Irelands Opportunity-Peak Everything

[fiannafailure]

The last part of David Mc Williams series Addicted to Money was aired last Sunday

RTÉ Television - Programmes - Factual - Addicted to Money

as someone who has studied this subject for a long time, I was disappointed that the opportunities for Ireland were not explored and the responses to the programme on his blog show a complete blindness to the certain advantages that Ireland has in this new era

Addicted to Money: Part 3 – Peak Everything | David McWilliams

Even James Lovelock agrees that Ireland is in clover over the coming decades, why are we so blind as a nation to our strenghts

[bkcaravan]

I completely agree with you, FiannaFailure, vis a vis, the conclusion of David McWilliams programme. Actually, as a fourty-something, I found the techno and elevator style music (which interspersed each of Mr. McWilliams points to the argument) so terribly jarring, that I turned off the television (the placid pet cat was trying to kamikaze from an attic shelf into the foyer of house, when the music played on programme)...thus, I missed the last 24 minutes of McWilliams-to-go.

Why do our intelligent Broadcasters, and some print-journalists, believe that they must "dumb down" the content of their thesis, or, at the very least, its delivery, in order to hold the Irish Audience? Doesn't anyone in their research team recognise that Ireland is not the American consumer outpost that market research companies would like to project us as being, here?

Shame on David McWillams for diluting the delivery, and the substance, of his excellent work, in order to capture the techno-phile and techno-music cohort of audience, aged 15-25 years of age!

As for the poor discussion on Ireland's options, now that we are post-peak-oil, I totally agree with you, FiannaFailure, that McWilliams failed to address our Strengths for economic growth, and opportunity. For instance: tidal wave power; wind power; indigenous crafts for export; indigenous food production; biofuels, etc. But, if the locals become discouraged enough, they'll all just emigrate, as I did in the 1980's, and the pressure on the Government of the Day will be temporarily dissipated, vis a vis, job creation, housing provision, medical care, elder care...not to mention Energy Alternatives Development. Perhaps, Mr. McWilliams perspective, in the most recent series, will become the Tail that Wags the present Fianna Fail Government Economic and Social Agenda?

[fiannafailure]

BK

I had a bet with a collegue this morning that this thread would sink to the bottom of the page by 6 pm because none of the economic whizzkids on the forum would understand even a little of what the post was about and but for your post I would have won my fiver.

As for the poor discussion on Ireland's options, now that we are post-peak-oil, I totally agree with you, FiannaFailure, that McWilliams failed to address our Strengths for economic growth, and opportunity. For instance: tidal wave power; wind power; indigenous crafts for export; indigenous food production; biofuels, etc

.

Renewable energy resources are not simply about electricity, its what that electricity can do for us that is most important, Mc Williams made great play on the energy required to produce food and the fact that this energy will rocket in price, renewable energy will not rocket in price as there is no fuel cost and according to the ESB, fuel makes up 56% of the cost of their electricity.
Not alone can we export this energy, we can export more of the products that use this electricity. And we can use this stable price electricity to attract more FDI investment.

But back to our own uses of this resource, one of the fastest growing import industries to mediteranean cities is believe it or not drinking water, by the tankerful, and there is now a forward purchase market in this most basic human need. And it is supplied at present not from filling the tankers from rivers but from desalination plants in Israel. ireland at present spills, that means wastes for no useful purpose, enough wind energy every month to fill one of these tankers if that energy had instead been used to desalinate seawater.

You mention bio fuels, employing some of the unemployed fishermen or construction workers and a few of the unemployed engineers and solicitors and using a small plot of very poor agricultural land to build an algae farm, would give these people long term employment and substitute imported fuels for domestic carbon neutral fuels, science fiction, not at all please see this weeks Newsweek and Time magazines EXXON have taken full page ads to tell the world that they are now in the algae based bio fuel business.

The place that algae grows best in Europe is IRELAND.

But, if the locals become discouraged enough, they'll all just emigrate, as I did in the 1980's, and the pressure on the Government of the Day will be temporarily dissipated, vis a vis, job creation, housing provision, medical care, elder care...not to mention Energy Alternatives Development. Perhaps, Mr. McWilliams perspective, in the most recent series, will become the Tail that Wags the present Fianna Fail Government Economic and Social Agenda?

That is a frightening thought.

BK, bet you a fiver this sinks all the way down again.

[hammer]

Just wondering what FF would have to do to walk out of Goverment ?

Bankrupt the country ? No
Secret deal with church over abuse deal ? No
Claim exhorbitant expenses ? No
Overpay themselves ? No
Preside over benchmarking ? No
500,000 unemployed ? No
Cut to social welfare ? No
Preside over 400 people on trollies on a daily basis ? No
National debt of €100 billion ? No
Pat off Patrick Neary, Rody Molloy, etc ? No
PPARS, EVOTING,....? No
Total recall of Irish pork products ? No

what would it take ? A booby trap ?

[fiannafailure]

Just wondering what FF would have to do to walk out of Goverment ?

Bankrupt the country ? No
Secret deal with church over abuse deal ? No
Claim exhorbitant expenses ? No
Overpay themselves ? No
Preside over benchmarking ? No
500,000 unemployed ? No
Cut to social welfare ? No
Preside over 400 people on trollies on a daily basis ? No
National debt of €100 billion ? No
Pat off Patrick Neary, Rody Molloy, etc ? No
PPARS, EVOTING,....? No
Total recall of Irish pork products ? No

what would it take ? A booby trap ?

I am more interested in giving hope to the masses and more importantly an appetite and yes, hope, to all of the potential governments.

[fiannafailure]

bkcaravan

You asked

Why do our intelligent Broadcasters, and some print-journalists, believe that they must "dumb down" the content of their thesis, or, at the very least, its delivery, in order to hold the Irish Audience? Doesn't anyone in their research team recognise that Ireland is not the American consumer outpost that market research companies would like to project us as being, here?

Shame on David McWillams for diluting the delivery, and the substance, of his excellent work, in order to capture the techno-phile and techno-music cohort of audience, aged 15-25 years of age!

I bet you a fiver last night that this thread would sink off the first page by this evening, the fact seems to be that Irish people have lost their spark and will now only moan and watch eastenders.

And I fear they have become helpless in the fight for a better society and will wait patiently, while moaning, for someone else to provide the answers to their problems

[real kiltubrid man]

i think the peak has not yet come, but it will in the next 20 years, and not from housing ,or a corrupt public sector fuelled by corrupt unions, it will come from those of us who do not get held back by others, and who are not hell bent on cashing in on each other for the quick buck, renewable energy is the first small stepping stone into a very big lake on the path to recovery, and then a peak that will be like no other, but we need to visit alley ways of inventions and masterminds, of what to do with this renewable energy.

i taught mc williams could have been better for such a well educated man the programme was a let down ,he should have visited some of these alley waqys of oppertunity, and revealed more of the corruption fuelled boom. like the banke in dublin that nobody knew about ,that caused the credit crunch

[wombat]

I am more interested in giving hope to the masses and more importantly an appetite and yes, hope, to all of the potential governments.

You're starting to depress me, if you're losing hope. As I told you before, I'm a hopeful sceptic regarding renewables, although you convinced me that SoI's plans are worth encouraging. Its interesting, there was much media clamour to get behind Nama as the only game in town, we must make it work, etc. yet the SoI scheme for making windpower work is ignored or knocked. Could it be that there are too many of the well connected with too much invested in one off windmills. The whole plan for developing biodiesel seems to have evaporated with the summer's rain, I suspect because our rulers don't know that biodiesel could be made from local crops whereas ethanol will be imported. You said before that we need an energy policy, I agree but we have a minister who is blinded by ideology and susceptable to every "green" conman who sticks his head in the door (believe me, FG have a couple of gems as well)

[fiannafailure]

You're starting to depress me, if you're losing hope. As I told you before, I'm a hopeful sceptic regarding renewables, although you convinced me that SoI's plans are worth encouraging. Its interesting, there was much media clamour to get behind Nama as the only game in town, we must make it work, etc. yet the SoI scheme for making windpower work is ignored or knocked. Could it be that there are too many of the well connected with too much invested in one off windmills. The whole plan for developing biodiesel seems to have evaporated with the summer's rain, I suspect because our rulers don't know that biodiesel could be made from local crops whereas ethanol will be imported. You said before that we need an energy policy, I agree but we have a minister who is blinded by ideology and susceptable to every "green" conman who sticks his head in the door (believe me, FG have a couple of gems as well)

Wombat
I am one of most bloody minded individuals you are ever likely to meet, but I sense that many people, including some politicians are losing hope and belief that the country can come through this testing time.

I honestly believe that a large scale national project such as ours can get the country pulling together and getting a glimmer of the good times ahead.

Ireland really could be Nirvana for the next two decades and all we need are two things, hope and determination, everything else follows from those two things.

I wish Brian Cowan had paid attention in science class, then he would recognise the opportunity that is begging to be exploited.

Until then, its one foot in front of the other and put the head down, for me at least.

[SAHM]

Well for what it's worth to keep you from winning your fiver. I was looking forward to David McWilliams documentary on the television. He's not the worst of headline grabbers out there. But Oh Dear, was I greatly disappointed. I only watched 15 mins of the first episode and I think I watched part of the last episode.
Apart from the globetrotting and the continous music and the complete dumbing down 'for the common folk'.....Actually, nevermind all that. It was just rubbish.

By the way, had a look at the SOI website and it is a great idea. If this Country wants to find out how to get out of the mess it is in. Look to harnessing the Country's natural resources and exporting it. Wind, rain and a wet climate!!!!