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Latest News. Sat., May 03, 2008. 13:04.
Holyrood Backs Green Call To Plan For The End Of Cheap Oil
The Scottish Parliament today passed a landmark motion on food security which includes for the first time a call to take account of peak oil when planning our future food economy. (1) North Sea oil output peaked at 2.8m barrels a day in 1999, and last year this output was down by almost 60% on that peak. (2) Estimates vary as to when global oil production will peak, with the French Government taking a conservative view that the decline will begin in 2013. (3)
What is not in doubt is that demand for oil continues to outstrip global supply, meaning that local disputes like that at Grangemouth have a disproportionate effect on international oil prices, whilst pressure for biofuels is undermining efforts to tackle climate change. (4) As oil supplies dwindle globally, food supplies in Scotland and around the world are likely to be seriously affected, given the extent to which modern agriculture is dependent on oil.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"This vote represents another landmark for the Scottish Parliament, the first time that any UK Parliament has accepted the urgency of the peak oil issue. Modern industrial agriculture has been described as a system that uses land to convert oil into food, whether as fertiliser, fuel for transport, or energy for refrigeration, and Scotland is no exception.
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Older News
- Thu., May 01, 2008. 16:47.
- Peak Oil
- Greens put peak oil on Parliament's agenda.
- Today the Scottish Parliament debates a Scottish Conservative Party motion on food security, and Greens warmly welcomed the Conservatives' decision to bring this debate. A Green amendment will also be debated, which calls on Parliament to consider the impact of the peak in oil production on future food supply. (1) [full story]
- Mon., April 28, 2008. 18:41.
- Cape Wrath
- Exercises are a "war on wildlife".
- NATO armies are currently taking part in an exercise on Cape Wrath, near Durness, called Operation Joint Warrior (1). Although this location is regularly used for these exercises, the MoD normally follows advice to avoid the spring both to protect local seabird populations (2) and also to take account of the lambing season. [full story]
- Thu., April 24, 2008. 14:55.
- Grangemouth Oil
- Problems show vulnerability of Scottish economy to oil shocks.
- The consequences of the dispute at Grangemouth provide a vivid illustration of Scotland's dependence on dwindling oil supplies, and the urgent need to prepare for a post-oil economy, Greens today argued. Scotland's oil supplies from the North Sea peaked in 1999 (1), and the global supply is expected to peak over at some point over the next few years. [full story]
- Tue., April 22, 2008. 15:00.
- Dalai Lama
- Greens welcome Dalai Lama's wish to become a party member.
- "If you have a Green Party (in this country), I want to join," the 14th Dalai Lama said this week in a Michigan lecture (1) on conservation and World Earth Day. He also discussed the core principles of the international environmental movement, saying that "taking care of our planet's environment is like taking care of our own home. We have a responsibility to take care of the environment. It is our only home." [full story]
- Thu., April 17, 2008. 17:52.
- Local Taxation
- Parliament backs Green principles.
- At Decision Time today, the Scottish Parliament endorsed the Green Party's text on the future of local funding. (1) MSPs today made three decisions. First, they accepted that the current system of Council Tax is flawed, and must be changed urgently. Second, they noted the wide range of alternatives being discussed, including Land Value Tax, the Greens' preferred option, as well as both flavours of local income tax and a reformed Council Tax. [full story]
Forthcoming events
- Sat., September 20, 2008. – Sun., September 21, 2008.
- Scottish Green Party Conference 2008
- Conference 20-21 September 2008, Glasgow.