Peak Oil
Thu., May 01, 2008. 16:47.
Greens put peak oil on Parliament's agenda.
Today the Scottish Parliament debates a Scottish Conservative Party motion on food security, and Greens warmly welcomed the Conservatives' decision to bring this debate. A Green amendment will also be debated, which calls on Parliament to consider the impact of the peak in oil production on future food supply. (1)
Speaking ahead of moving the amendment, Robin Harper MSP said:
"It's a shame that some still find Peak Oil a difficult concept. The Head of the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre, Dr Colin Campbell - a former vice-president of several major oil companies including BP and Shell - says it’s quite straightforward and easy for any beer drinker to understand - 'The glass starts full and ends empty and the faster you drink it, the quicker it’s gone'.
"Government's responsibility is to prepare for the age after oil, to build an independence from oil, not rely on independence built on oil. In the mean time, communities across Scotland are putting the Government to shame. Transition towns are emerging all over Scotland, and facing up to the realities of peak oil and what it all means.
"This is not the death knell for the quality or enjoyment of our lives – quite the reverse. It is about grasping the opportunity and recognising just how much innovation work needs to be done. The challenge for all of us is to respond by making Scotland the world's first transition nation; to embrace the benefits and to avoid the appalling consequences of the current approach - economics as if there's no tomorrow really does risk fulfilling that prophecy."
Notes
1. For another good contribution to this debate, see a recent article by SNP MSP Chris Harvie: http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/-Insight-What-happens-when.4024365.jp
Contact the Scottish Greens' press team on 07909 933 074.