Blogroll
- ASPO The official site of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas.
- Energy Bulletin Clearing house for news regarding the peak in global energy supply.
- PowerSwitch Dedicated to raising awareness & discussion of the impending & permanent decline of cheap oil & gas supply.
- ODAC Oil Depletion Analysis Centre working to raise awareness and promote better understanding of the world's oil-depletion problem.
- Global Public Media Public service broadcasting for a post carbon world.
- Post Carbon Institute Learning to live in a low energy world.
- PeakOil.com US site and forum to educate and promote awareness of global hydrocarbon depletion.
- FEASTA The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability
- Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs) This website describes an effective and fair response both to climate change and oil/gas depletion
Other Blogs
User login
Personnel
Editors
Contributors
Peak Oil Primers
Archives
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
Vital Trivia
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
GAIA Host Collective
I have made some startling observations over the last few months that tends to contradict the usual impression that high petrol prices will force more people to use public transport. I would suggest that high petrol prices will do the exact opposite, in fact this is already happening where I live (Central Scotland where petrol has already passed £1 litre).
On the route I use to go to work (luckily only twice a week, I work from home the rest of the time) the bus companies have scrapped saver fares, day returns etc. They have also moved from a coach to a 24 seater to a 16 seater for the same journey, thus increasing the chance of being left behind. When I quizzed them about these changes I was told that they had to make savings because of the high fuel costs. The cost for myself has gone up from £4.75 (October 2005) to £13.10 (yesterday).
When we moved house we chose this location because it had a good bus service - not any more.
The upshot of all this is that fare paying passengers are abandoning the buses almost totally as it costs less than £5 in petrol for the same journey by car (and it is much more comfortable than a cramped mini-bus). This just leaves pensioners and schoolkids who travel free anyway. At least 10 people that I know have decided to start driving to town again after years of using public transport. I have heard that fares are due to go up again this month. Although I am in my 40's and have never driven I am now taking lessons as I fear that it will become essential soon.
I honestly think that if fares keep increasing as they are then the public transport system will collapse as it is always going to be much more expensive than using a car (without serious Govt. subsidies - and we all know that 'the market' doesn't like subsidies).
If I had been asked a year ago whether I would want to own a car I would have categorically answered NO, but now it seems I have little choice.
This is why I think the problem is too big for the market to handle on its own. The next step will be cutting bus routes out completely. This will sting in rural scotland, especially north of the central belt and in the southern uplands.
Another example of the law of unintended consequences was the raise in car tax for gas guzzlers: If you drive an SUV in London, it is equivalent to 4 lattes a month.
If you need a 4x4 on a hill farm, you need to produce another 4 sheep to cover the increased cost.
We are going to need considerably more joined up government than we have at present if PO is to be managed at all.