Australian Left Review
Article Title
Discussion: Seeds for change - confronting the energy crisis
Abstract
In Seeds for Change, we, the six authors, invited readers to write critiques to encourage debate. In this spirit we welcome the review by Hugh Saddler, and we respond to it. Naturally, we are gratified with Saddler’s description of the model for an alternative lowerenergy Melbourne — more than half the book — as an “exciting blueprint for liveable cities”. However, we are somewhat mystified why he objects to thiB model being advanced as an effective way to reduce energy consumption. Saddler wants to remove the energy crisis first, under capitalism, then “energy conservation and the gradual transfer to a reasonable energy economy” would be “one item on a whole slate of changes that would accompany the transformation to a socialist society. Changes in urban structure and transport systems of the type described in the book would, in all probability, be another item on the agenda”.