| Finding an alternative energy supply is this decades | | | | politicians who in the past have tended to serve 'big |
| priority, and is forcing new thinking from our politicians | | | | business' first before the needs of the "average Joe |
| and from our inventive entrepreneurs. Our Scientists | | | | and Jill" now need the small entrepreneur who for |
| are under attack as never before due to the debate | | | | many years has struggled to get funding for Research |
| raging worldwide about climate change and its | | | | and Development (R&D) funding of new ideas |
| legitimacy; or is it just a worldwide collective tax on | | | | and technologies. |
| humanity for the benefit of a few, remains to be | | | | It is really unfortunate timing (unfortunate or contrived is |
| fought by those opposing forces. But what the | | | | still being debated) that climate change has come to |
| average "Joe and Jill" do know, is that our climate is | | | | the urgency it has in such a catastrophic financial |
| different to anything we have experienced in the past. | | | | environment. When the average world citizen is |
| Here in Australia we are just coming into our summer | | | | worrying about their own financial survival it means |
| months, yet we have had the hottest Spring days | | | | their attention is distracted and they aren't paying the |
| ever recorded. Adelaide in South Australia has already | | | | attention that this debate on climate change and new |
| experienced 7 days straight of hot days in excess of | | | | power sources deserves. |
| 40+ Celsius and been on extreme fire watch. Last | | | | If Australia and the rest of the world is to find an |
| summer in Victoria we had whole towns burnt out with | | | | alternative energy supply then we also need just as |
| the loss of hundreds of lives. | | | | radical a new way of thinking from our elected or |
| So whoever is right about emission trading schemes | | | | otherwise world leaders. They are needed to come up |
| and carbon sequestration methods or enshrining into | | | | with a strategy that will engender the best solution that |
| law a new tax for carbon trading schemes remains to | | | | is as fair as possible to as many as possible without |
| be fiercely debated and will likely be contested for | | | | favouring vested interests. |
| years to come. But where Australia is standing right | | | | I have great faith in our entrepreneurs to find a solution |
| now is facing the predicted hottest summer on record | | | | because there have already been many good ideas |
| and current power supplies that will be severely | | | | that have died in the embryonic stage due to lack of |
| challenged. | | | | funds. The answer to the real question in this fiasco |
| The search for a new viable power supply is essential. | | | | also represent the solution and that is "can our world |
| With the growth in Australia's population, weather | | | | leaders divorce themselves from the vested interests |
| heating up, existing power sources struggling to meet | | | | long enough to find a consensual solution to climate |
| current demand we have to do find a new power | | | | change and our energy requirements? |
| source this decade. And some new thinking from our | | | | |