[Peakoil] Presentation to NSW MLCs

[Alex P]

The Sydney Peak Oil group has done a presentation to most of the Upper 
House cross-bench MLCs.

Looks like they could their attention.

We should organise something like this.

Alex
O4O4873828

ACT Peak Oil discussion list
http://www.act-peakoil.org


------------- Forwarded message follows -------------

Buttons to push for Greens? We found some yesterday! Ian Cohen loved 
our "cross 
benchers briefing" yesterday, and has asked us back in September to show a 
movie (an 
abridged EOS? we're working on it) and have a Q&A forum. We are working on 
a "Top 100 
questions" preparation for the forum, with short sexy answers in soundbytes.

Cross benchers are Members of the Legislative Council (MLC's) or State 
Upper house. The 
cross benchers present were:
 
Fred Nile, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, Ian Cohen, Gordon Moyes, Sylvia Hale, 
Lee Rhianon, 
Peter Breen, Peter Wong, John Jenkins 

Cross bench members not in attendance, David Oldfield, John Tingle

This feedback came to Louise in our group from Hazel Blunden...

"Hi Louise, 

"Arthur Chesterfield Evans (Democrats) started going on about peak oil and 
the Saudi 
fields in his speech about the terrorism legislation bill. Checkout Hansard 
for Legislative 
Council tomorrow - I think it's at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au 

"Tell the others - you have made an impact on the cross benchers - well 
done!"

So now the hard work begins preparing for the BIG presentation to the 
Greens in a 
auditorium with a NSW focussed EOS movie and forum. Louise is revved up to 
present eco-
city material she has been working on in her PHD. In all, I am glad Sydney 
Peak Oil have 
some seriously qualified individuals that impress even MLC's. 

My favourite moments from the Briefing....

My favourite moments from the NSW's Senators cross bench briefing
 
1/ Rowan laying down the facts. 
Fact after fact was laid out in meticulous order. Hubbert's peak, his 
correct prediction for 
the 1970's peak in the US, the water cut in Ghawar, everything just kept on 
coming. 

2/ This was accompanied by Ian's brilliant display cards. The presentation 
was a hit. The 
groundwork concepts kept flowing while the cards illustrated the basics. 
They thanked us 
for a great presentation. 

3/ Favourite moments... 
An MLC asked, "So, you said that the American peak was in 1970. What is 
this peak you're 
talking about?" We of course answered, "This is the world peak." There was 
a moment's 
pause, as the implications slowly registered. We had their attention — our 
concern was 
finally being shared by the MLC's. 

Then the usual questions started emerging
 Fred Nile burst out
 
"So what's the answer? What about Nuclear? I've been saying we should use 
Nuclear for 
years!" Hydrogen also came up, and there were some other quick exchanges 
about 
renewable energy options that were basically the pollies having their say. 

4/ But finally we came back to the concept of it being a world peak and 
decline of oil 
production, and we managed to slip in the line
 "This is going to be like 
the 1970's oil 
crisis, but this time it's here to stay." At that, one of the MLC's burst 
out "So what are 
governments and corporations DOING about it?" 

The irony was so thick I was tongue tied for a moment. Here we were, 
presenting peak oil 
to the government in the hopes of illustrating just what a serious 
predicament we are in, 
and a Members starts asking us what governments were doing about it? I am 
amazed that 
we had the self-discipline not to respond, "Diddly squat is what you've 
been doing about 
it!" This of course would have been accurate, but terribly unfair due to 
the fact that they 
can only run on the information at hand. And we all know where our Federal 
Governments 
have been getting their information. 

Somehow, I uttered
 "Well John Anderson has admitted that he thinks the 
peak is 
sometime in the next decade" and fortunately the moment of temptation 
passed. 

Unfortunately we didn't get to hear much of Louise's solutions to peak oil. 
After Rowan's 
peak oil presentation, the Members became a little unruly (I think some 
were a bit freaked 
out) and the Chair had to reign them in. I sensed that some of them were 
just starting to 
come to grips with the enormity of the consequences. The Greens are keen to 
have us 
back soon to work through a Forum with us, and hopefully Louise will be 
able to do her 
sustainable thang then! The Greens guy, Ian Cohen, welcomes peak 
oil. "Bring it on!" 

I am very encouraged by yesterday's events, and want to sincerely thank 
Sydney Peak Oil 
for all their hard work and efforts. 

Dave
www.sydneypeakoil.com

Founder
www.eclipsenow.org/
"Free peak oil posters for your local notice board. By referring back to 
eclipsenow.org the 
posters can generate a positive feedback loop informing thousands."