[Peakoil] Tom Waring

[Shane S]

Here is the draft guys...last minute input appreciated

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While Tom Waring’s sunny assertions on the glut of cheap oil just around the 
corner (June 30) are in accord with many economists and government bodies 
this position doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny.

All the advanced technology in the world isn’t going to put more oil in the 
ground or repeal the laws of thermodynamics. The spectacular decline in 
production rates of the UK’s North Sea fields of ~10% per year since 2000 
are a good example of the end result of more sophisticated extraction.

The well-established Australian decline rates of 5% per year mean that 
regardless of what happens overseas, Australia will become more vulnerable 
to the effects of oil dependency. And does Tom seriously believe that the 
Middle East or central Africa could become stable "tomorrow"?

High oil prices are already reducing Australian car use. Public transport 
systems are experiencing sharply increased patronage.

Rather than waiting to fill our already grid locked cities with hydrogen 
cars for every man, woman and child shouldn’t we be investing in more 
efficient public transport alternatives today?

Australians bought more bicycles than cars last year....if only we could use 
them more without taking our lives into our hands dodging oblivious 
4W-drivers.

Lastly it would have been nice if Tom had mentioned that he works for the 
Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics.