highways

This article appeared in the Dominion Post (Wellington) on Monday 21 July.

Over a barrel - a new vision needed

In November 2007, when the world oil price was nudging US $90 per barrel, I wrote an article entitled “The Future of Oil” for the Dominion Post. The article explained that oil prices were rising because world oil production had been virtually static since 2005, while demand had continued to rise.

I'm the Convenor of the Sustainable Energy Forum, http://www.sef.org.nz, and one of the things we're working on is how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport, and make our transport system less dependent on oil.

One of the arguments often trotted out by the highway proponents and highway builders of this world is that building new highways will reduce traffic congestion, which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.