Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Don't save the planet, save the country

A couple of days ago, the Daily Telegraph reported on threats to our energy supply. "There will be huge reliance in the short term on gas, with up to 50 per cent of electricity coming from gas fired power stations. "

Instead of challengeable pi-jaw about global cooling/warming/okay-let's-compromise-and-call-it-change, why don't we look to reducing our energy use for the sake of liberty? No more dirty deals with Putin, Gaddafi, the Saudis et al. And less chance of another industry-crippling 1974 energy price hike.

An initiative that I think will run long and grow big is "transition towns", started by a man called Rob Hopkins in Totnes, Devon. Out from among the patchouli-scented crystal-wavers and hare-worshippers will yet come ideas to help us adapt to Peak Oil.

4 comments:

Weekend Yachtsman said...

Transition towns. omg.

Facing up to the biggest problems, oh yeah.

That is, according to the website, Peak Oil, and Climate Change.

Rich-middle-class-kids' luxury guilt-trip solutions to problems that don't exist.

The fact that it starts in Totnes, of all places, just makes it too good to be true; please tell me this is a send-up.

Sackerson said...

Alas, no; but it's undeniable (I think) that fossil fuels must one day run out, and long before that they will become much more expensive to extract (shale oil etc). Like I say, for me the issue is energy security and freedom from international blackmail; how much difference physically it will make to the globe is another matter.

PS: why only a weekend yachtsman?

Paddington said...

I thought as you did, Sack., but did the calculations. While very dirty and twice as expensive, there is enough shale oil and coal to last us a few hundred years at present rates of consumption. Hopefully, before that, we will crack fusion, or reduced our population to decent levels.

Sackerson said...

Yes, it's the price shock that is the threat at the moment, I think.