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The Forum > Article Comments > Come on in - the quicksand's fine: my part in the energy crisis > Comments

Come on in - the quicksand's fine: my part in the energy crisis : Comments

By Chris Shaw, published 12/6/2007

I see false leaders, false gods, false morality, bizarre economics and delusion masquerading as science.

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Thanks for that Liam. Just when I thought I couldn't be any more shocked by the sheer ignorance of our politicians. Its really sad that the people who represent us are so hopelessly out of touch, Lib or Lab.
Posted by Carl, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 8:41:57 PM
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energy depletion is a problem.

pollution is a problem.

over-population is a problem.

and there's those old standbys, war, famine, disease.

actually, not quite true. all of the above are merely symptoms of a single problem. this problem is human character. it may be an insoluble problem. human character was formed over thousands of years in response to a world which was effectively inexhaustible, wherein the only challenges were other animals, and neighboring clans of humans.

we saw off the animals with the invention of stone-tipped spears, the neighbors have remained a challenge. the challenge was managed by encouraging a high birth rate, and forming command oriented social structures. the baboons use much the same methods, for the same reasons.

unfortunately, baboon style social structures are becoming less survival oriented, as we fill the earth, and it no longer seems inexhaustible. so i urge people to change from submission to the alpha male of prime minister, or president, or general secretary, to responsible and self respecting members of democracy.

only democracy can filter out selfish special interests by involving the entire electorate in management of society. only democracy can prevent the welfare of the majority being sacrificed to the interests of the rich and/or well connected. the coming society of scarcity,of austerity (for most), may present the possibility of mass death. if human society is ruled by a few, those few may well feel that a population crash is a convenient solution to importunate cries for equitable sharing of resources.

life could get much more 'interesting' than ozzies have hitherto experienced. depending on the skill and character of politicians to guide the nation in the coming crises is probably the only way to guarantee disaster.
Posted by DEMOS, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 8:45:45 PM
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Once again, a brilliant and succinct article on the present state of affairs. Thank you Chris.

OLO is loaded with erudite, well read, intelligent people with a good handle on what is happening to our wonderful country and rapidly reducing quality of life. Where are the decision makers? Does no one in a position of power or decision making read this?

From the last post, thank you Liam, we can see the parlous state our governing body is in. What happened to the people with a breadth of knowledge, education, holistic view and a care for our country and their children. We are in deep doo doo and they haven't a clue. The blame for all this can be laid squarely at the feet of the ten or so families who run this country. Who else has the ear of the government or the persuasive ability to make the necessary changes outlined by tonykevin 1.

Surely there is someone out there who knows who to talk to and make them wake up!
Posted by Guy V, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 8:53:43 PM
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Not sure if others are criticising Ms Fox (SA Member for Bright) for being only newly aquainted with the peak oil problem, anyway I don't myself. Its very easy to avoid thinking about real world nontrivial problems, theres whole industries dedicated to helping us serfs do so (sport, cinema, tv..) and enduring and merciless processes in political parties that make it unpopular and incompatible with being 'a team player'. Good on Ms Fox following her get-the-(new to her)-info-out instincts, i look forward to her future contributions.
Reminds me of Qld Member for Hervey Bay Andrew McNamara, a fellow traveller who got the Qld Oil Vulnerability Taskforce off the ground in 05(?).. has it released its report yet? (first promised i think for Oct 06).
Posted by Liam, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 9:59:20 PM
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Nice succinct article, Chris.

Here's a summary of some of the huge government grants handed out recently for solar research and development to major players in that field in the US:

http://www.nanosolar.com/cache/dawn.htm

I wonder how much money the Australian Government is putting into solar?

Within the next 10 years it will be commonplace to have buildings with their entire roofs covered with solar panels, and by the looks of it, sun-facing walls producing electricity too.

Imagine how much power the skyscrapers in Sydney could produce with translucent thin-film solar panels covering their windows. Couple this with LED lighting and you're laughing.
Posted by Ev, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 11:33:15 PM
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