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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sir/Madam</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It was good to read Bill Harcourt's objective
analysis of the problems associated with extracting Australia's oil reserves,
largely locked up in oil shale (Times 2, CT, 28 June). We await with interest to
see whether CSIRO's new superficial solvent extraction can really deliver oil
that is cheaper, less energy-intensive and produces less greenhouse gas than the
old high-termperature retort method of extraction. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Let us hope so from an oil supply viewpoint.
Without it, Australia may experience economic melt-down as conventional oil
supplies become increasingly expensive. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The worry is, however, that in seeking solutions to
our coming energy crisis that climate change will be forgotten. In our efforts
to maintain oil supplies and the kind of economic growth that has characterised
the last few years, we will forsake the need to reduce global emissions by 60
per cent globally by mid-century. This cut is necessary to stabilise the
atmosphere and prevent runaway global warming. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you think a couple of degrees won't matter, just
look at the projections for Australia. A drying right down the east coast, the
Murray-Darling Basin and southwest Western Australia - all the heavily inhabited
areas. Off-setting this will be wetter conditions in the northwest. What do we
do? Move everyone to Wyndham? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>No, far better to keep climate change as the top
priority and adjust everything else to fit - and that includes oil supplies. If
they are too expensive in greenhouse terms to extract, then leave them in the
ground.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jenny Goldie<BR>256 Baroona Road<BR>Michelago
NSW 2620<BR>Ph: 02 6235 5488 (w) 02 6235 9190 (ah)<BR><A
href="mailto:jgoldie@snowy.net.au">jgoldie@snowy.net.au</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>