Hasbeen & rehctub,
I apologise for this diversion from the topic but since you mentioned the sub I thought I'd better share this with you.
In the mid-seventies I saw those primitive glass bottom boats at Green Island & thought about designing something better. Long story short I took my sketches to the the Cairns Harbour Master to get his opinion on getting my design approved. He said come back in a few days & I'll let you know. A week later he told me that the people in authority rejected the design.
Some time later a major Cairns Company launched a coral viewing boat which looked almost identical to my sketches !!
Back to the Topic.

I remember then Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen responding to claims that the reef was in trouble from fertiliser outflows.

He took a ride in a glass-bottomed boat to inspect the reef and came back with the reassuring news that the reef was in pristine condition - "gleaming white" he boasted.

Unfortunately that's the colour coral goes when it dies.

He was also keen on opening up the reef to off-shore drilling as I recall.

It's a shame that such decisions are left to politicians.

Then again, many may believe the complete and utter destruction of the environment is the price we have to pay for a healthy economy.

So Wobbles, what's the alternative.

We support many who simply don't wish to work.

We support kids having kids, in fact, we even pay them to have these kids, many of which are truly unwanted in the first place.

We support nations that are over populated, yet we don't tackle the very cause of overpopulation, out of control breeding.

We support tens of thousands who arrive uninvited.

So, I say again Wobbles, what's the alternative in your view, other than to rape and pillage our environment.

So Wobbles, as you havnt responded to my question, I guess there is no alternative.