green is Slow: Reflections on Energy and Limits
Presenter: Kamyar Enshayan, Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education.

Much of the discussion about the future of energy still is centered around "where can we get more," and very little is said about how we ought to rearrange the way we do things to significantly reduce our energy demand to begin with. Kamyar Enshayan will share insights from thermodynamics (It's the Law!), and pose questions and challenges, hoping to inspire discussions about new directions in our work as advocates of conservation and renewable energy.