Sweden aims for oil-free economy (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Sweden says it aims to completely wean itself off oil within 15 years - without building new nuclear plants.

The country aims to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change damages economies and growing oil scarcity leads to price rises.

According to the Guardian newspaper, a Swedish minister said oil dependency could be broken by 2020.
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The oil committee is to report to parliament in several months. Swedish energy ministry officials said they expected the panel to recommend further development of biofuels derived from its substantial forests.
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more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4694152.stm

cf the post at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=41594&mesg_id=41594 ; original article at http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9822

"Everyone talks about {Peak Oil}, but no one does anything about it..." Looks like those forward-thinking Swedes are.

[kenny blankenship]

1. Great cut the forests down...

terrific idea.

[jpak]

2. Umm...ever hear of sustainable forestry?????

The Swedes are NOT going to deforest their country....

[Bjornsdotter]

3. Very controlled

foresting. As a kid the farmer next door sold lumber, a representative from the government would come and mark the trees that he was allowed to harvest and sell. You couldn't just cut down a whole forest it's very regulated.

Cheers

[kenny blankenship]

5. Neither one of you have shown the slightest acknowledgement

that this objective would represent a VAST new demand for cutting trees and an ever expanding drain on a finite resource.

S'okay, just offer magical assurances that the Swedes can eliminate their need for petroleum while protecting their forests. I'll just take your word that they can multiply loaves and fishes without limit.

[Bjornsdotter]

6. They have

been working towards this for years. They didn't just pull it out of a hat.
My Granfather died in 1992 and he was working on energy saving ideas.

Cheers

[jpak]

7. LOL!!!!

The Swedes know all about sustainable forestry.

I'm not worried and neither are they.

And the alternative is?????????

[lakeguy]

8. why don't you show some stats about your supposed

new demand for cutting trees.

sweden has always had a substantial logging industry but to assume that increased wood supply is the only way to make up for cutting oil out of the picture is a little one-sided, wouldn't you say. biomass is an energy source, but not the only one. it's also not a finite source, unless the gulf stream weakens enough and glaciers form.

[rodeodance]

4. good for them.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Oops, duped this earlier post by donsu (CommonDreams.org)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2448538&mesg_id=2448538

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0208-05.htm

[rfkrfk]

10. chop down every tree, for palm oil plantations, or switchgrass

at the same time Sweden is phasing out nuclear power,
Sweden is changing to biofuels.

yeah, right