Denis Tegg, lawyer from Thames writes this of himself -
"I am an optimistic, calm and (mostly ?) rational person. I am not inclined to believe that peak oil means apocalypse now and that the end of the world is nigh. But all the evidence suggests oil depletion will mean much tougher times. So I am not waiting for the politicians to wake up and start mitigation efforts, or for the media to report the issue in any depth. I figure I need to take steps myself so that my home and community are more resilient.
I have joined Transition Towns, and changed my car to a fuel efficient model. I have started to develop a large organic vegetable garden and orchard in my backyard, and joined Oooby to help up skill my food growing knowledge. I have investigated solar hot water and solar power for my house, and given talks to various groups about oil depletion and its implications for kiwis. I wrote an opinion piece which was published in the NZ Herald last year. I made a submission on the governments Draft Energy Strategy."
Denis writes a blog on the issue of "oil depletion and peak oil - with a New Zealand focus."
His blog, Oil Shock Horror Probe sounds, from the title, like a tabloid newspaper but is well written and contains valuable information and opinion from Denis.
He has covered the very impressive report by the Dunedin City Council 'Peak Oil Vulnerability Report' in his latest post.
He's well worth following.
8 comments:
Good work Dennis!
On the report - I'm concerned. You'll find it avoids addressing possibly the most important point - near-term indirect impacts of Peak Oil on the economy. Professor Krumdieck says such analysis is not necessary as this report is only focused on the impacts of Peak Oil on Dunedin. I raised concern that it cannot omit the question of how the world economy will react to oil depletion, as this will critically impact on how oil depletion will affect Dunedin. No love.
So stay unreferenced statements like "There is no evidence that a crisis is looming for farmers from Peak Oil". Farma-what?
There was a support report prepared on this issue by Professor Bob Lloyd however and it's conclusions I feel are more realistic. Water, energy and food systems take priority, and if there's room for more, sure. I just hope they are both taken into account when policy is being written.
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/159863/Associate-Professor-Bob-Lloyd-2010-Peak-Oil-and-the-Economy-Background-Report.pdf
Thanks for that Nick - Denis will no doubt be very interested in Bob Lloyd's paper. Bob came down and scared the living bejeebers out of the Invercargill audience at a 'Futures Forum' a few years ago, but everyone forgot or scrubbbed it from their memory after an hour or two. Susan Krumdieck spoke at Oamaru at a seminar headed by David Holmgren and was fascinating though coming from a very different place than I was. Less visceral than Bob.
Denis emailed earlier today and plans a post on Jan Wright's lignite report so that's something else to look foward to. I'm off to the New Vale Mine for an up-date from Soiled Energy on Tuesday. Should be interesting.
I'm just pleased that the ODT had a story on the peak oil report as the lead story on their front page earlier in the week. Incredible.
I do agree much more needs to be done, but a conservative newspaper putting this up front sends a strong message. It's on the mainstream agenda now.
lus.
The ODT comes through for us more often than most other rags.
Can't afford to buy both ST and ODT though!
I usually just read the headlines when at the dairy and then rely on people like yourself to inform me of the important bits ;-) I did end up buying an edition of that ODT though.
Peak oil eh? Depends who you ask... here
No it doesn't Shane.
Your belief in Peak Oil might, but the reality isn't affected by opinions. I'd have thought.
Mr Kerr's opinions are his, not mine.
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