I think we should be very careful about just letting market forces run the show.

We will get badly caught out if we do that. Alternatives won’t even start to happen in a serious way until the economics make them viable if we just leave to market forces. But alternatives need to be ready well before that point.

There are ways of alleviating a bit of the price rise and smoothing the process. But this only makes sense if governments at the same time work towards the replacement of fossil fuels and the reorganisation of our society that will be necessary with a considerably more expensive energy regime.

As I said in my last post, we need to start preparing on all different levels, and well before market forces force us into it.

Ludwig

Absolutely agree. It has been market forces that created our unsustainable western lifestyle. And this is why we need true vision and leadership from corporations, government, small business and you and I.

A holistic approach is paramount; there is no 'either nuclear or oil' - both are limited. We need urgent investment into long term solutions; while we remain slave to short term profit, simple reliance on market forces won't save us.

The fed gov's LPG offer is short sighted, and, like many people, my small car is old (although fuel efficient) - not worth converting to LPG. These conversions only aid the wealthy, who can afford lpg conversion or new hybrid cars. And again, like nuclear, LPG is another nonrenewable resource.

When are our leaders going to wake up to their myopic, going nowhere ideas?

We're consistently dragged down by those representing the major contributors to the problems we face, economists and lawyers. Now we have another telling us we should have this price watch, again using ploys to distract us from the real situation. Fossil fuels have two major problems, finite and environmental destruction.

As Ludwig says, this is a tiny part of the energy situation. Its very obvious, the lib/lab junta throughout the country have one aim, retaining control of energy in the hands of the present cartels. Otherwise they'd be throwing money at biodiesel, and associated commercial and economically sustainable alternative products.

Hemp could provide us with oils, paper, cloth, ropes, protein foods, all renewable using no fertilisers. Yet we've a dictatorship whose only aim is keeping control, concentrating on the most destructive and exhaustible aspects of progress. How brain dead's that, maybe all economists and politicians are monotheists. If so it would explain our current direction, destructive fantasy, leading us further into destructive fantasy

Subsidies for LPG, but no subsidies for natural gas, methane, straight vegetable oil conversions. No money for biodiesel, mass butanol or 80% ethanol 20% biodiesel blends for petrol engines. Just throw our money into the oil cartels and associated interests.

Insanity's ruling our world, every things the opposite to what we're told and want. That's insane irrational and totally illogical. Hanging onto failed dreams, is a state of the irresponsible unevolved, not rational evolving beings.

Nothing will change, unless the system and the fools involved are removed. We need to vote the parties out, then demand independents support progressive sustainable life for us all, not just the moronic elite. Let's get real people running this country, not useless, enslaved, programmed cloned drones

look everyone,
now we can all sit and argue about why petrol hasnt gone down, or do we really just want to save money on pertol. well i made the move to scooters, i looked at a site called www.scootersales.com.au
and realised i could save over 60 dollares a week on petrol, it really looks , i recommend you look at this site and find out about all you need to know about scooters,

The angry but now happy scooter rider
Agro (pete)

Scooters are good. But my environmentally friendly vehicle of choice is the old bicycle, which I have ridden avidly for nearly 40 years (well, a series of bikes, not the same old jalopy!). I reduce my fuel consumption by a very large amount by riding 30km to work and return about 50% of the time and could easily increase my savings quite a lot further.

It’s a simple way to make really big savings…. and improve your health and fitness!

Scout .... you forgot one very renewable energy source

POLITICIANS!!

They breed faster than maggots on a dead dog .... (and have no redeeming features or alternative usage)
they are freely collectable in any country .... and
there is always a glut on the market come any election time

But I am afraid - it would be just another brilliant idea of mine poorly thought out, because I clean forgot about the polution they would cause if the politician/air mixture was set incorrectly....

Looks like I am stuck with Ludwig and keep on peddling to and from school with my daughter on my deadly treadly - but I do have to admit that with a knee broken twice and an ankle does not wish to mend completely, all I can say is thank god the journey is only about 20 miles a day .....
AGRO - I did go and have a look at those Bolwell scooters http://www.scoota.com.au/about_bolwell.html .... they really look like the Ducks Nuts - and a nice prices as well!

(Just wondering though if they are tied up with the old Bolwell fibreglass cars of old - anyone know?)