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28 Nov 2005

Energy and the Common Purpose – a Book Review

**A Review of “Energy and the Common Purpose – descending the Energy Staircase with Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs)” – David Fleming. The Lean Economy Connection (2005)**

*Here is a review of David Fleming’s new book. It is highly recommended.*

TEQsOn the surface, the issues of climate change and peak oil call for very similar responses. It is, after all, about reducing the use of fossil fuels. However, there are differences, highlighted in the Government’s recent announcement that it will begin a new programme of nuclear power plant building. On the face of it a good solution to climate change, it brings the UK’s carbon emissions in line with international agreements and business-as-usual can continue. From a peak oil perspective however, it is no solution at all. Nuclear power plants take 20 years to come on stream, peak oil is estimated for sometime between now and 2010. Our transport based economy needs cheap oil, not nuclear power. Running the nations cars on hydrogen made from nuclear power would require 100 new nuclear power plants, not the 10 that are proposed.

David FThinking about both climate change and peak oil requires new thinking and new mechanisms. David Fleming’s “Energy and the Common Purpose

Categories: Economics, Energy, Peak Oil

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2 Comments

Stefania
1 Dec 8:27am

Maybe there are no films yet… but these are two visionary SF books that describe inspiring sustainable utopias – both are categorized as ‘feminist fiction’, which is both interesting but also possibly a psychological barrier for some: they deal with many more issues than environmental sustainability, but then these are also very much also transition issues:

Door into Ocean – by Joan Slonczewski (a biologist)
Woman on the Edge of Time – by Marge Pearcy

not for the faint-hearted

wonderful article, agree about the journey-destination thing.
There is an incredibly important visioning work to be done. On our PC courses I always do a visioning excercise (after relaxing meditation, we ‘journey back’ to a sustainable earth in 50 years time) – many say this is a highlight, and I´m always amazed at the (totally credible) creativity unleashed there.

Hurin
19 Dec 9:39am

Actually there is such a movie. Its called “The Postman” starring Kevin Kostner.

The ending is stupid. But other then that it got an unfairly bad reception at the time.