Peak Oil didn't rate a mention at the Australian National 2020 summit organised by the Federal Government.
Here is a comment from David Holmgren (co-originator of Permaculture)...
Following APC9 (Australia's National Permaculture Convergence held recently) there has been much discussion on the listserve about the divergent opportunities for permaculture activism in Australia including comments about the absence of permaculture from the Rudd government's (our national government's) 2020 forum.
I did (briefly) consider applying to join the 2020 forum but was so disgusted with the way the questions were framed (ie assuming continued economic growth, increasing technological complexity etc were inevitable for Australia and the world) that I decided that I wouldn't be bothering to apply although I can remember thinking I might be convinced if invited (maybe this is an elitist perspective that doesn't help maximise power and influence but it is one that I use to help filter and limit the escalating demands to something that is personally sustainable.)
My scepticism was reinforced by Michael Lardelli's opinion piece about the absence of Peak Oil from the agenda (reported on Energy Bulletin
http://www.energybulletin.net/42630.html ).
All the more so that all 10 members of Association for the Study of Peak Oil that applied to be at the forum were rejected. As far as I know there is no leading permaculture teacher, designer or activist is at the forum either.
Finally any discussion of Peak Oil as a "problem", or Permaculture as a "solution" would be forced down into the "getto" of the
Sustainability and Climate Change subject when Peak Oil (like Climate Change) is central to framing the agenda within which all of
the other questions must be addressed and the second is relevant to designing adaptive strategies in relation to all the questions.
[END QUOTE]
But you'll be pleased to know that Cate Blanchett and Hugh Jackman were there though!!!??? for the record, I also threw my hat in the ring (not seriously expecting to get a seat at the table) but I wonder if my peak oil stance might have wiped me out in the first round of selection???
