Hi Hasbeen, I think you have a nice point.

What a load of ‘philosophising’ – or ‘waffle’ to be more precise! The author does not even define what he means by ‘pollution’.

As he is an adjunct research associate with Monash University, why does he not apply the scientific method when it comes to researching climate change.

No Joe, wasn't suggesting relocating to our nearest solar neighbors. Just making a case for the effects and counter effects of Co2 as applied to climate change or the green house effect, which arguably is all that makes Venus the hottest planet in our solar system.

As for coal, we can mine and use currently wasted thorium instead, then use it in place of coal to power our homes and massive new energy dependent, high tech industry.

Permanent high value highly paid manufacturing jobs will trump temporary mining any day! And given the huge savings available in doing so, really power up the overall economy!

Then using that massively cheaper energy, desalinate copious water using the latest deionization process, which doesn't require pressure, just flowing water, that is given an electric shock a la dialysis to quarantine the salt to one selected part of the flow sheet, which is immediately returned.

This then makes up to 95% potable water from sea water. And at quarter of the cost of traditional desal. Meaning broad scale irrigation with that cost effective water is eminently affordable/doable; and were we to use our nuts instead of burying them, we could turn the economic tide and rescue our ailing coal fired economy, to instead invite in unprecedented universal prosperity and food production on an hitherto, unknown scale and use up the record Co2!

Climate change doesn't have to be bad news, just an opportunity to massively improve the lot of all Australians as well as begin to roll back poverty and unmet need, wherever it exists and with that, remove most of the stimulus for armed conflict and millions of displaced (drought effected) persons!

Agnosticism (burying the head) addresses/resolves none of this or any other problem! Finally, a good businessman knows when to cut his losses and get out! And in that context, we just need to get out of coal!

The greenhouse effect should be seen as an opportunity to turn the entire planet into a big productive greenhouse, as opposed to sitting on our hands watching avoidable desertification.
Alan B.

Hi Alan,

As you suggest, thorium reactors may be eventually the way to go, but in the meantime, I hope that Adani goes all out to provide India with enough coal to lift 1.4 billion Indians, as quickly as possible, out of desperately poor lives which demand CO2-producing wood-and-cow-dung-fires - the cancer rate amongst Indian peasant women must be be horrific, causing problems which must rank almost with the uncertainties of kale availability in Balmain.

Once that's done, and if thorium-based energy production is up and running, we can all go with over to that instead. Hopefully, in the very near future :)

Joe

Alan if you want to try science, you do need to understand what you are talking about.

It is the depth of the atmosphere on Venus, not its composition that generates it's temperature.

We have Co2 as a gas and carbon as a particle.
It is undeniable that the concentrations of Co2 in the atmosphere are at their greatest levels since co2 was measured. And who put all that extra Co2 into the atmosphere.

We can not blame volcanic action to cause climate change this time as in the past.
Glacial ice have a coating of black carbon, which in turn is helping ice melt.
Rising temperatures have been largely absorbed into our oceans, creating an undercutting of glacial ice.

Weather patterns are becoming more volatile as the years pass.
These events are caused by nature being compromised. unless we change our ways we are in for a torrid time.

To deny anything is happening is ostrich activity and will aid nothing.

There is no such thing as cyclical when it comes to climate change there has to be a trigger