New Zealanders were "living in an age of anxiety" about energy issues, Radio New Zealand host Kim Hill said yesterday.
"If you're not worried you don't understand the situation," Ms Hill added, as she introduced a 5.30pm panel discussion on energy at the University of Otago.
More than 300 people attended the hour-long discussion at the university's St David lecture theatre, held as part of the latest New Zealand International Science Festival.
In later summing up, Ms Hill noted rising concerns about oil starting to run out, but said it was "extremely exciting" that our national energy habits were being reconsidered and improved alternatives were being sought.
Discussion participant Associate Prof Bob Lloyd said unless New Zealand and other nations moved swiftly to change their energy use, the imminent arrival of "peak oil"- a peak in global oil availability - would be followed by a massively damaging slump in energy supplies.
Prof Lloyd, who is director of energy studies at the university, said that the world faced a "very difficult" situation, and burning extensive coal supplies would have a "devastating" effect on the environment, through higher greenhouse gas emissions.
Prof Philippa Howden-Chapman, who heads the housing and health research programme at Otago University's Wellington campus, said university research had shown insulating New Zealand's old housing stock and improving domestic heating would produce significant health gains and other community benefits.
Another participant, Energy Minister David Parker, said energy reforms would include greater use of public transport in the nation's cities and growing electrification of transport.
Switching to more sustainable energy sources, including windpower, would bring many benefits, and he was excited and optimistic about the prospects.
