We have nothing to lose and everything to gain, adopting sane precautionary principles!

There's we're informed, via an ABC documentary, a large body of fresh water trapped in antarctic ice? Which when not if released, could raise the ocean levels of the world by around 7 metres, if memory serves?

All that's preventing that is a relatively thin wall of melting ice? 7 metres, roughly the length of a vertical cricket pitch, enough to drown most of coastal Australia!

Assurances by the now cash strapped fossil fuel industry, will neither prevent that outcome nor exacerbate it!

However, if we their captive market, take action on man made climate change? They first and foremost have literally everything to lose? Hence their ongoing obdurate obtuse obfuscation!

They don't like solar thermal and with good reason; as ably demonstrated by private enterprise, working examples, that demonstrate they compete favorably with coal on both roll out costs and as peak demand providers!

THe one glaring difference is the cost of the fuel of the solar thermal option remains forever free!

They invariably bag cheaper than coal thorium, a old fifties technology, abandoned given there was no weapons spinoff!

The reason why thorium is cheaper is, because unlike conventional oxide reactors, they consume most of their fuel (95%) and the minimal waste is far less toxic and eminently suitable for long life space batteries!

The Indians are working on a 300 MW reactor, which they claim will be operational this year?

However, other parties are working on miniaturization and modules that could cost as little as a $1,000.00 and power around ten houses? That's a hundred per house, with triannual maintenance limited to mostly routine inspections? Over an expected life of 25-50 years.

Add rechargable electric cars and many of the foregoing examples sound the deathknell of captive energy markets and the fossil fuel industry the world over!

Little wonder they are climbing all over the ether, with their diatribe of diabolically disingenuous denials?
Alan B.

Alan B. - that stuff all makes such a good story. It's all nonsense of course - but it makes a good story. I have been reading about such tech fixes for the past 50 years and more - sadly they are still too complicated and expensive to put into practice, but it is nice to dream.

Mikk,

When are you going to pay up then? Your side of the argument has already been proved wrong. Consensus is all the alarmists talk about, and consensus is not science. Ten years or more, people like you are going to feel the idiots you are. So, be careful about those in the wrong having to be 'bankrupted'.

No it's not dreaming curmudgeon! The only risible rubbish appearing here, is from folk like you!

#1 Take the self applied blinkers or the blindfold off and take a trip to our northwest and examine a working example of algae reliant diesel production utilizing ever abundant seawater!

#2Take a trip to Holland, if you dare to be proven wrong as usual, oh suppository of all wisdom, where Dutch scientists are growing another algae variety under glass to produce ready to use jet fuel!

#3 Slip over to California or Arizona, if only to personally examine very large scale, private enterprise solar thermal power plants, built by hard nosed investors, with their own money, which cope more than well with peak demand!

#4 Take a trip to India if only to become actually fully informed on the promise of cheaper than coal thorium!

Alternatively, continuing reading and pomulcating the rubbish that tells you it ain't happening nor possible!

I could go on, but get properly pissed off casting pearls before willfully ignorant swine or drop kocks. Or the rest of you can go visit the nearest taxidermist, fossil fuel support brigade!

You all have a nice day now y'hear.
Alan B.

One of the most important and useful acts Australia could undertake towards preservation of natural environment, elimination of greenhouse gasses, and improvement to public health would be an immediate reduction in cattle farming.

It is the worst industry in clearing bushland to produce an increase in CO2, and then it produces CH4, and then it produces cholesterol and other nasties, and then it often goes broke and wants public subsidisation or a public bailout.

Bring on the collapse of the dairy industry, as it has been a primary culprit in the clearing of rain-forest, to produce a product that has little benefit for public health, and produces a range of health effects including an increase in cholesterol, an increase in coronary heart disease, it impairs the ability to absorb iron, it increases weight gain, and it can lead to calcuim loss in bones if no exercise is carried out.

Whether someone believes in climate change or not, most of the activities that increase CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere also seem to be detrimental to the environment and public health, .

Since the turn of the century, 1800's to now, we have seem enormous headway made by man, with regards to solutions to problems that 100 years ago were thought to be un-solvable to most.

Do you seriously believe that we, the human race, will not be able to come up with preventative measures to combat the likes of climate change before the so called dooms day arrives.

Get grip people. We have mouths to feed, jobs to provide and if we go around slashing emissions to what can only be described ridiculous levels, we will be clean, green and literally all unemployed. Then what!

Rather than the slash and burn approach, why are we not doing more research into the likes of carbon storage, with plantation timber being a huge potential for carbon storage to name just one.