Usual doom and gloom scenario from the pious souls of the Stoic Left. No doubt it is their hardy stock which will inherit the Eden like post apocalyptic world they yearn for. My only hope is that in the "dark times" before the glory world of Leon and Co we can drive around in old Falcons like on Mad Max. Gotta have some fun!!

Does anyone want to take a bet on what the world will be like in 20 years time ?

aime, parliamentary governments can't get elected if they anger large corporations. they are the last group on earth to suggest radical response to new danger.

people like you could drive citizen initiatives to the polls for consideration by the electorate, if we had this power. we don't, because the political level of evolution here is too backward. it's not just the pollies, they are a fair mirror of the electorate.

it's quite possible that it's too late to prevent disaster. but if governor swarzeneggar and rupert murdoch are on board, it's getting harder for the professional know-nothings to claim action against global warming is a lefty scare. there can be change, and maybe the best effort we can make will be decisive. considering that the stakes might be survival, young people better get busy changing things, if they want to be old people.

Peak Oil is a much more immeadiate threat than global warming.
At least there is currently a stop in world average temperature rise.

Peak oil gives every sign that it started in 2005 and it just depends on
how big are the lies being told by the Arabs about their reserves as to
when we will get the wakeup call that every man & his dog will not be able to ignore.
I notice the US is having trouble buying petrol to make
up for their low refinery output.

It is little news items like that that are the straws in the wind.
To get the pollies to respond is very difficult. I had the opertunity
to speak to a pollie about it and I got the usual glazed over look.
They are frightened to say to the electorate that they will have to
start planning for petrol rationing.
Yet they offer $2000 to put gas in the car. They mothball old busses
instead of scapping them. They offer $8000 for solar installation.

Tell those electors that they won't be able to go zooming around in their
hotted up Commodores or Falcons, ha you got to be kidding !

I doubt "everyone" does know the importance of the upcoming election - at the moment we are being bias fed by the media that the result is a foregon e conclusion (and therefore noone needs to think about the issues involved).
To suggest that the Coalition is not concerned about the environment is ridiculous. The ALP is promising the heavens as well as the earth in regard to the environment (and a number of other issues). The reality is that they will do as the unions want - and that is the view of more than one well informed political commentator. Some people may not see that as a bad thing, others may see it as a disaster waiting to happen. What we can be fairly certain about is that the economic reality of climate change and oil issues is not going to sit with comfortably with the mortgage, the two cars and the outher accoutrements of 21st Century living in a "rich" country. As one who has never been able to afford a mortgage or even a car (although I do have a 'fridge and a microwave oven) I will be interested to see whether people are prepared to do without to help the climate...my guess is - not.

I read an article recently pointing out that the relatively simple "life-style" we lived only 30 or 40 years ago was more than adequate. It provided most of us with all the material comforts that we needed to live a prosperous life. Back then we didnt feel deprived nor were our insatiable desires constantly stimulated by 24 hour wall to wall advertising.

One of the most thorough-going books ever written by an Australian re the origins & consequences of our squanderous, fear based "life-style" is Economia by Geoff Davies.

http://www.geoffdavies.com

Published by ABC Books----boo hiss!

Hear, hear! Geoff Davies' "Economia" is a ripper read and really shows the non-existent theoretical foundations of modern economics. (i.e. It shows that, as a "science" it has no basis in reality.) Jim Puplava of financialsense.com is telling people to begin moving their investment positions into cash now to await a collapse of world stockmarkets. Apparently, the workers in investment firms are moving their money into safer positions while continuing to spout the "all is rosy" message to the punters they advise. Much comment from Puplava and others (see kitco.com) about how US Government economy stats bear little correspondence to reality. Interesting times approaching rapidly methinks!