I have made a number of comments on the current energy, finance and
political scene of recent times.
Here is a link to two US experts in this field.
One of their discussion points is on ERoEI that I mentioned previously.
It is of course US orientated but then this is a real international problem.

http://www.businessinsider.com/were-not-facing-a-shortage-of-energy-but-a-longage-of-expectations-2011-8

or

http://tinyurl.com/3n8ezg3

If you are wondering whats going on in the world finance this makes
a good starting place.
The EIA they mention is the Energy Information Authority of the
US Government Energy Dept.
The IEA they mention is the International Energy Authority set up by
the OECD countries to advise governments on the energy situation.
Australia is an OECD country, so I wonder why our government does not
listen to the IEA ?
Their World Energy Outlook 2010 stated that crude oil peaked in 2006.
I recommend you set aside some time to read this link.

As you are aware I first expressed the view I did not trust Julia Gillard here in my first post after she took over.
In that post I said she would govern well, and that I thought she would fall the same way Rudd did, I still think that she will fall but was wrong in the other.
She is on a high wire doing a balancing act Abbott would have to do if in power.
Both them and us, are untrained for this.
Time will prove an assertion I state now, Rupert Murdock's Media is and has played a roll, unclean and unfair, in her down fall in the polls.
But few, very very few, will look, yet, truly look, at the plans others have.
Tony Abbott, unless something earth shattering, like the truth behind press manipulation comes sooner, she will fall.
We will live then under Abbott,and rest assured it will be bad government with bad policy's but that is a fact.
If Gillard, she is you know not a leader,was a bloke? she would be ten points higher in polling.
Some, too many, dislike her only for being female.
I dislike what is in her heart and have watched her for a very long time, she still! fails to understand,far too many Australians believe the Abbott fairy tale.

Dear Belly,

The future could be wonderful!

I gave this quote on another thread but I think
it's also appropriate here. As Tony Windsor
said about the carbon tax hysteria:

"There should be substantive debates on substantive
issues, not just slogans and one-liners and abuse
on the airwaves. If we construe this debate
narrowly in terms of fuel prices and electricity
bills, rather than in ways we may adjust our
patterns of consumption we will miss an opportunity to
adjust to a low carbon-future.

We will be trapped in an absolete and uncompetitive
economy and we will still be paying high prices for
fuel and electricity."

Sorry Lexi, I have not seen any evidence that the awful woman is doing anything except fight tooth & nail, to keep her pajamas under a pillow in The Lodge. Otherwise everything she has done has been to buy the vote of some of the ratbags, the same thing really.

I do agree with you about some of the opposition statements. These people have to remember what they are likely to have to do in a couple of years, or less. Raining crocodile tears about something they would do themselves, is not a good look.

From me, they would get more brownie points, if they they were lavish in their praise, any time the awful lady got something right. After all, it's not like they would have to do it very often.