POWERSWITCH NEWSLETTER 3rd March 2005
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LATEST NEWS
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MUST READ: U.S DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SPEAKS OF PEAK
In a very significant report, the U.S Department of Energy speaks of
peak oil, the consequences and the challenges of transition. Without
doubt you must read this.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=486&Itemid=2
ASPO MARCH 2005 NEWSLETTER IS OUT
ASPO have released their latest newsletter and is once again essential
reading.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=485
AMICUS WARNS UK WILL BECOME ENERGY HOSTAGE
Amicus say the UK is also becoming over reliant on gas, the government
estimates that gas-fired turbines will provide 75% of the UK's
electricity by 2020. Amicus has warned this will create a dangerous
dependency on energy imports from less stable parts of the world such
as China, Russia, North Africa and the Middle East. Over reliance on
foreign imports from one energy source will inevitably make UK
industry and consumers hostages to energy price hikes warns Amicus
days after British Gas announced a 64% profit increase.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=484
BLAIR ENDS SUPPORT FOR SOLAR POWER
Grants for the development of solar power are to end prematurely this
year despite Tony Blair's determination to make climate change a key
issue in Britain's presidency of the G8 and the EU.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=487
INDUSTRY SAYS ENFORCED UK POWERCUTS IN 2008
Senior industry figures will say that the country faces power cuts in
three years unless the policy is overhauled. Andy Duff, the chief
executive of RWE npower, one of the UK's largest electricity and gas
suppliers, will warn that uncertainty and delays over new
environmental legislation could cause the closure of gas and coal
power stations.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=480&Itemid=2
And the newswire, excellent news from many sources…
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=category§ionid=1&id=34&Itemid=38
SIGN IT NOW!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PeakOil/petition.html
NOW FORWARD IT ON!
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LATEST NEWS ON POWERSWITCH
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POWERSWITCH GOES GREEN
James Howard and Stephen Watson will be at the Green Party conference
in Chesterfield on Sunday 6th March giving a talk on peak oil in a
fringe meeting, and also campaigning generally.
DO YOU WANT TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS?
If you're interested in helping us raise awareness please email
[email hidden] as we have a few projects coming up that we
will need help with.
POWERSWITCH BELIEFS & PETITION
The team at PowerSwitch has been hard at work on a petition that sums
up the problems and demands as succinctly as possible. Although
perhaps aimed at people already aware of the problems, this online
petition could also be a good way of introducing people to the
subject. SIGN IT NOW! (There have been problems with the hosting site
but keep on trying).
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=444&Itemid=2
Direct link to petition:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PeakOil/petition.html
PEAK OIL UK – ENTERING THE AGE OF OIL DEPLETION
You do not want to miss out on the Edinburgh conference in April with
figures such as Campbell & Simmons present. Powerswitch will be there
and looks forward to meeting all attending.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=372
PEAK OIL – ARE WE READY FOR THE DECLINE
Get ready! PowerSwitch will be making this new film available soon!
THE END OF SUBURBIA – NEW BATCH IN!
We have just received a new batch of End of Suburbia. Buy it from the
UK's only distributor of the End of Suburbia. Show it to your friends,
your families, hire venues and show it to all!
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=235&Itemid=2
WE BURNED SO BRIGHT – SHORT STORY COMPETITON – DEADLINE HAS PASSED
The deadline for the short story competiton has passed and the winners
will be announced in April.
EDM 463 – DOMESTIC TRADEABLE QUOTAS
Domestic Tradeable Quotas have been brought up as an Early Day Motion
and we encourage you to contact your MP to sign up to this EDM.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=468&Itemid=2
SIGN IT NOW!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PeakOil/petition.html
NOW FORWARD IT ON!
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NEW INTERESTING READS
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HYDROGEN ECONOMY - ENERGY & ECONOMIC BLACK HOLE
The energy-literate scoff at perpetual motion, free energy, and cold
fusion, but what about the hydrogen economy? Before we invest
trillions of dollars, let's take a hydrogen car out for a spin. You
will discover that hydrogen is the least likely of all the alternative
energies to solve our transportation problems. Hydrogen uses more
energy than you get out of it. The only winners in the hydrogen scam
are large auto companies receiving billions of dollars via the
FreedomCAR Initiative to build hydrogen vehicles. And most
importantly, the real problem that needs to be solved is how to build
hydrogen trucks, so we can plant, harvest, and deliver food and other
goods.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=483&Itemid=2
IS THE U.S STILL VULNERABLE TO OIL SHOCKS?
This PDF article is very useful as it contains several useful graphs
to support an argument that the US economy is still very vulnerable to
energy price shocks,
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=479&Itemid=2
More interesting reads…
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=category§ionid=1&id=21&Itemid=2
COMPLACENCY & THE THREAT OF OIL RESERVES
Oil companies continue to report, year by year, that they have found
more reserves than they have produced, implying that exploration and
the discovery of new reserves will satisfy increasing demand for oil
for many years to come. This has led consumers and governments to
believe that no immediate action is needed to reduce the dependency on
oil. Fueling this complacency about the future availability of oil at
a reasonable price is the notion that current high prices are merely
the result of supply disruptions and political tensions and that, when
these tensions subside, the price of oil will correct downward to its
historic mean - as it has following past energy crises. The reality is
much more shocking. The rapid increase in the price per barrel of oil
experienced during the second half of 2004 is not a simple, temporary
price spike that will soon abate; rather, it is the new baseline for
oil prices, signaling the very real potential for upwardly spiraling
real energy price
s going forward. Should this potential not be recognized and acted
upon…sooner rather than later…increasing energy costs could lead to
substantial economic disruptions in the years ahead.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=473&Itemid=2
SIGN IT NOW!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PeakOil/petition.html
NOW FORWARD IT ON!
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IN THE FORUMS
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THE SUBSIDY SCANDAL
Close to $US15 billion of taxpayers' money has been used every year
since 1990 to prop up the fossil fuel and nuclear industries in
subsidies from the EU and Western European governments.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=97
TONIGHT'S HOMEWORK
The truth is, the history of oil prognostication is littered with
scaremongers proclaiming false declarations of approaching oil famine.
In fact, doom merchants have used oil as a vehicle for "end of the
world" scenarios since before World War I.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=96
SOLAR CHIMNEY
With some kind of mass permaculture system both in and outside the
greenhouse collector area, Solar Chimney's with their 24 hour power
could be part of the solution in certain areas of the world.
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=98
More…
http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/index.php
(separate login to the main site)
With hope for a better future
James Howard
www.PowerSwitch.org.uk
SIGN IT NOW!
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PeakOil/petition.html
NOW FORWARD IT ON!