Robson-on-Politics June 20 2007
Thinking ahead to a world without oil
BP's Statistical Review of World Energy, published last week, appears to show that the world still has enough "proven"
reserves to provide 40 years of consumption at current rates.
Forty years is actually a very short time and the latest official estimates is a signal that it is time for
forward-looking governments to assist their societies to make the process of adjustment to a post-carbon world as smooth
as is possible.
And in fact of course there is a great deal of informed dissent among geologists about whether or not the official
estimates significantly exaggerate reserves.
Many nations look to nuclear energy
Many governments are putting nuclear power near the top of their strategic planning list as they plan ahead to a
post-carbon age.
For example, last week the military-backed regime in Algeria (which is only in power because the army overthrew the
democratically elected government in 1991- which is why Ahmed Zaoui is seeking refuge in New Zealand) signed a nuclear
co-operation agreement with the United States government.
Algeria currently maintains two nuclear reactors, one built in 1989 with Argentinean assistance and another that came
on-line in 1992, with the assistance of China. The U.S. government is doing the bidding for U.S. based companies that
want to get a foot in the door before the French get too far ahead of them.
Six Arab dictatorships want to join the nuclear race
In other parts of the Arab world, the U.S. has a huge advantage over France, China and others in the nuclear energy
race.
Dictatorships with very close ties to the U.S., Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, all have an interest in using nuclear
power for desalination purposes, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The regimes need affordable energy for their expanding economies and growing urban populations and nuclear energy is
being promoted as the option most affordable and accessible when, as is as certain as the sun rising tomorrow, oil
prices skyrocket in the years ahead.
It is incredible how quickly opinion has changed in the mainly Arab Middle East. Just five or ten years ago, the
governments of the region used to promote a nuclear-free zone stretching from Morocco in the west all the way to
Pakistan in the east. That campaign appears to have been lost the day that the mainly Sunni dictatorship in Pakistan,
another key U.S. ally in central Asia, became a member of the Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction Club and set off a
chain reaction. Once Pakistan had joined the club, it was inevitable that the mainly Shiia, Persian state of Iran would
want to join it. And once Iran said it was joining, the mainly Sunni Moslem Arab world had to join as well.
But there are lots of problems with nuclear energy, not least of which have to do with nuclear waste for which no viable
long-term solution exists.
Energy demand rising quickly here too
The very strong employment and economic growth experienced in New Zealand has also, of course, been accompanied by a
surge in demand for energy here.
Many New Zealand families already have trouble paying the power bill and the only way to slow the anticipated steep
rises in energy prices which lie ahead of us is to significantly increase energy supply. Businesses, including the small
businesses that create most jobs, require not only competitively-priced energy but security of supply.
An overwhelming majority of New Zealanders reject nuclear energy because of its by-products, but also want our economy
to expand so that more and better paying jobs can be created so that we can make poverty history.
The best solution is to increase our energy production with renewable energy sources where possible. At the moment,
around 75 per cent of electricity used by consumers in New Zealand comes from renewable sources including
hydro-generation (rivers), wind power, geothermal (steam) and biomass and the big challenge - in the face of global
climate change - is to expand our reliance on renewable, non-polluting sources of energy.
An issue to be discussed at Progressive conference Aug 25
I am looking forward to the Auckland Regional Progressive Party Conference (Buddhist Centre, Eaglehurst Road, Saturday
August 25) as an opportunity for members and supporters to really get our minds around these and other issues that go to
the core of our economic and social development agenda.
The Executive will be sending members details about how to register and attend shortly and it should be stressed that
those outside of the Auckland Region are of course very welcome. We will accept all tips on fund-raising, which is going
well so far, and our campaign to unseat one of the more useless National M.P.s that we will be targeting in Auckland in
2008.
Labour Progressive Government well represented at Indian Newslink launch
On Saturday night, the Labour Progressive government was very well represented at the launch of the new-look Indian
Newslink website. Helen Clark, who came in directly from the airport after her Australian trip, gave a powerful, direct
and from-the-heart address that was well-received.
Auckland is a diverse region with 56 percent identifying themselves as being of European descent, nearly 19 percent
identifying themselves as Asian, nearly 15 percent identifying themselves as Pacific peoples and around 11 percent
identifying as Maori.
New New Zealanders have added an exceptionally important and interesting dimension to the media scene in New Zealand
and over the past eight years, there has been a near explosion in the creative industries - including film, video and
theatre - all healthy offspring of intelligent partnerships between government and communities and between the
government and the private sector.
Election 2008 is going to be a great contest between the centre-left government and its friends, who want to build
further on our new-found independence and confidence as a multi-cultural, dynamic society as opposed to the
National/ACT/United Future grey alternative of tax cuts, social services cuts, more social division and, in foreign
policy, more toadying to every order that comes out of London and Washington.
I'm looking forward to it! (Robson-On-Politics is taking a breather because I will be in Europe for the next month
meeting with sister parties)
ENDS