Book review: Richard Gilbert and Anthony Perl (2008) Transport Revolutions: Moving People and Freight without Oil

Abstract

Having read this book, one is left with a feeling that the important issues raised should have been at the forefront of policy debates for many decades, not just now. The basic argument is that transport must move away from its almost complete dependence of oil to alternative energy sources. Transport consumes nearly 60% of all oil (2005), and it is in a very vulnerable position as it is dependent on this one source, a potentially unstable set of supply conditions, volatile prices, and substantial increases in demand. This is not a good business strategy, and the risks and uncertainties seem to have grown substantially in the last two years with oil prices rising by nearly three times to around $150 per barrel.