that GREEN blog

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, documents Cuba’s emergency transition to local organic agriculture, renewable energy, and large-scale mass transit. The transition occurred following the Soviet collapse in 1990, when their massive subsidies of imported oil and food to Cuba were halted.

In this documentary, ordinary Cubans talk about the immediate hardships they faced. Their GDP dropped by more than one third, transportation nearly stopped and food became scarce – the average Cuban lost 20 pounds during the first years of this economic crisis. But far from focusing on hardships, the film is an inspirational celebration of the power of community.

Cuba’s experience provides a living model for how the rest of the world can respond to the coming world oil production peak and irreversible decline some oil experts say will occur this decade. “Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film,” said Richard Heinberg, author of “The Party’s Over” and “Powerdown”. “It is a story not just of individual achievement, but of the collective mobilization of an entire society to meet an enormous challenge.” For more information, visit http://www.powerofcommunity.org.