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16 comments on The Bullroarer - Thursday 22nd May 2008

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Cretaceous on May 22, 2008 - 9:36am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Kevin Rudd was on the ABC tonight taking questions from the general public (actually more interesting than one would have thought). Tellingly, the first questions were mostly about energy policy and personal transport alternatives.

Rudd says the country "does not" have an energy strategy, but the good news is that "Marn" Ferguson is working on one, and should be able to announce something by the end of the year...

If the Israel-Pakistan-India-China nuclear war hasn't broken out by then, I'll look forward to hearing Marn's thoughts!

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Bellistner on May 22, 2008 - 6:01pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

"Marn" Ferguson is working on one,

"Australian Federal Energy Policy, 2008.
The Honourable 'Marn" Fergusen, MP.

Problem: rising energy costs.

Solution: burn more coal!"

I'm sure it'll be a ripper read...

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Phil Hart on May 22, 2008 - 8:02pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

We already know Martin 'just find more' Ferguson has a plan:

http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/3815

The other good news is that Martin Ferguson is also well aware of our reliance on imported petroleum:

"Without new oil discoveries Australia could face a trade deficit in petroleum products of more than $25 billion by 2015 and domestic oil production could be as little as 20 per cent of our needs compared with 80 per cent in the 1990s."

He even has a plan to deal with this oil import vulnerability. The bad news is that it looks like this (hat tip to Matt in Sydney and Stuart in Brisbane):

Plan A: "Our future depends on finding Australia’s next Bass Strait".
Plan B: See Plan A.

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Brisvegas on May 23, 2008 - 12:43am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

The worse news is that JFM ('just find more') can't use a calculator. The oft-quoted "$25 billion petroleum trade deficit by 2015" figure comes from Belinda Robinson's presentation to the APPEA annual conference last year, and assumed an oil price of $US55/bbl. Given the current price trend, we're more likely to see a figure of around $100 billion, equivalent to 10% of current GDP.

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Big Gav on May 22, 2008 - 6:12pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Is there some news I haven't noticed ?

What's this about nuclear war breaking out ?

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Cretaceous on May 24, 2008 - 8:09am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Gav, I should have switched the [Irony Switch] on!

But the risk of nuclear war is something we have to be very conscious of. The world is stacked with weapons. The people with the weapons are likely to have faltering economies in the near future. They will feel a growing need to "do something". Remember that Japan thought that attacking the most powerful industrial nation on Earth was a "good idea" after the Americans embargoed their oil supply in 1941...

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SP on May 24, 2008 - 11:26pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Maybe not so much a "good idea" as perhaps they thought it the only option.
Perhaps their way of life was non negotiable? ;-)

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