Is this the end of the Oil Age?

Peak Oil

Huge and rapid increases in the price of oil last July may well have marked the “peak” of oil supplies and are part of the financial crisis we are now experiencing. This was the context set out by Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Towns movement when he spoke before an audience of more than 200 at the Regal Theatre in Minehead on 2nd April.

The talk could not have been more topical and relevant as the G20 nations met in London. G20 agreements were based mainly on assumptions that business would carry on as usual despite the approaching crises of Peak oil and Climate change, said Mr Hopkins. A teacher of permaculture and natural building for many years, he has been involved in practical responses to environmental changes and is a leader in the task of identifying and addressing the effects of these changes on communities. He set up the Transition Network to enable communities to develop resilience to the shocks to come (see www.transitionculture.org and www.transitionnetwork.org).

The end of economic growth as we know it

Mr Hopkins went on to say that we cannot expect infinite growth when we have finite resources. The prospect of scarce, expensive oil in the future is daunting, but Somerset as a county is leading the way in dealing with this and climate change. Transition groups are forming across the county, as well as nationally and internationally, to raise awareness of the challenges and to support organisations which are helping to make the changes needed for communities to thrive in the future.

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