Peak Oil means the time when oil production reaches it peak and slowly but surely starts to decline. People fight over the actual time when this will happen. Indeed some say it has already happened. I do not know. What I do know is that when oil production does start to decrease we are going to see a relentless increase in the price of oil.

This will affect not just the price of fuel for our vehicles. It will affect food prices. This is serious stuff.

We have all grown up with cheap oil prices that has allowed exponential growth and development of industries and population. How do we sustain these when Peak Oil visits us?

On the home front the recognition of the coming change has led us to become more self sufficient through increasing our garden growing space. We have solar hot water now and solar panels to come. We have a very long way to go.

As a councillor I wonder how to respond. Some other councillors may dismiss the idea of Peak Oil outright. Others might wonder how we can do anything locally about it anyway. As I mentioned above I know it will come but am not convinced we have reached Peak Oil yet. It is hard to convince people of something that they cannot yet see happening around them.

As a councillor to support local initiatives that help our community care for itself makes sense. Supporting the development of community gardens, buying directly from local farmers, encouraging food production in Kentish.

Anyway enough. Have a read of this to see what I am banging on about.