Since the release of Al Gore’s popular film, An Inconvenient Truth, many people have started to think more about global warming. Fewer are aware of the closely related issue of peak oil. Peak oil refers to the peak of world oil production and the decline of oil production rates that are predicted to occur afterwards. As the rate of oil production decreases and demand remains the same or increases, the price of oil will skyrocket. This poses a threat to societies that live in a way that cannot be sustained without cheap, readily available oil.

Harvard residents Bill and Sydney Blackwell first became aware of the concept of peak oil over Thanksgiving in 2004 when they watched a documentary, The End of Suburbia, at a relative’s house. The documentary was produced by Gregory Greene with the hope that it would provoke discussion about the upcoming oil crisis and potential solutions.

After their introduction to peak oil, the Blackwells conducted more research. Bill credits the book, Power Down, by Richard Heinberg, with clearly outlining the problem of dependency on fossil fuels. They found that almost all their research backed up the somewhat depressing ideas presented in The End of Suburbia, that an energy crisis will be almost impossible to avoid in the future.

Bill explains that the lack of awareness about this problem today is one of his biggest concerns. “[Peak oil] will really affect all aspects of the way we live, because it won’t just mean higher prices for gasoline and fuel, but for everything. The main reason our economy has been able to grow is because of the availability of cheap and reliable oil.”

Bill jokes that the time after his “peak oil enlightenment” was like following the five stages of grief, saying that he has experienced both denial and grasping at unrealistic solutions.

“We considered starting to stock up on food,” says Bill with a laugh, “and we also thought about moving away, but we finally had to face that neither of those were solutions that would be good for society. We realized that if everyone did this type of thing, we’d end up with a kind of tribal collapse of civilization.”

The Blackwells feel confident that there is a lot that can be done to solve this problem, or at least ease its effects, especially in town. “Harvard is a small communal town,” states Bill. “We already have a town meeting, as well as a tradition of running our own affairs and making decisions in a democratic sort of way … we are blessed with this community, because really, Harvard is already ready to handle this sort of problem.”

In July 2005, the Blackwells put their dream into action and helped to form Harvard Local, a group composed of residents starting to think about the energy crisis. Its goal is to raise awareness, study the problem, and get people involved in taking action. “At the time we thought that we couldn’t see any help from the state or federal government in addressing these problems,” says Bill. “So, last year we decided that there were action items that we could start to take on as individuals, and assemble responsibility for some of this.”

The Blackwells started with a public showing of The End of Suburbia in the town library, followed by discussion. After that, they began showing similar films every week, trying to raise interest and awareness. “We would get discouraged at first,” Bill explains, “because only about six people or so would show up.” However, the Blackwells kept at it, and, as a result, Harvard Local now has over 100 members. The group has also expanded its focus to the issue of global warming. “I think that the climate problem is very imminent,” says Bill. “It’s also less predictable [than peak oil] and therefore it’s more worrisome … we can’t really understand the effects of global warming, because it’s a problem we’ve never seen before.” Bill says that the two problems, peak oil and global warming, are interrelated, as both have arisen due to the rapid consumption of fossil fuels. But Harvard Local is optimistic about society’s ability to cope with this. “We’ve seen resource depletion before,” Bill notes. “Wood ran out, and we turned to coal, then to whale oil, and next oil as we know it now.”

Bill says that there will not be an easy replacement for oil, because oil is an incredibly energy-dense resource and has been widely available at low cost. “There are many substitutes that people are looking into to take the place of conventional oil,” notes Blackwell, “[such as] solar, wind, nuclear, etc. But, even all together, these alternatives will not be able to meet the flow for the current demand for energy.” This means that it will be essential for people to reduce their rates of energy consumption, particularly in the United States. The Blackwells are eager to tell people that this is much easier than it sounds. Bill explains, “We cut our electrical usage at home by 42 percent just by changing to compact florescent bulbs, reducing our use of the electric dryer, and turning off lights and computers.”

One of the easiest and most effective steps people can take immediately is to conserve energy. The Blackwells urge anyone interested to visit www.harvardlocal.org, where the group lists easy ways to reduce energy in the home, as well as information on tax incentives and other benefits of economizing.

Harvard Local has hopes of bringing energy conservation to the next level, the town. “We’re trying to work with the town to come up with a baseline for energy usage on all levels, like gas, heating oil, motor oil, and gasoline, and then come up with a time frame and a target reduction.”

The Blackwells see the upcoming dilemmas as a great way to unite the town. “We would become a much closer community, and gain back some of the things we’ve lost with all the complications and stress of life today,” explains Bill. “It will mean a much simpler way of life, but I think people will actually be happier.”