As we speak politicians of all persuasions want to cram more people into Australia. Also as we speak swathes of sequestered carbon are being sent back to the atmosphere via burning. It seem odd for CSIRO to come up with this Boys Own report when previously (Turner et al) they have argued Limits to Growth predictions were vindicated.

It's also noteworthy that we fail to shut down the biggest coal fired power stations or drive millions of electric cars when it is all supposed to be so easy. I think things will go sour before 2030 with shortages of cheap energy and what amounts to rationing of food, housing and electricity. Perhaps CSIRO's conservative masters will then order a report which discusses the least worst path not wishful thinking

The author of this report is living in a world of his own, carefully selecting what he reads and cites to reinforce existing beliefs. He cites overwhelming evidence that resources are running out. No they are not, and only a handful at the fringes of the debate are claiming that they are. Its a hard-line green belief.

The rest of us know that resource prices have collapsed across the board. There was some talk of an oil peak during the last oil price spike but its been largely dropped. What's happening at the moment is the lower cost producers in coal and oil (OPEC) are trying to force the higher cost guys out of the market, and so grab more market share, by keeping up production. Probably also happening in iron ore.

Sorry greens but it aint' happening

Curmudgeon (Mark Lawson) you have a vested interest in spruiking the optimistic side of things noting your on-going employment/financial interest in maintaining the status quo, and supporting the corporate media and its advertising cash cow agenda.

Conventional oil peaked in 2005, no if's no but's.

Unconventional oil is a different story, we now face peak capacity and storage, the US is now contemplating underground storage in old geological areas.

Tanker shipping storage is at capacity, affecting new production storage and transportation issues.

What Curmudgeon fails to grasp is we are also at Peak Debt, this is driving lower capacity, lower demand and lower prices in energy and other markets.

The fracking US market (oil and gas) is in a debt trap, oil prices will continue to fall, probably into the low $30's making profit at these levels unobtainable, guaranteeing collapse at some point.

Good luck with maintaining any semblance of BAU growth in the economy when the fallout from this occurs.

Sustainable growth is an oxymoron.

Australian growth models by the CSIRO and the MSM are a joke, prepare for peak debt, falling house, commodity and general economic prices, our debt binge is coming home to roost. Poorer and less secure is our future due to ridiculous economic policies enacted since the end of WW2.

"Given these kinds of multiples, a 35% reduction in materials demand (i.e., only 25% per capita given that the analysis envisages a 37 million population in 2050) would not get us far towards a global consumption rate that is sustainable and possible for all."

You could start with reducing your own levels of consumption to those you advocate for people generally. Have you done so yet?

"Our "Simpler Way" vision (http://thesimplerway.info) would be easily and quickly achieved, if that was what people wanted to do."

I don't. And I'm pretty sure you're chances of getting most of the world to agree are Buckleys and none. They're busy trying to get themselves into Voluntary Complication, not Voluntary Simplicity.

Good to see Geoff of Perth commenting again.

Thanks Daffy, been home a couple of months after breaking C5 in my neck and spending nearly a year in hospital. Driving an elec wheelchair now, but all is good.

Cheers Geoff