UK forum on Peak Oil

An open forum on the implications of the terminal decline of global oil production will be held in London on Saturday July 16th 2005 from 10am until 5.30pm. Hosted by the UK ‘Peak Oil’ campaign group PowerSwitch.org.uk, the event will give many people already aware of ‘Peak Oil’ the opportunity to develop their understanding further.

The topic of Peak Oil production for the globe, and the subsequent decline, is an idea being taken up by many more people by the day – and institutions such as banks too. The consequences of Peak Oil will be felt intensely by the financial sector, by agriculture, by transport and by plastics. With modern industrial societies based on cheap oil, nothing and nobody will be untouched as the rug of cheap energy is pulled away under our feet. The impact of Peak Oil will also damage our ability to fight the consequences of climate change.

The Peak Oil day, entitled ‘Peak Speak’ will see speakers cover many topics from nuclear power to system interdependencies and personal preparations. But the lectures will only provide the framework for further discussion - interaction and debate will be a key part of this free forum. Many of those already listed to attend, from all over the UK, are well-read on the subject while others will be learning a lot that is new, quickly.

The location of the event is at BedZed (www.bedzed.org.uk) in Hackbridge, Surrey, just a 20 minute train journey from London. It is a perfect location for the event as BedZed is Zero Emissions Development. The kind of thought that has gone into BedZed is the kind of thought that is needed for a transition to a low-carbon society.

The event is hosted by PowerSwitch.org.uk, an ever-growing voluntary UK campaign group. Established since Autumn 2004 they are working hard to raise awareness of the issue of ‘Peak Oil’. Despite seeing more people become familiar with the subject, there is a long way to go but they hope the Peak Speak event will be a good stepping stone towards that goal. There are still places available for those interested in attending, and further details can be found on the PowerSwitch website at www.PowerSwitch.org.uk.