On May 14, 9:40=A0am, nada <dwalters...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> This would be a HUGE discussion and probably can't happen on APST.
>
> I don't disagree that much with what you say. I think it has to be
> contextualized around what, first, is the *problem* and second, *the
> solutions*.
>
> In that, are their technological fixes for alternatives to petroleum
> based trans****tation fuel?
>
> Can we have unlimited electrical energy available?
>
> The problems are obvious, almost all of which is socially based. Look
> at China: air pollution the worst in the world, buying up huge
> petroleum reserves and then burning it all up, along with coal. It's
> totally anarchistic. Same with the US, just slightly more controlled
> with pollution regulations but basically 'consuming'.
>
> What I reject Dusty is the "small is beautiful", 'decentralized
> energy' 'walk to work' 'consume less' 'let's all burn cow dung to heat
> hour homes' solutions. The sort of thing your Socialist Alliance down
> there advocates in their 'grand plan' to phase out coal. Not gonna
> happen.
>
> There are two keys to solving this stuff:
>
> 1. social change (destroying imperialism and implementing socialism on
> a world scale) and
> 2. create vast amounts of limitless energy.
>
> If you solve these two issues, most everything else can fall into
> place.
>
> I tend to be somewhat skeptical about climate change...not that it's
> not happening, per se, but whether we can acutally do anything about.
>
> D.
That piece of information I posted contained errors that greatly
weakened its impact. It should have read:
"Work this one out:
=95 Australia sells natural gas for 4 cents per litre covering all
costs including compression of the gas BUT Australia faces a $25
billion trade deficit in petroleum products by 2015.
=95 Australia pays anywhere from about $8 billion to $25 billion to
im****t the oil and gets a paltry $4 billion for the gas that is sold
to
overseas countries."
To which I add:
=95 "Expert opinion indicates that such natural gas could be sold at
40 cents a litre at the bowser.
=95 Australia has abundant reserves of gas, enough to last around a
century and a half."
The point I make here is that no national government loyal to its
people could permit such a travesty - they are clearly in the grip of
the oil companies.
More generally there is a need to incor****ate energy policies
socialist programs. But the bottom line would have to be "Nationalise
the Oil Companies.
The danger with the kinds of policies coming from the Greens' movement
and their "Trotskyist" immitators is that in projecting reformist
policies almost devoid of class politics (a king of popular front) on
energy they provide a cover for those who would massively hike energy
prices. These people in the energy companies are not fools though they
couldn't give a damn about whales, reefs and the like - so they
cynically exploit the possibilities opened up by the new climate of
public opinion - its the kind of climate change they thrive on.
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