24th April 2008 

Letter to local press about the strikes  that our threatening our fuel supplies.

The strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery, with it's possible month long fuel shortage in Scotland and the north of England, highlights our Governments inability to ensure energy provision. In 2006, Green MEPs failed to get sensible answers from Government ministries, when they asked what steps were being taken to prepare for a decrease in national fuel supplies (ii). It seems clear now that the Government have no serious plans.

This week, oil reached its highest price ever. Some oil traders are betting on it doubling by the end of the year (i). Even if this doesn't occur, many recognise that oil production is probably nearing its peak. Some consider it has peaked. If so, we are in for a rough ride. If producers start keeping their fast-dwindling resources for their own economies then the forecast oil shock will become an energy famine.

The need to tackle our energy use has never been greater. Yet it is still only Greens that have the initiatives to protect us from the consequences of a sudden decrease in fuel supplies. Policies like free insulation and sustainable energy would mean that our homes would be increasingly off-grid and not dependent on fossil fuel supply. While locally sourced food production would ensure food security for communities is not dependent on long haul transport and the whims of the fuel market.

 We must surely wake up to this issue and act. We can only do this together.

Cllr. Philip Booth,
Stroud District councillor for the Randwick, Ruscombe and Whiteshill ward,

Notes to Editors

(i) http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jeremy_leggett/2008/03/the_crude_fact.html
(ii) http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2816