VFA, if I may interrupt here;
Your proposal is business as usual. It was fine up to the 1990s but
there has been a fundamental shift in the world's energy picture.
Everyone here I am sure would like to think you are right but reading
the tea leaves finds us looking reality in the face.
This landed in my inbox today and illustrates the two positions
that you and I are presenting;

http://tinyurl.com/luzq7aq

Short of some almost miraculous discovery of a very energy dense system
the sort of progressive world you describe has gone.

Dear Bazz
Within yours and my lifetime there will be a new source of energy powering our homes, cars and factories. What will it be? Bill Gates talks about an energy miracle;

http://www.visionforaustralia.com.au/new-energy.html

and I'd like to believe it could come true. The only way it will come true though is through a very diligent approach to this incredibly difficult problem. In my opinion it should be Australia's No 1 National Priority. I think we should throw everything we have at solving this problem for a decade and see what we can come up with. If we don't then the only alternative left is Nuclear.

Wake up Vision.

You want tax payer money thrown at some nebulous garbage. Governments have thrown billions, yes billions, at global warming research, & all they have found is how wrong their first premise really was. We are no closer to understanding climate, but universities are dramatically over staffed.

All you get from government scientists on original research is waste.

Yes they can develop minor changes in medicine, & a few other things, but by definition they are bureaucrats, with the bureaucrats limit in off the wall thinking.

If we are to find a new energy source, not really needed with nuclear, it won't come from formal, publicly funded research.

All this pie in the sky stuff is great, provided you fund it. Don't go spending my taxes on wild goose chases. I have far too many bureaucrats I have to support to have money to waste.

How about Tidal generating stations?

Australia has some areas with a very high tidal flows.

Dear Hasbeen

Please let me correct you. No-where did I mention this research being Taxpayer funded. I am proposing to set up a private company of people who believe that we control the future, not the future controls us.

http://www.visionforaustralia.com.au/new-energy.html

Now you are talking Vision.

That has some chance, if you get lucky with your choice of research. Someone will, so why not you.

Good luck.