Last week at the National Press Club, Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel spoke of the environmental fragility of planet Earth, and how industrialization has caused the rapid escalation of atmospheric CO2 levels, thereby increasing the 'green-house effect' and accelerating global warming.
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Use of hydrogen offers a solution to our warming climate he says.
Yet whilst developed countries are forging ahead in their embrace of new clean-energy technologies (including hydrogen), we in Australia are languishing in the past, and clinging onto old technology ultimately at great cost to individual taxpayers.
Instead of an orderly transition away from coal, we have a the federal government that just last week promised $4 million for a feasibility study into a coal-fired power station in north Queensland, an $11 million 'handout' for repairs to prolong the operation of the Vales Point coal generator, and continuing support for Adani, even though the related summer bushfires caused an enormous devastating economic hit of $4.4 billion.
By supporting more coal generation we are indirectly fuelling more wildfires and worsening droughts in the years ahead.
Politically, we are being held back by a group of ultra-conservative climate change deniers at great cost to our economy and the environment.
By voting for these ill-informed and non-visionary politicians we are unwittingly contributing to a future of extreme heat, more wild-fires, more flash flooding, higher insurance premiums, and higher food prices as regular supply of food becomes more difficult.
Continuing down this path will result in a much destabilised economy and a more difficult and insecure future for each and every one of us.
Clearly, a clever country we are not!
Ian Cooper, California Gully
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