February 2007

On Wednesday 7th February 2007, the Australian Senate received the Final Report on Australia's future oil supply and alternative transport fuels from the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee. The Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) in Australia welcomes this report and hopes that it will raise the prominence of the issue in all levels of Government policy development.

The inquiry considered the question of 'whether Australia should be concerned about peak oil'. They correctly noted our fear 'that declining production after the peak will cause serious hardship if mitigating action is not started soon enough'.

Through written submissions and committee hearings, industry experts including members of ASPO Australia 'criticised what they regard as over optimistic official estimates of future oil supply with detailed and plausible arguments'. There has been plenty of economic bravado condemning these plausible arguments but the Senate Committee was not able to find 'any official agency publications which attempt to rebut peak oil arguments in similar detail'.

Serious Stuff (Phil's Soapbox)

I enjoy sharing my astrophotography and travel pictures, but the internet also gives me the privilege of having my very own soapbox. If you're as frustrated by the TV 'news' as I am, let me share some of my rants wiith you.

K242 near Aberdeen, Scotland

The Aberdeen Astronomical Society (AAS) in Scotland has a dark sky site on Forestry Commission land around 20 miles west of Aberdeen. Just hope the weather co-operates!

Heathcote, Victoria: ASV Leon Mow Dark Sky Site

Thanks to the generosity of Leon Mow, the Astronomical Society of Victoria (Australia) has a dark sky site near Heathcote, Victoria. This is a great site for observing and astrophotography, not the least for the good company which helps to keep you motivated through a long night and the beds in the shed which aid recovery from the 'Heathcote Hangover'.

Fiddling as the Planet Burns

The Observer: Sunday June 19, 2005

The great lie in the climate debate is that there is still a debate worth having. Opponents of change insist that the human factors in global warming are not proven and that we must wait until we have hard evidence before taking drastic action.