Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

FUELLING REVOLUTION

Low price oil has held back deployment of alternatives AND efficiency in engines AND clever solutions in space heating. Hydrogen from electrolysis of water, wherever there is free energy to be converted to electricity, becomes transportable power.
There is a lot of elegant technology on the web. Oil is, of course, a hard act to follow if you want a high energy-density and don’t care two hoots about sustainability. But natural kinetic energy converted to electricity, thence to electrolysing water, has a beauty unsurpassed. Let’s hope they can find someone in government who is not a ninny to promote this.

Oil prices are nothing to do with shortages but speculators who wait and see how high it can go before releasing it on to the market.

There will be a "tipping point" when we punters say enough. We have about used all our spare cash to fill up but soon there will come a time when something has to give. Use the car less as that will please the greenies or make cuts in our spending elsewhere at someone else's loss.

My family has already cut back on all spending so Tesco's et al will get less of our money and so will those places we once used to be able to visit. We can afford only one holiday as now towing my caravan has become expensive not to say the high car tax I now pay for that priviledge.

Persimmon builders up our road has ceased building any more houses on what would have been a large estate, so expect the building trade to feel the draught. I remember that slump in 1966/67.

Watch the travel industry follow as surcharges start to bite.

To coin a saying "we are heading for the last round-up".

Never mind, the new Tory voters of Crewe will save the day as getting a new Tory Government in 2010 will make it all better, I don't think.
Must go out now to feed my flying pigs!

That Steve Smith gets around...

Is he wearing Tom Ford ?

Or is Tom Ford wearing him ?

Or is he wearing Marks and Spencer's ?

I think we should be told...

On a lighter note, it is very cheering, with oil heading to $150+ a barrel to hear all those friends of TINA [There Is No Alternative to the car..] suddenly having to consider that, yes, they too may have to consider public transport.

And that as Boris has shown, it isn't only poor people or youngsters that cycle..

Now that we are bored of talking about 'tipping points' or 'perfect storms' what literary shorthand will we apply to this phenomenon ?

On the programme, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks denied having worked with any predictions in his department.

This is scooting close to a lie because the department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform DO have forecasts for prices of fossil fuels, including oil.

These forecasts inform a considerable amount of policy, from transport to energy to trade.

In fact they have just revised their figures this month. Even after revision they are EMBARRASSING to say the least!

Go here for an insight:

My Lord Tory Toff from Beddgelert,

The literary shorthand is called "exploitation" or perhaps answered by "revolution".

"Power to the people" as Citizen Smith would say or that other Tory Toff said "On yer bike".

Where is public transport when I need to go to work at 2 in the morning, or when I need to go home from work at 4 in the morning? Also why is it other nations like the US can cut their fuel tax to nothing, but we have a government that needs to raise it yet another 2 pense on top the 90% tax we already pay? It may not be the governments fault that the price of oil is sky rocketing out of control, though their dirty little war in Iraq might be a contributing factor, I'm sure they would be the first to admit. But the extortionate fuel tax is definitely their fault, and one they could easily correct if they really felt they are doing everything they can to help us through this crisis. Alack it seems the concept has yet to spark inside their collective minds.

'4. At 9:01 pm on 22 May 2008, lordBeddGelert wrote:
On a lighter note, it is very cheering, with oil heading to $150+ a barrel to hear all those friends of TINA [There Is No Alternative to the car..] suddenly having to consider that, yes, they too may have to consider public transport.'

Yes, but do spare a thought for those, such as Mohawk52, not well served by reasonable or less easily defined alternative transport, especially in more rural areas, and on whose lives the impacts of such costs are rarely considered by those setting policy or coping with world events.

My Mum's carer needs to visit about 10 clients daily around South Herefordshire. On top of a not huge salary and various other 'hits' by those safe and sound in well-salaried, pensioned and travel-compensated situations, the costs of doing her job are sky-rocketing.

And I doubt she's in a position to swap her 10 year old 205 for a Prius to tick a few tax boxes any time soon either.

Things do need to change, but the full consequences must be carefully thought through beyond Westminster, Fleet Street or Islington.

Steve Smith goes to Cannes and secures an interview with London based ex Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Governor Richard Eyre - excellent tv, cannot wait to see what or whom Kirsty pulls out the hat !

Nice work if you can get it Beeboids

That was a top class programme - well balanced and informative with likeable presenter, reporters and guests and memorable film clips.