Transporting food in Post Peak Oil New Zealand

Temperedoil

I have been wondering about how New Zealand's food situation might be affected by Peak Oil. Yes, our soils, climate, topography and low population should allow us to provide significantly more food than we need when farmers can no longer afford agrichemicals or there are not enough to go around.

What about transporting that food, though? Both within New Zealand and overseas? When will we stop exporting food, and what impact will oil shortages / oil price rises have on our own food markets and food distribution systems inside New Zealand?

I have not looked at the exact figures, but my understanding is that most of the food transported within New Zealand is done so by road. We have the rail option - but that misses a lot of smaller towns and at present relies largely upon diesel-electric trains. Will a fully electric rail system be viable if we have not yet moved all of our thermal generation to renewable sources? New Zealand used to export steam-powered locomotive engines - will we be able to build them domestically again in the numbers and at the pace required? Will we be able to mine coal at a sufficient pace to keep them reliably and affordably supplied (without oil-fuelled machinery)? Will we still be able to rely on trucks to get food from the nearest train station to outlying towns, or will we need to move to horse-drawn carriages?

I don't see the topic being discussed in the news here at all, but I think it is something that we should be thinking about. Not a lot of people can live without food these days and the average apartment-dweller is rather lacking in land on which to grow his/her own food supply.

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 600

In Australia it is not much better, there were quite a few railway lines which are mostly closed. There are so few railways!
Recently I saw the Brisbane -Sydney railway line in an outskirt of Brisbane. I couldn't believe it is a single track and locks like a connection to a small town.
In New Zealand there are good options for sailing ships.

Ainan · Heavy Crude Joined: Feb 18, 2008 Posts: 189

I agree with alokin, much of the population lives near the coast due to the shape of NZ. Food and goods can easily be transported to the coast, at any point in NZ you are not much more than 50-60 miles from the coast. In the long term goods can be transported by horse and cart or hand cart if needed to seaside towns before being transported by sail to population centers. Australia is also fortunate enough to have most its population along the coasts.

essex

A friend of mine in Govt circles told me that steam is definitely being discussed for the rail system and that the huge quantity of wood ( radiata pine ) we will have is being touted as a fuel. I doubt that wood as a fuel is really feasible , unless large quantities of fast growing, high calorie eucalypts are grown near railway lines.

Ainan · Heavy Crude Joined: Feb 18, 2008 Posts: 189

Temperedoil

essex

Yes , we should be building new rail lines as quickly as possible. There just needs to be the political will. There will be plenty of steel available in the future for rail - engine blocks from defunct cars. Modern steam with highly insulated boilers is efficent and can be built here in NZ. Bit of a steam buff myself, have pursued steam in the UK and China over the past 30 years.

mos6507 · Fission Joined: Aug 03, 2007 Posts: 2497

Ainan · Heavy Crude Joined: Feb 18, 2008 Posts: 189

manu · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jul 26, 2006 Posts: 691

Why would "they" build railroads when they are busy building tunnels. Everything will be blown up, esp. in the cities. Move out from the cities. Learn to grow your own food, no need to transport anything. Live simple.