Media & Communications

2011 ASPO-USA Conference: Day 1

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I recently attended the ASPO-USA annual conference in Washington, DC. Overall, I found the presentations and discussion to be very engaging. The vibe this year had much less of a doomsday feel than last year and the topic of how best to tell an engaging Peak Oil story came up often. In the notes below I attempt to recap the sessions I attended with the caveat that these notes reflect primarily what I paid attention to. No attempt is made to be complete or unbiased in my coverage of the conference. I apologize in advance for any omissions or misrepresentations. In the next few weeks ASPO should make videos of the presentations available on aspo.tv.

While Detroit may be singing the blues a new documentary reveals what is driving its progress

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Detroit was once a destination for car companies and youth trying to break into the music industry. Today, it’s now home to entrepreneurs looking to break into the urban farming business. In Detroit, a city that saw half its population move in the wake of economic collapse, many of the hopes of those who stayed behind hinges on urban farming.

Presenting the economic policy of the cccupy movement

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If there is one thing the Occupy Wall Street movement has generated, it’s the opinion that there is no unifying agenda or policy being advanced by the Occupiers. Perhaps that explains why we (CASSE) have been asked repeatedly to contribute to that agenda and identify that policy. And perhaps the time has come to oblige.

Occupy Main Street

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Flash forward to October 2011. Those ruminations and years of activism – and the rumblings getting louder everywhere – are finally surfacing in the public square. We’re getting it! Finally and gloriously and intelligently and courageously. The occupations have been going on long enough that good suggestions are arising for the direction of this movement. Get political. Sustain dialogue. Demonstrate democracy in action. No matter what one’s prescription though, the marvel is that the occupation continues and is a school of democracy itself, a sustained bonding among people who normally have nothing to do with one another, who keep their heads down in tunnels of adaptation, still believing in the American Dream.

#Occupy – VOICES – Nov 6

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– How I Got Off My Computer And Onto The Street At Occupy Oakland
– Anthropologist Graeber Turns Radical Side Loose in Zuccotti Park Protest
– #Occupy and Transition: resources for creating lasting change
– Jan Lundberg: How The Occupy Movement May Be Off-Base, and How It Can Evolve
– What’s the Black Bloc? And why is it important for the fate of the Occupy Movement? (links)

The Occupy Movement and the Black Bloc

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The Occupy Movement is the most significant development of the year – together with Arab Spring and the Indignados protests in Mediterranean countries. Occupy is important for those of us who follow Peak Oil and Transition, because it has the potential to change the political equation. As the rising price of oil and other commodities continues to threaten living standards in the US and other countries, protest movements are inevitable.

The Occupy Movement has struck a chord with the “99 percent.” Occupy Oakland, for example, saw somewhere between 5,000 and 25,000 people out in the street during the General Strike there Wednesday, November 2. I was struck by the presence of the black clad groups that appeared in the midst of the demonstration to trash stores, break windows, etc. These are the Black Bloc, a phenomenon which first appeared in the 80s and has been with demonstrations across the world ever since. How the Occupy Movement deals with the Black Bloc is critical for its future.

Below is a collection of excerpts/links for those who wish to learn more.