The Hereford Times

Wake Up to Oil

2:35pm Friday 29th February 2008

The infrastructure of our society is based on the use of oil. From the food we eat and the clothes on our backs to the financial system which drives our economy. Every loaf of bread, t-shirt and pound coin we have has been touched by oil. Plastics, fertilisers, pharmaceuticals and many cosmetics are made from it.

Oil is a limited resource. It will run out. In fact, the view now is that it is running out quicker than we thought. We have reached a peak in the production of oil worldwide, meaning what’s left is becoming harder to access, and yet there is increasing demand for it from a growing global population. Shell estimates that after 2015 supplies of easy-to-access oil and gas will no longer keep up with demand. Others believe it will be much sooner.

With oil reaching an all time high of £100 dollars a barrel on global markets, we all need to make the connection between the cost of our weekly shop, the cost of filling up the car, and the availability of oil. It’s a simple supply and demand equation.

Food is one of the first things to be affected and food prices in the UK have risen by 3 times that of inflation in the past year.

Looking back to the fuel blockade of 2000, Safeway were rationing bread and milk supplies and hospitals were running short of food and drugs, and cancelling operations.

Is this what will happen as oil supplies dwindle? Well it could be, unless we take action now to adapt our society and reduce our reliance on oil. Wars have been fought over less.

Many people are acting now and building resilience in to their communities, in preparation for the inevitable. The Transition movement is largely based on re-localisation; of infrastructure, skills and communities. There are now over 30 Transition Towns in the UK and many more about to launch, including Hereford. The brilliant jazz singer-songwriter Gil Scott-Heron wrote : ‘Since change is inevitable, we should direct the change, rather than simply go through the change” Transition is about directing the change to a less oil dependent society – everyone can join in.

Transition Hereford will be holding a networking meeting at the Kindle Centre on Tuesday 4th March at 7.00pm. Check www.transitionhereford.org for details

www.transitiontowns.org