That is exactly my point, Bazz.

>>I have not seen a breakdown on the oil for food, but if there was 9% increase in population, there could well be a 90% increase in oil used in food production.<<

The information you provide shows clearly that it is patently possible for a population that has increased by more than nine percent, to reduce overall oil consumption by fourteen percent.

This means that either the food-for-oil component must be insignificant in the overall consumption picture, or that a 90% increase in oil used for food is more than offset by economies elsewhere.

>>There have been substantial increases in food prices from what I have read.<<

Substantial increases in food prices in the US? First I've heard. What do you consider to be "substantial"?

http://www.bls.gov/ro3/apmw.htm

Your own numbers show clearly that a growing population does not necessarily result in increased oil usage. Also that overall, world consumption adjusts itself to the oil supply profile. Just as one would expect.

Pericles, I am not sure of the point you are making.
I have never seen a figure put on how much oil is used for food
production. It is known that it takes 10 calories of oil to produce
one calorie of food.
I would expect the oil used for food production to be small in the
overall oil production, but I have no figures for that.
It would be difficult to work that out as you would have to know such
info as what percentage of a trains tons/km load was food.
In 2007/2008 the cost of food went up because of the diversion of
maize into ethanol and as we know oil prices went very high and
disrupted the mortgage market.
The link to the table is interesting, as it seems the prices are now
quite stable over the last couple of years.

Apologies, Bazz, I was obviously not being clear.

>>Pericles, I am not sure of the point you are making.<<

You believe that the consumption of oil is driven by population increase.

You provided statistics that tell us that this cannot possibly be the case.

I pointed this out to you.

That's all

People in the Stable Population Party are probably a little upset with the Dead Vote article but it's important to understand Bazz, that much of this Malthusian thinking is still stuck in the 17thC and fixated on consumption.

Consumption of food and energy, at least domestically in Australia, is not the problem. It never had been a problem. You and others I suggest have been trawling the Net (Gail Tverbeg, I bet).

The real issue is the underlying politics of the SPA who say they only want initially to cut immigration. But alas, this is not the case. Population control for them and their allies means the right to create laws that would control people.

They are fear mongering instrumentalists who list everything from cats howling at night to dogs digging on a beach as evidence of Australia's booming population.

They are indeed an interesting bunch, Cheryl.

>>The real issue is the underlying politics of the SPA<<

I had a quick browse through their site, and found this:

"The Stable Population Party supports the (formerly) bipartisan Liberal/Labor intake of around 13,750 genuine refugees per annum (the highest per capita resettlement in the world, along with Canada)".

Casting a quick eye around the rest of the world, I found this:

"Over 30,000 refugees and migrants arrive in Yemen so far this year"

http://www.unhcr.org/517a58b5fac.html

Yemen has a population pretty close to ours, 24.8 million, and a GDP per capita of US$2,200. Which is not only a twentieth of ours, but also has actually declined for the last three straight years.

For all the sensationalist bluster about being overrun by refugees, we are quite significantly distanced from the real pain.

Pericles, Ummm, there are figures showing the consumption of oil per
head for all countries. If the people who comprise the increase have
the same consumption per head as the rest of the population, then I
guess the oil consumption would increase by that amount.

Is there something wrong with that reasoning ?

Cheryl, Australia is in the process of closing all our refineries.
Shell at Silverwater closed last year, Kurnell closes this year, and
Brisbane closes next year.
When complete we will depend 100% on imported petrol, diesel and
bunker fuel. Our 400,000 barrels a day will be exported.
If there is some sort of a problem internationally we will be in the
rush with the US, Europe, China, India etc to get supplies.
What chance do you reckon we would have in that scramble ?
The higher our population the greater the effect on us.

I don't know anything about SPP or their policies, but I think our
politicians are very remiss in hiding such reports as ABIRE's 2010 report.