In The Daily Fix, Crikey taps into the wisdom of experts and community leaders to find solutions to problems. Today: climate change.
Government should have confidence that Australians want to hear about plans to reduce emissions.
We want reliable and affordable energy and we want emissions reduction.
Tell us what is happening, what more needs to be done, how businesses and individuals can help.
Tell us how Australian resources and innovation can make us world leaders in clean energy.
Deidre Willmott is the former CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.
It’s obvious to me that our government will stymie any attempt to let peer reviewed science be used to guide action on global warming, (or anything else), unless it maintains their status quo, they are slaves to greed, self interest, and blind religious righteousness. I believe that it’s time for scientists to make a unique political stand, form a party that will make decisions based on scientifically derived facts, not flavored opinion.
I observe that there are scientific directions that offer possible solutions to modify the insulatory effects of three atom molecules in the atmosphere, of enabling air and space transport that does not require the propulsion of a barely controlled explosion, of desalinating large volumes of water in a low tech/cost way etc, etc… It’s all possible, a qualitative understanding energy is the key.
All that is missing is the political will to strive to bring these things to fruition.
I’ll believe Australians “want emissions reduction” when they reduce their car use and, on the occasions when they do drive, not do it in lard-arsed Suburan assaUlt Vehicles.