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Peak Oil Taskforce (UK)
http://www.peakoiltaskforce.net/
On 29th October 2008 at The London Stock Exchange, eight leading UK companies launched a report, The Oil Crunch: Securing the UK’s energy future, warning that a peak in cheap, easily available oil production is likely to hit by 2013, posing a grave risk to the UK and world economy. The warning comes from a broad spectrum of industry (Arup, FirstGroup, Foster + Partners, Scottish and Southern Energy, Solarcentury, Stagecoach Group, Virgin Group, Yahoo), known as The Peak Oil Group.
The report from the newly-formed UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security is the first multi-company alarm bell to be sounded on peak oil. It sets out a series of practical recommendations for Government, including action to grasp the significant economic and environmental opportunities from a step-change in investment in renewable energy and sustainable transport.
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The availability and price of oil affects almost every aspect of our economy and our day-to-day lives: the way we travel, where we work, what we eat, how we power our homes and buildings; and how we manufacture goods here in the UK. The “easy oil” that makes up most of the existing capacity is declining fast, and the new capacity coming on stream – often from “not-so-easy” oil - will not replace it fast enough from 2011 onwards. Within modern cities, life in the suburbs will become extremely challenging without plentiful supplies of affordable oil. With the era of cheap oil over, here are examples of the risks we face from peak oil and the opportunities for a new energy age.
Thanks Pete Russell for the heads up on this one.
UK's Corporate Peak Oil Task Force
I've been saying it for a while now that it would appear that we are not just on the cusp of a major paradigm shift. We are actually experiencing it!
5 Years ago there would not have been a corporate on Earth promoting the idea of "’slow’ localised economies". Now they are describing it as an "opportunity" !........the tide is certainly changing.
The real challenge for community movements like Transition Towns now is to see the acceptance of that change manifest as something true. The corporates might be getting on board but it is the community that has driven it to this point and must not let the corporates jump on board and take over the direction.
J.R.R. Tolkien was fond of a literary device that he called eucatastrophe, the exact opposite to catastophe. This is the notion that at the very moment when things look bleakest and darkest, when there is no hope, the light breaks through and good prevails..
The light might be breaking through but we in our communities must continue to sing that Eucatstophe into existence and not let it be remoulded to fit the corporate model...........Great they are getting on board but the change must come from the grass roots.
Cheers
Richard
Who will step into the driving seat
Perhaps the driving seat analogy is an outdated one, but my point is to follow on from yours Richard - that we need to keep the vision alive of localised, community-led self-organising, self-responsible, self-funded initiatives that build local and locally controlled resilience, and not sit back and let centralised control tendencies take the helm.
I saw an awful film last night called "War Games". It is a BBC production from the '60's about what a thermo-nuclear war could look like in England. It was horrifying stuff. However, there was an insight from it about the fact that in times of great crisis, opportunities arise for people to step in and take over the failing governmental institutions.
I am not suggesting a revolution by TT, but was made aware of the speed with which change can take place, and as my teacher used to say: "Whatever you don't take responsibility for, someone else will."