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Originally Posted by Scopie
Offsetting Australian carbon emissions by 2020 IF the blueprint could achieve it (which I sincerely doubt) would have a negligible effect on total carbon emissions given that Australia generates .25% of those emissions.
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Australia could decarbonise its economy if the will to do it was there. Unfortunately the general public are labouring under the misconception that their lifestyle(s) are going to be less negatively impacted by pursuing a course of inaction. This is a fiction that has to be addressed before anything meaningful is done.
Also, our low percentage of global GHG emissions should not be used as an excuse to prevent us from decarbonising our economy. Perhaps we should look at it as an opportunity to lead by example. In that context, we could leverage far greater change (in others) than we actually effect by ourselves. The natural resources we have at our disposal puts us in an enviable position. If we lead the pack and put the infrastructure in place before the looming energy crisis kicks in properly, we could be positioned as the 'Saudi Arabia' of renewable energy. The idea that we can maintain our lifestyles without effecting fundamental changes in our energy currency is pure fantasy. The only question that remains to be resolved is whether we make the transition before we do irreparable damage to the real operating system of the planet, our biosphere, or not.
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Energy consumption rising at 3% a year, global population 50% higher in 20 years... tick tock.
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Yep, there are two elements that we need to face, unrestrained population growth will precipitate an unmitigated disaster irrespective of what we do. There will be no better time to take action than now.
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I could include one about the collapse of fish stocks by 2050
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I'd be surprised if they last that long.
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... You're just up the road Clive. We should chat!
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Sure, any time mate...
Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat money. ~Cree Proverb