<Riding On The Back Of A Coal TruckTOD: Australia/New ZealandTapis hits US$ 126 per barrel>

6 comments on The Bullroarer - Thursday 24th April 2008

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Phil Hart on April 23, 2008 - 11:42pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

There is at least one well respected journalist putting out that the 2020 summit missed peak oil (amongst other things).

Kenneth Davidson, The Age: Here's what 2020 needed to be about

The great summit missed the mark on the really important issues.

THE two biggest constraints on Australia's social and economic development between now and 2020 are the dying River Murray (officially solved) and Australia's foreign debt (officially ignored). Neither issue was addressed by the 2020 Summit.

...

Given the challenge of global warming and peak oil, debate about tax reform should be focused on what changes are necessary to encourage environment-friendly investment and lifestyles instead of the old debate about the "tax burden", which is completely divorced from what taxes buy.

Measures to stimulate consumption of fossil fuels total more than $4 billion a year. Why should the fringe benefits tax reward those who use their company cars mostly for private use while lesser mortals pay income tax and GST on their public transport fares?

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong squashed a move in the environmental group to recommend that no more coal-fired power stations be built. Why? Already base-load solar photovoltaics and solar thermal and geothermal energy can competitively meeting the full growth in electricity consumption with a $20-$30 a tonne charge on carbon dioxide emissions.

Hooray for Ken.. he's bringing up peak oil in The Age just about every month now.

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SP on April 24, 2008 - 5:14am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Yeah, but I wish he'd leave off his other pet; the massive infrastructure our way out of this mess project called lets pipe water from Tassie to Victoria.

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Boof on April 24, 2008 - 7:12am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Huh? Tassie is in severe rainfall deficiency, with plans to build pipelines to the midlands from the western ranges. Probably in order to grow biofuels.

Of course the Gordon River (fed by the Franklin) is completely untapped yet has more flow than the Derwent. One of the protectors of that river, a Senator, can afford to hire planes towing large banners. Another protector, a former socialist PM, is about to be given a knighthood or something.

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SP on April 25, 2008 - 8:54am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Tasmania could solve Victoria's water problem

and

Murray River plan hinges on a miracle

My argument to him (he responds to your emails) was that even if technically feasible... is it the right thing to do, especially given that Tassie is actually in an historically water short situation... sucking quite heavily on those coal produced electrons on Bass Link as well, I believe...

As to the "untapped" claim... well that depends a bit on your point of view... you could argue that "nature" is tapping that water 100% ;-)

Still, I haven't seen a water meter in Tassie yet!

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