STANDING ROOM ONLY AT 'ENERGY CRUNCH' EVENT

16 January 2010

IT WAS standing room only at Fortrose Town Hall when energy campaigner Mandy Meikle came to the Black Isle on a wintry Saturday morning.

Dr Meikle and local MP Charles Kennedy were the special guests at ‘Energy Crunch’ on Saturday 16 January. Dr Meikle outlined some of the challenges posed by peak oil - the point at which global oil production reaches a maximum and availability begins to decline.

“People are increasingly becoming aware of the urgent need to cut carbon dioxide to combat man-made climate change,” explained Dr Meikle. “The other side of the coin, which is less frequently highlighted, is that we cannot carry on burning fossil fuels at an ever increasing rate because, quite simply, we do not have enough.

“It’s not about oil and gas running out as such, but we have to prepare for the day when supply fails to meet demand - and that day may be sooner than we think. We cannot continue to believe that perpetual growth can carry on while vital resources are becoming depleted.

“Energy costs are going to soar,” Dr Meikle added. “And if energy costs rise, the price of everything rises - not just heat and electricity but transport, construction and food. We have to prepare for the coming energy crisis. Transition Towns are one of the few movements to actually understand the impacts of peak oil and climate change.

Mr Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, said: "After the year we've just had, and in the midst of a prolonged cold snap, the huge importance of energy in our day-to-day lives has rarely been more apparent.

"Rural communities and the rural economy are potentially very vulnerable to long term upward trends in energy prices. It is both morally and practically urgent that we find ways to lower our reliance on fossil fuels.

“Transition Black Isle is doing excellent work bringing this issue to the heart of public debate, so that people in Ross and Cromarty can have an active role in understanding the challenges we face and finding answers for our future."

There was chance to quiz the speakers and Transition Black Isle energy convener Martin Sherring during an open questions and answers session, and audience members were invited to stay on for a chat, soup and home baking.

See the coverage of the event in the Press and Journal here.