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A positive approach to combating two global issues is taking off in Timaru.
A 10-strong steering group has been set up and steps are being taken to turn Timaru into a transition town.
The transition town movement is a grassroots initiative which aims to tackle the twin challenges of peak oil and climate change by building local resilience, reconnecting the community and strengthening the local economy.
Over the next 12 months "Transition Timaru" will be raising awareness about the issues, starting with a film night on June 29.
They also plan to get community groups working together and are undertaking practical projects such as writing a local food guide for producers and retailers.
The film, The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream, was the start of the transition town movement.
It is a hard-hitting documentary which examines the growing reliance on oil, the imminent prospect of declining oil production and the effect that it will have on life.
Steering group member Steve Earnshaw said that in 2005 a group of students in Ireland watched the film and, after becoming aware of the issues, devised a plan to respond on a community level.
Now, more than 1000 towns worldwide, and 48 in New Zealand, are working through the transition town process.
It works on rebuilding communities by sharing ideas and skills, growing food locally, reducing the carbon footprint and ultimately creating a community no longer dependent upon fossil fuel energy.
Mr Earnshaw said while climate change was something most people had heard about, peak oil was less well understood. Peak oil is the maximum extraction rate of oil, after which the rate of extraction will decline.
World discovery of oil peaked in 1965 and has been declining ever since.
"We now use six times more oil than we are discovering every year."
Mr Earnshaw said it was not about running out of oil, but as reserves depleted it became harder to get, requiring more energy and more expense.
Reports have varied as to when peak oil will occur, but group member Bob Calkin believes the impact will certainly be felt within the next five years.
It is estimated that fuel will double in price every year beyond peak, depending on the economic climate.
With increased transport costs the price of food and energy costs will also soar.
Mr Earnshaw said the challenge of combating climate change and peak oil was creating a response t one that did not affect the other.
As oil declines in availability the gap could be filled with other fuels far worse in terms of their climate impacts such has the turning of coal into liquid fuels.
Mr Calkin said there are 10 years to prepare for the most extreme effects of peak oil and climate change and it would be those communities that build resilience into the way they are organised who would fare best.
"It's no good waiting 10 years and then saying we'd better do something, it will be too late then."
