sustainableflatbush.org

I’ve recently learned from Streetsblog that a church choir director from the suburbs of Washington DC is leading groups around the nation in prayers for lower gas prices.

“God, deliver us from these high gas prices,” Twyman said. “That’s all they have to say.”

THAT should work, right?

According to a San Franciso Chronicle article, Rocky Twyman has been traveling around the country staging pray-ins: “God is the only one we can turn to at this point,” said Twyman, 59. “Our leaders don’t seem to be able to do anything about it. The prices keep soaring and soaring.”

To his credit, Twyman also points out that we mortals have to take some responsibility for ourselves:

Twyman knows his approach to gasoline prices may sound simplistic. He’s quick to point out that anyone praying for cheaper fuel also has an obligation to do something more active about the problem.

“People have to walk more, leave those cars at home, and carpool, man,” he said. “We have to become more practical.”

Well, yeah. And for a few extra spiritual points, how about this:

photo by ACUPOFGREENTEA

Sustainable Flatbush has just endorsed a new report on NYC energy policy and climate change response from Sierra Club NYC Group. The report praises PlaNYC while declaring that we need to go much further in order to address the increasing pace of climate change along with energy volatility:

Government sustainability initiatives may have greater success when framed as responses to energy volatility than to climate change. In the short term, expanding capacity margins through energy conservation will make the City more resilient to volatility, while expediting PlaNYC initiatives. In the long term, we need to push discussion far past PlaNYC’s current goals, and start building a post-petroleum economy now.

The good news is that a national project to make clean energy cheap can restore domestic manufacturing, create millions of jobs that can’t be outsourced, and stimulate the economy, while improving our quality of life and mitigating climate change. New York City’s leadership can help make such policy actions a reality, while ensuring a better future for our citizens. What’s the next step for New York City?

Here’s a link to the summary version (the whole report is 50 pages long!).

Oil vs. Pashmina, originally uploaded by Sustainable Flatbush.

One Soho scarf vendor’s take on Peak Oil.