World affairs are in a mess. Global population continues its alarming upward trajectory and this presents virtually unmanageable challenges. It is not surprising, therefore, that our governments are barely coping as they stumble from crisis to crisis.
Resource economists and geologists know that our technological civilization is reliant on affordable energy. This is now in crisis as global petroleum reserves decline. Fortunately there are other energy sources, aside from diminishing oil and relatively abundant coal which pollute.
North-Western Australia has a giant offshore natural gas industry related to petroleum and Eastern Australian states are gearing up to exploit the coal seam gas (CSG) potential. However the latter has the capacity to pollute ground and surface waters.
Nuclear energy is a reliable source of base load power in many countries and has the advantage of not generating a carbon footprint. But nuclear accidents are a reality, as demonstrated recently in Japan where failed plants are located in a high risk earthquake environment.
Those defending the nuclear option point out there are relatively few accidents and that the nuclear waste problem is manageable. Critics disagree.
The energy from our sun will see mankind out. It is ‘free’ and non-polluting. However the affordable storage of solar energy is a problem at this time. But this will be solved eventually, thus making renewable solar energy reliable as a source of base load power.
In the meantime, our secretive governments should announce the exis-tence of extraterrestrial visitors to our planet. Their assistance and technological superiority could fast track our transition to a sustainable energy future.
John Lusk
Dunbogan
