Our hope is that people all over the Lower Mainland will start their own peak oil meetups, to lower their carbon footprints & costs for travel to the meetings, but more importantly to begin the process of localization by getting together with others in their community to come up with local solutions - every city and neighborhood will have its own unique challeges and assets, and there’s no substitute for sitting down with those who live near you.

As a way to make it easier for people to start meetings, VPO has come up with a standard meeting format, available for download. The format addresses many of the conundrums that every meeting faces:

Who’s in charge? (Answer: Nobody - we’re all equals - though some members will always have more experience and knowledge than others, and can be of service to those who are just catching on to peak oil and its consequences.)

How do we balance the needs of newcomers, who have questions, and regular attendees who want to move on to solutions?

What’s involved in getting ready for peak oil? (We suggest a 3 part program.)

How will the individual meetups keep in contact with the larger VPO organization? (We suggest each meeting have a VPO rep who will represent the group at periodic intergroup get-togethers.)

How do we integrate speakers and group members who want to share particular knowledge and expertise?

How do we collect dues to pay for our expenses?

What sorts of volunteer positions need to be filled to keep the group running, and how long would any one person need to commit to a position?

How will we keep in touch with each other between meetings?

And so on. Download the format and accompanying Co-secretary sheet, and write us at to let us know how your meeting is doing!