To help councils in the U.K. formulate their thinking on peak oil and climate change preparedness, two organisations, the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC) and the Post Carbon Institute, have got together to produce a guide aimed at local councils, outlining the implications of "peak oil" and the kinds of responsible options that are available to councils.

A new proposed traffic concurrency management plan in Alachua County, Fla. scraps extensive roadwork and instead creates a rapid transit system that would be subsidized in part by fees on new growth. Another part of the plan encourages denser, mixed-use development.

Berlin wants to become a world leader in the solar energy field, both as a user of the sun's rays for energy and as a pioneer in solar technology despite its northern, cloud-covered location, its economy minister said.

Clover Moore, NSW MP and Lord Mayor of Sydney, Australia, spoke before the New South Wales Parliament about Peak Oil and the challenges it would pose to Australia and NSW. She also spoke about the related efforts of the Sustainable Sydney project.

Senate Bill 375 will push California communities to consider climate change impacts of development in regional planning, with an emphasis on reducing car travel. The bill requires the California Air Resources Board to set regional targets by September 2010 for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The state will use its annual $5 billion pot of transportation money to encourage regions to embrace compact residential development.

Gas shortages in the southeast United States are prompting companies to consider expanding their telework programs so employees can conserve fuel. Other options workers are weighing include greater use of carpools and public transit, along with alternative scheduling arrangements such as four-day work weeks.

Burning more wood for heat could save homeowners money in oil-dependent Maine, but a task force in the nation's most forested state cautioned that care is needed to avoid health problems and damage to the wood products industry.

AB 1358 requires cities and counties to identify how they will balance the needs of all roadway users when revising their general plans. These plans must address components of their transportation systems to ease gridlock and help with traffic flow, including bike lanes, sidewalks and audible pedestrian signals.

Chicago has announced a climate change action plan designed to reduce the city's carbon emissions to three quarters of 1990 levels by 2020. The goal, which goes well beyond the requirements of the Kyoto protocol, has been praised as aggressive by ICLEI.

Cogeneration of electricity and heat is one of the most promising means of using existing technologies for sustainable ends, but it is also one of the most neglected and least understood. Cogeneration can dramatically increase energy efficiency, slash carbon emissions, and save money.

Daniel Lerch on our enduring relationship with the personal automobile, and the potential for a less car-dependent California. Written for the Sacramento Bee's The Conversation.

In an attempt to overcome the price barrier to homeowner adoption of energy efficient equipment, Annapolis, Maryland is joining the California cities of Berkeley and Palm Desert in offering low-interest loans that will be tied to the properties, rather than the homeowners.

Cities and counties across Colorado are experimenting with new ways to minimize trash and maximize recycling, spurred on by higher landfill fees and global-warming worries.

The "locavore" movement is big, especially in California. With the bounty of food found locally in the Bay Area, living off the land - and sea - is not only possible, but also a delicious exercise. But there's another, less obvious, revolution brewing here in the Bay Area: the "locavolt" movement.

A movement that started in the U.K. spreads to U.S. shores as communities pull together to create resilience. A community approach to peak oil preparation can take many different forms, depending on the community and the people who become involved.

Anmore, a village in B.C., will soon be producing enough energy through alternative sources to cover its needs. The project is run by a foundation created and owned by the village, in collaboration with several levels of government and the utility BC Hydro.

Backyard chickens are gaining popularity in Rochester, N.Y. as residents explore home food production beyond the veggie plot. Town regulations regarding animals like chickens are often little-known, and vary from town to town.

Some facilities in Ocean County, N.J. are experimenting with the ultimate in low-energy daytime lighting: using the sun directly to light spaces. This alternative to light bulbs can save energy and boost productivity.

Portland, Ore., and California’s Silicon Valley are leaders in a new paradigm, a high efficiency and environmentally low impact model, reversing Americans’ profligate, high-impact, low-efficiency culture of the past half century. One element in the transition: demand for oil is exceeding supply. Shifts have to be made.

This German town finds energy security - and some profit - in self-sufficiency. The town of Freiamt generates its entire electricity needs from locally owned renewable sources, and then sells a 30 per cent surplus to generate revenue. This thriving economy should be a lesson to those seeking security on larger scales.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom recently issued an executive order to city departments to fast-track permitting for small wind projects. "Everybody's doing solar now; it's exciting," Newsom said. "But wind hasn't gotten to that level." A team of technical advisors and a Wind Taskforce will be working to encourage small-scale wind projects.

As oil prices surged this year, manufacturers raised the prices of a lot of products — not just gasoline but lotions, toothpaste, plastics and many more items that use oil as a raw material. But even now that oil prices are dropping, the manufacturers are loath to lower their prices until they recoup what they lost in the runup - and are sure the prices won't go up again.

Alaskan towns like Haines Borough are seeing greatly increased food bills due to high freight costs. These greater expenses compound the impact of already burdensome increased energy costs.

In his work as a land planner in North Carolina, Aaron Newton works to create sustainable places. But it's not just his job: awareness of peak oil has led him to promote relocalization close to home, and led to coauthoring a new book that expands the definition of agricultural land.

As energy technologies evolve, their relationship to their surroundings also changes. Recently, attention has shifted to decentralized supplies and the effects of transportation, land use, and buildings on energy demand. It is time for planners to pay attention to the new spatial structure of energy systems. This article lays out some approaches planners could use to be more effective.