Post-Carbon Future

Looking after the environment has been 'mainstream' since the 1970s, and yet we still have no electric cars or solar power stations in Australia. Not because we don't want it, those technologies have been viable for at least that long, but now that it's possible for every house to generate their own electricity with solar on their roof, and current generation electric cars use as much electricity to recharge as a toaster!—it's government and industry who don't want to clean up their act because they rely on us subsidising their thirst for electricity.

There's no corporate/government vision of a post-carbon Australia, because they're addicted to the status quo being the world's mine. Frankly it's not a good look, and not good for the humans' future, much less the environment.

When we start seeing being factored in the true savings from eliminating the carbon economy—reduced health bills because cities aren't bathed in exhaust fumes, for one—then you'll know we're getting serious. In the mean time, Zero Carbon Australia at least have the stones to promote some kind of vision.

Governments need to get over their coal and oil tax addiction, learn the lessons of countries who have going down the zero carbon path for decades, and tax what you don't want, say pollution, and don't tax what you do want, like jobs and profits. Maybe we'd better stop voting for the two faces of 'business as usual' and start voting for those with an eye on new jobs and new industries, instead of bleating about buggy-whip industries dying out.

Think solar. Pick two companies, Pure Energies or Solar City, who will pay you to put solar panels on your roof. How about Germany currently gets up to 32% of its electricity from renewables? Not for a sunshine rich country like Australia of course…

And if I were buying/leasing an electric car, right now, in Austalia, I'd be going for Blade, they've been shipping, not promising—for years, now. These little beauties will do anyone for a second car, and most for a first car. Seriously.

Lastly (it's been a while, forgive me), if you're tired of climate "skeptics" cherry picking weather data or quoting non-climate scientists to convince you we don't have a serious problem, jump on SkepticalScience or download their free fact sheet and stick it on your iPad, should the occasion arise. I'm totally skeptical of business and government lining up to milk extra profits/taxes and not actually do anything to improve the environment, but playing the 'is it real?' game only cheats us out of the big changes and opportunities ahead. Let's get rid of the carbon pollution and have a better world.