2008 Consensus Statement

The 2008 Blue Planet Summit came to a close on April 5th generating a ton of positive energy. Here are the 10 consensus statements created by Jan TenBruggencate, as a result of the 2008 summit. 

1 - CRITICAL URGENCY: The summit agrees that the state's and the nation's dependence on oil are a serious problem requiring significant action as soon as possible.

2 - ECUMENICAL COALITIONS: We can agree to agree on a goal of reducing the role of oil. Even if we differ on the reasons for doing it, which may include climate change, national security and terrorism,  economic crisis, fear of oil supply disruption and more.

3 - EDUCATION: We need to do a better job of educating the public and supporting programs that do.

4 - POLITICAL ACTION/MOVEMENT BUILDING: We must grow communities educated in the issues, and be involved in the process of developing energy policy, through lobbying, through working with local political officials, through political activism.

5 - TRANSFORMATIVE THINKING: Incremental change is no longer sufficient as we plan the energy future. Amy Seidl of Living Future suggests we need to establish a “transition culture” in which we recognize that possibly disruptive change is coming.

6 - MULTIPLE TECHNOLOGIES: We must avoid picking favorite technologies at the expense of others. The energy future most of us envision is a distributed model with multiple technologies.

7 - LOW-HANGING FRUIT: We need immediately to employ existing technologies that are low in cost and easy to adopt. This includes both technologies like solar water heaters and conservation/efficiency efforts.

8 - FAIRNESS: New energy initiatives should “raise all boats.” Energy models should help the entire community, not simply the segments of society that can afford expensive new technologies. But even expensive technologies should not be abandoned if incentives can be employed to reduce the costs to those negatively affected.

9 - SENSE OF PLACE: We must recognize the host culture, protect the sense of place, and seek both values and clues within the story of the people who have been dealing with resource issues in the local environment for centuries.

10 - CARBON COSTS, INCENTIVES: Some polluter-pays principle should be established, although it will be difficult to identify ones on which there is general agreement. Fees can be transferred to provide incentives to promote efficiency and alternative energy research.