Mr. George Monbiot:
Re: British Government head-in-the-sand approach to Peak Oil.
Dear George:
Government (UK/Brown now, Bush/Cheney during their years of mis-rule) knows perfectly well that we are heading into a period of sever economic privation due to the future high prices of fossil fuel and the lack of home-grown alternative fuels. Why would they declare a future national disaster? Here are some reasons (I don't say they are good, just their reasons):

• If governments truly acknowledged the severity of the problem, they would, it seems, have to do something about it. That would take political capital and huge financial capital. They don't want to spend either. Now that Obama is President, he fully recognizes the threat and is trying to do something about it. Brown is a Bush clone.
• The peak oil (peak food, peak water, peak climate change, peak riots, etc) will hit about the same time, causes global crisis. At that point the Travistock Institute cohorts will announce “solutions”, take control of government, institute martial law and begin the process of enriching themselves and establishing the “New World Order”. Present UK government is complicit with this plan and does not want to do anything to prevent the crisis. i Ireland has some idea of the problem, and there is some effort being made to grow giant grass in order to make wood pellets from the stems for direct combustion. ii There are also pellets made from organic peat turf. iii Why would any British government follow what the Irish do? Why if they did, it would be giving credit to an inferior race of folks. (Their idea, not mine).

What the USA has done over the years, is the co-founded of a new form of government: the industrial military-banker-lobbist-revolving door government functionaries-elite superrich. This new form of government was established through actions and inactions of Congress and the various Presidents, with full knowledge and approval of the change in the form of government. These ruling folks are the first born sons of the elite wealthy power centers of the so called “developed” (read European genetics, white skinned, super rich and well connected over generations). The bankers are the central cog in this New World Order. That is why the bankers of the nations have been able to grab a huge slice of the cash flow being generated out of thin air by the Federal Reserve and directly by Congress.
I read where the large banks in the USA have over 600 billion of currency stashed in their vaults. That cash was taken in by the banks during the highly inflated economy caused by low prime rates and huge bank profits. The bank profits are being leveraged by foreclosing on properties to be held and sold during better times. When the “bottom” hits – as orchestrated by the banks – they will start lending to themselves and buying prime properties for their personal wealth, paying the revolving bank loans back by selling some of these properties at huge profits.
The Travistock's Oracle was Milton Friedman, the “hero” of Chile and many Latin and Asian countries and his student economic Gestopos. Bush and Cheney, as Brown is now, are/were merely stooges who were placed in power to cause the crisis which is antecedent to a real Hitler coming to power (any Republican President in USA). They didn't figure on the power of the web, students, and really pissed-off older folks who elected our first Black President, first Black First Lady and first Black First Kids. I understand that “Bo”, the new First Puppy is black and white – as he should be. Don't ever underestimate the power of aroused public – keep up the good work, but back-off of your ill-informed opinion of infused biochar.
So there you have it, the real reasons for the state of denial by Brown – not good reasons, but surely his reasons.
Jim Miller