Witold Rybczynski, who has been part of the history of green architecture for the last thirty or so years, has a good slide show on the subject at:
http://www.slate.com/...
Sydney, Australia residents were urged by their government to pack a "go bag" or survival kit, just in case of emergency
http://news.bbc.co.uk/...
GM-owned Saab is committed to building flex-fuel [ethanol, diesel, gasoline, electric] vehicles and a closed cycle for transportation [and heating?] fuels, but only in Sweden. [So far.]
http://www.boston.com/...
Rybczynski was part of the 1970s solar and appropriate technology push. His first two books were Paper Heroes: Appropriate Technology: Panacea or Pipe Dream? (1980) and
Taming the Tiger: The Struggle to Control Technology (1983). He knows whereof he speaks.
A go bag survival kit is also known as a drop bag or a jump bag. In case of emergency, it is a good idea to have one on hand for each member of your family at home, in your vehicle, and at work. It should include
Flashlight
Radio or cell phone
Batteries
These devices can be supplied with electric power day or night with a combination of solar and muscle power. I have three solar lighting systems on my D*rty F*ck*ng Solar Hippie Backpack.
Yes, Solar IS Civil Defense.
Additions to a go bag could include
Whistle
Water, food, and containers for same
Dust mask
Pocket knife
Copies of IDs and essential documents including photos of family members and pets for identification purposes
More on emergency preparedness at AlphaGeek's great series of diaries at http://www.dailykos.com/...
Directions for making your own go bags at
http://www.72hours.org/...
http://www.thegallos.com/...
According to Royal Ford's article in the Boston Globe, Sweden will require every new car to run on renewable fuels by 2020. Sweden now has 859 biofuel stations, up from the 140 they had in 2004. By 2009 the plan is for 2,500 for a country with around 5 million drivers.
SAAB has already committed to the project, eventually all its cars will run on ethanol. Volvo is expected to unveil its flex-fuel, biofuel and hybrid car plans at this Fall's Frankfurt International Auto Show.
"We need a closed circle of energy use," said Kjell Bergstrom, the engineer in charge of powertrains -- essentially the engine and driving mechanism of all cars -- for Saab's owner, General Motors Corp.
Bergstrom's "closed circle" refers to the plants -- cellulose in wood and forestry byproducts, sugar cane, switchgrass, corn, and other crops -- that use photosynthesis in the growing process to help recycle harmful carbon dioxide.
The Swedish plan specifies that the fertilizers used to grow ethanol sources such as corn, trees, or grasses, cannot create more pollution than the fuels eliminate and groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists will be monitoring so that the northern nations like Sweden don't mow down the tropical and subtropical rainforests to power their SAABs and Volvos.