Peak Oil Petition - The Prime Minister Responds

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Aurora

Peak Oil Petition - The Prime Minister Responds

Post by Aurora »

http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13388.asp

Peakoil - epetition reply - 3 October 2007

We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to acknowledge that global oil and gas supplies are peaking and will soon decline; a situation requiring immediate action."

Details of petition

"The world contains a finite quantity of oil and gas which will eventually 'run out' if we continue to use it. However, more important is to acknowledge that the rate of extraction (production or supply) of oil and gas will reach a peak from which it will decline, whilst demand continues to rise. There is growing concern in the scientific, business, ecological and other communities that the dates for peak oil and gas have already occurred, are currently occurring, or will occur in mere years not decades. We ask the Prime Minister to acknowledge and accept this argument, and to take immediate and responsible action to deal accordingly with the potential energy and associated crises it could create."


Read the Government's response

The Government fully recognises that there is uncertainty around the issue of future global oil and gas production. However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.

As the International Energy Agency (IEA) notes in its 2005 publication, Resources to Reserves - Oil and Gas Technologies for the Energy Markets of the Future, the key problem is not the limit of geological oil resources: "The hydrocarbon resources around the world are sufficiently abundant to sustain likely growth in the global energy system for the foreseeable future". Rather, the challenge lies in bringing these resources to market in a way that ensures sustainable, timely, reliable, and affordable supplies of energy.

In this context, the 2007 Energy White Paper noted (paragraph 1.1) a number of risks to oil and gas security of supply and prices, including factors that could defer or restrict investment in energy production and hence lead to slower-than-expected growth in production. However, the current high oil prices are already providing incentives for strong investment in alternative sources of transport fuels, such as non-conventional oil and biofuels, and driving energy efficiency improvements in the way the world consumes oil, e.g. in transport vehicles. Governments are also taking action - internationally and domestically - in support of this.

For example, as set out in the Energy White Paper, the Government is putting in place policies that will help ease the UK economy away from power supplied primarily through fossil fuels as well as bringing about reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Our strategy is to work to liberalise international markets, create the right environment to attract investment in exploration and infrastructure and, through measures to improve energy efficiency, and our ongoing commitment to renewable and other low-carbon technologies, help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels .

The Government has also launched the Low Carbon Transport Innovation Strategy setting out a wide range of actions Government is taking to encourage innovation and technology development in lower carbon transport technologies.
No change there then. :(
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Bandidoz
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Post by Bandidoz »

Olduvai Theory (Updated) (Reviewed)
Easter Island - a warning from history : http://dieoff.org/page145.htm
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Keela
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Post by Keela »

However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.
(My bold)

So it's all pretty foggy there up at the top?

Somebody should wipe the sleep outta their eyes!
Aurora

Post by Aurora »

Ya sure did! :oops:
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Post by biffvernon »

However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.
Foresight has never been government's strong point.
:(
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Post by Totally_Baffled »

biffvernon wrote:
However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.
Foresight has never been government's strong point.
:(
Bah! I dont know what you mean!

They know that there is 65 Trillion barrels of light sweet just off the falkland islands.

No problems for a while yet!

O look , there goes them flying pigs again ! :lol: :lol: :lol:
TB

Peak oil? ahhh smeg..... :(
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Post by clv101 »

Technically they are right - there are the "resources". Remember reserves are only about a third of the resources and we're only half way though the reserves. So 5/6 of the resource is still there.

The problem is extracting it at a decent rate.
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Post by Keela »

So how can those resources "sustain economic growth" if they can't be got out of the ground quickly enough?
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Post by Andy Hunt »

If that is really our government's attitude, the UK is going to get caught out. Everyone else seems to be preparing for a global showdown over energy.
Andy Hunt
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Post by syberberg »

Totally_Baffled wrote:
biffvernon wrote:
However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.
Foresight has never been government's strong point.
:(
Bah! I dont know what you mean!

They know that there is 65 Trillion barrels of light sweet just off the falkland islands.

No problems for a while yet!

O look , there goes them flying pigs again ! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Don't worry, the oil under the Falklands will be extracted by submersible, fully-automated/minimally manned, nuclear-powered, deep sea drilling/processing rigs, with pipelines to the supertanker terminals located at either Fox Bay or Port Howard (West Falklands), Port San Carlos or Goose Green (East Falklands). Allegedly.
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Re: Peak Oil Petition - The Prime Minister Responds

Post by Papillon »

Aurora wrote:http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13388.asp

Peakoil - epetition reply - 3 October 2007


Read the Government's response

However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.

Booo! They just don't get it, do they?! Completely missing the point of course. This is so deeply irresponsible, immoral and wrong, and yet I'm not surprised. We're doomed alright. switch off the music, time to drink up! This is so bad, that it's actually funny. Whatever happens, the worse it is, the more we deserve it. :twisted:

Someone should make them watch and memorize Dr. Albert Bartlett's 'Arithmetic, Population and Energy'. Here's a link, Gordon. Watch and learn. http://globalpublicmedia.com/dr_albert_ ... and_energy
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Post by SaturnV »

...the barrier between rational thinking and institutional complacency is holding well and, after proving robust to attack for many years, there is no reason to believe that it is about to be breached.
THE GREAT OIL DENIAL
"The human species may be seen as having evolved in the service of entropy" - David Price.
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Post by WolfattheDoor »

However, on the balance of the available analysis and evidence, the Government's assessment is that the world's oil and gas resources are sufficient to sustain economic growth for the foreseeable future.
In my view, any politician's foreseeable future lasts about five years until the next election.
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Alerting the world to the dangers of peak oil
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Post by clv101 »

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Post by RenewableCandy »

syberberg wrote:
Don't worry, the oil under the Falklands will be extracted by submersible, fully-automated/minimally manned, nuclear-powered, deep sea drilling/processing rigs, with pipelines to the supertanker terminals located at either Fox Bay or Port Howard (West Falklands), Port San Carlos or Goose Green (East Falklands). Allegedly.
Yeah and the Argies won't mind, not one little bit! :)
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