Green Envy & Sadness

I was ashamed to say when I visited my close friends on the weekend, I was more than a tad green with envy. Having had the misfortune of having both their cars being put out of action recently, one with old age and the other with a freeway bingle, both have been replaced with brand new cars!
A Hybrid Camry was the pick for one and a fuel efficient diesel people-mover/SUV for the other. For those of us who can't use public transport (kids, work locations etc) having a good car is essential.
Having checked out the Holden Volt over the weekend, I am personally waiting until the prices drop to

Holden Volt - $60,000 worth!

something I can afford but its good to see more hybrids and fuel efficient cars on the road.
While I applaud the manufacturing of these hybrids and electric vehicles, the time taken to provide carbon-neutral or friendly fuel, infrastructure and fleet turnover may be too long for the environment.

The Climate Commission has released another report, The Critical Decade: Extreme Weather, warning that Australia's Climate has already changed. However, it will be interesting if many other reports are published if the Commission is merged with the Department of the Environment following a Federal Coalition (Liberal/National Party) election win.
According to the Age Newspaper, Tony Abbott has said he will abolish the new big bureaucracy, along with the Carbon Tax. 
And if the current State Liberal/National Party Governments actions are any guide, wind back Feed-In-Tarriffs (to suit big business interests), perhaps change building codes to provide choice to not have energy efficiency building measures, and perhaps change the Renewable Energy Targets.

The Labor Party is not much better on all this stuff.
So much for real choice.
Its OK, Australia can dig up more coal, frack for Coal Seam Gas all through-out the South Eastern States, mine the Oil and Gas in the West, and use all that CO2 producing electricity for the air-conditioning needed. After all we only provide a small part of the problem and none of the solutions!