Professor Kjell [shell] Aleklett from Uppsala University in Sweden and the International President of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) was recently in Brisbane where he provided a briefing to Queensland Government heads of departments and public service officers as well as participating in a Brisbane Institute Sustainable Transport panel discussion (along with Ian Lowe and others). You may have heard his interview with Madonna King or his interview on the ABC Science Show over the last fortnight. His blog at “aleklett.wordpress.com” includes a chronical of his Australian tour and an assessment of the recently-released World Energy Outlook 2010 report. Very interesting stuff!

The good news is that Kjell is back in town! He is participating in a “critical infrastructure protection workshop” with the Department of Transport and Main Roads this Friday but is arriving on the Thursday so we have arranged an event at UQ on Thursday evening 25th November 2010 to coincide. I look forward to seeing you and others from kindred organisations there.

Best regards
Wally Wight
Coordinator Brisbane Branch
ASPO Australia
0417 741 377

Peak Oil may be past. Peak Coal is sooner than you think. Are we ready for the descent?

Public Lecture

Kjell Aleklett is Professor of Physics at Uppsala University Sweden and leader of Global Energy Systems
research and the Uppsala Hydrocarbon Depletion Study Group. His interest in the global energy situation
started in 1995.
In May 2002 Professor Aleklett organized the First International Workshop on Oil Depletion at Uppsala
University. Since 2003 he has been international president of ASPO the Association for the Study of Peak
Oil & Gas. In 2007 he produced a groundbreaking report on peak oil for the OECD.
Kjell will provide us with the factual scientific background of oil depletion and the impact it will have on
our economy and on the way we live. He will show how we (global society and Australians in particular)
are addicted to oil and to other hydrocarbons and how the first step in recovering from addiction is to
admit that we have a problem.
In the context of anthropological contribution to climate instability he equates those countries supplying an
addicted society with fossil fuels to drug dealers. And in that regard Australia is the fourth largest drug
dealer in the world. As with the drug trade the worst affected victims will be those already most
marginalised and the most vulnerable.
Kjell will inform us stimulate us and challenge us. He will encourage us to be part of the required
transformation.
Thursday 25 November 2010: 5.30pm for 6:00 – 7.30pm
Abel Smith Auditorium The University of Queensland St Lucia Campus
(Building 23 Located at the top of Campbell Rd.)
$5 entry fee
Inquiries: wwight@gil.com.au