None of us can be sure why we think as we do, I try, gee I do, to be balanced in my views, to say what I think.
I think, but can not prove man has played a roll in GW.
I think in time we will fix it,but not until it gets much worse.
One day the claim coal is a major cause will not need to be made, we will have moved on to other fuels, in part fixing the problem.
I do you know, truly, think governments, all of them, are not truly yet interested in new fuels new power.
Fear of letting go advantages like our income from coal, middle eastern income , western too from petroleum , stops progress.
Bazz know this, my ALP does not drive me, surely my posts scream just that?
I will till I die regard Simon Crean, a bloke who let his fathers name down, with no more regard than Latham, mate that is none.
My grub in festered NSW mob shame me, give me one honest rough nut like Eddy Ward, long dead never forgotten, and you can have the rest.
Again questions that I can not answer but will give an honest view.
Is GW real
Did man play a role
Can we fix it
Should we fix it
Do we care about Islands about to die?
Never perfect never sure but in my view yes to every question.
I however can be wrong.

Dear Herman,

I think you're reading too much into
the Obama Friedman "connection."

I got hold of Friedman's book at the
recommendation of a friend. But prior
to doing so - I of course did some
research on the author.

Thomas L.
Friedman is a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning
author. His books are international bestsellers.
Among them are, "From Beirut to Jerusalem,"
(winner of the National Book Award for non-fiction
and the Overseas Press Club Award): "The Lexus and
the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalisation," (also
winner of the Overseas Press Club Award);
"Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After
September 11," and "The World is Flat: A Brief History
of the Twenty-First Century," (winner of the first
Financial Times: Goldman Sachs Business Book of The
Year Award).

Friedman also has an OBE from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

I suggest that you actually read some of Friedman's work -
and then make up your mind about him. Surely you're
not of that sort of narrow mentality that thinks,
"I never read a book first before reviewing it as
it prejudices one so?" (giggle).

As for there being something fishy about the author being
pally with Obama? Perhaps Obama simply wants to pick
the author's brain ?

You should realize that the
book I'm recommending to you was published a year
prior to Obama being inaugurated as President - and it
of course was written years earlier before Obama ever
appeared on the scene - however, it's now very topical
and an excellent read on Climate Change issues.
Undoubtedly the US President read the book - (and with
Copenhagen) - wanted to meet the author.

I must comment on Bob Browns comments today, rstewart has got it right, I think I have too.
Let us be realistic, Brown said the old party's, trying to paint his as innovative and new.
Todays Greens are hardly that, 40% cuts by 2020, just consider how could we do that?
Who, on any side would support it?
I can not cut in my mind the idea todays idiot protest in Newcastle, strapping them selves to bridges and trains, is from Greens.
What ever we do, even if it is nothing, the unrealistic wishes of the greens are no better than the Abbott plans.
What ever is done it will in the end have to be a compromise, a vote for the Greens[ strange but tell me I am wrong] in the next election is a vote to do nothing.

Was Copenhagen.an impossible dream? Rising affluence of the poorer nations, and demands on the World resources from the extra 2.8 billion souls in the next 40 years ( U.N. figures), an increase of one third, will have a huge impact,the size of which is just emerging. So long as the poorer nations set fire to the forest when all they wanted was to clear a small plot for a few chickens and some rice and cassava and have lots of children.
So long as there are strikes of lightning to start bushfires, 80 of them in NSW this week, burning through forest lands that consumed hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2 every year of growth and now discharged it all back into the atmosphere in as many hours.
So long as political vision remains self serving , the time is nigh for nuclear power, re afforestation, on farm water conservation and bold legislation to phase out the mining of coal for our energy needs until a better use is found for it..
It makes more sense to compensate the shareholders than hand outs of $billions to poorer nations to cope with climate change rather than teaching them how to cope with it.
It makes more sense to process uranium ores to the fuel stage in Australia in the quiet confidence of a vision that this is our 24/7 clean energy future into the 22nd Century and beyond. Would the dissenters have a practical understanding of their dissent? or must we continue to be assailed year after year by the tortuous reasoning of theorists? and politicians who do not have the courage to legislate a practical vision for the community beyond their own tenure. My 13 year old says the earth is in an elliptical orbit round the Sun and closest for the next few years since 640 AD and will continue to melt the ice caps until it ranges out and the poles freeze up again.

Strange post that, well in my view it is.
Most of it seemed to point to man playing a roll in GW, population, poverty, removing trees to grow food, all things I would agree with.
Then while we , well most of us are looking for causes, you tell us your 13 year old child as the answer and its none of the above.
This mornings maybe leaks maybe lies about tax reform include new tax's for cars ext in city's, well if public transport was not a farce yes but until then its punishment for those who must go to work in own transport.
Things like Nuclear power are an alternative, we just have to convince true conservationists, not those who falsely wear a brand while in truth being nothing like it.

I can never be called a fan of any media outlet that is in Fox's owners hands.
But if we intend to debate this subject each of us, should read today Mondays editorial in the online edition of the Australian.
Read with an open heart and mind, I know if we nit pick roll it over look for things that support us we will find it.
And we can find things that we do not like too.
But while it hurts to hurt CJ Morgan and Bronwyn, so many who share many of my views, this story highlights extremism is a danger.
We could have had a scheme in place, maybe that would have helped others, we will get a scheme, maybe not the one on the table.
But whatever it is we will pay for it, Rudd's task is not to fuel the silly tax is the only issue fires by forgetting his middle of the road plans.