We Cannot Save Planet Earth Unless There Is The Necessary Political...

I was saddened to read of Alaska's plight Moonak; here in Australia, where petroleum based fuels are dearer than in USA, we thankfully have no nuclear power [yet?] but we do nonetheless consume vast amounts of coal and gas energy. Our politicians, unlike past US President Carter, have no desire to reduce national route speed limits to around 50mph (80kph) in order to conserve fuel and help save the environment. (I do my bit and more, but Australians are shamefully very near USA figures per head capita carbon emissions).

Unfortunately, the whole of modern-day society is geared around gasoline guzzling 4-wheel drive off-reader or monster diesel vehicles that are simply not as environmentally green as their manufacturers' claim. Or worse, air planes that can directly pollute up to 300% more so than cars. No politician is going to try to stop the wheels of industry, food distribution, or people from flying around the globe on their holidays.

Here's an inconvenient truth: every year in Australia, more people die from lung/respiratory diseases attributable to petrochemical fumes than are killed on Australia's roads.

Solar and Wind renewable energy sources are perhaps our only real hope, yet funding for research and development in them is not only limited but is also consistently questioned by those politicians who really want a nuclear-based economy.

Planet Earth - and by that we must mean that sustainable and habitable niche occupied by man and the plants and the animals (biosphere) cannot fight this battle and survive - we are committing both murder and suicide at the same time; perhaps someone would like to raise this as a debating point.

Sudipa; I agree with your comments but am perhaps more sceptical regarding general human nature and issues of man's' demonstrable failure to comply with any but the smallest environmental measures - even when it means our survival as a species.

BruceinOz

19 Apr 2008 11:55

Comment

Unfortunately, the whole of modern-day society is geared around gasoline guzzling 4-wheel drive off-reader or monster diesel vehicles that are simply not as environmentally green as their manufacturers' claim. Or worse, air planes that can directly pollute up to 300% more so than cars.  No politician is going to try to stop the wheels of industry, food distribution, or people from flying around the globe on their holidays.

Here's an inconvenient truth: every year in Australia, more people die from lung/respiratory diseases attributable to petrochemical fumes than are killed on Australia's roads.

Solar and Wind renewable energy sources are perhaps our only real hope, yet funding for research and development in them is not only limited but is also consistently questioned by those politicians who really want a nuclear-based economy.

Planet Earth - and by that we must mean that sustainable and habitable niche occupied by man and the plants and the animals (biosphere) cannot fight this battle and survive - we are committing both murder and suicide at the same time; perhaps someone would like to raise this as a debating point.

Sudipa; I agree with your comments but am perhaps more sceptical regarding general human nature and issues of man's' demonstrable failure to comply with any but the smallest environmental measures - even when it means our survival as a species.

Comment

Here's an inconvenient truth: every year in Australia, more people die from lung/respiratory diseases attributable to petrochemical fumes than are killed on Australia's roads.