Post Carbon Non-Future

Loy Yang Power Station 2010

Following Bill McKibben's visit to Australia discussing why the superannuation industry should not be investing in Coal Industry stocks as reported in "Profiting from the wreckage of our planet", the Climate Commission has also dared to produce a report "warning that at least 80 percent of Australia's Coal Reserves need to remain unexploited to avoid dangerous climate change".
The full report "The Critical Decade 2013" can be got from the Climate Commission but it was interesting to see former Defence Force Chief Admiral Chris Barrie joining in the fight on climate change.
Several papers eg "Cool Dudes" by McCright & Dunlap 2011, in "Global Environmental Change" - indicate the conservative nature of many older people, particularly in the US but also clearly evident in Australia. The Conversation reported on the rise of "gerontocracy" and how this may imperil Australia's democracy. Strong words but I suspect, as someone not quite white haired, that there is more than a bit of truth in the report.

Unfortunately the continual reporting of possible ongoing leadership crises in the Federal Labor Party has completely hijacked any meaningful discussion of policy topics for the upcoming Federal Election. Perhaps everyone is waiting for the election date to get closer before blitzing us public but I suspect not.

Do you think the Australian Federal or State governments are capable of leaving coal in the ground when the economy languishes? I don't think so.
Given that Australia's Coal reserve may contribute 30% of the worlds reserves (McKibben) it seems we do have a bigger influence on the global climate than many are willing to admit.
So perhaps we will deserve increasingly wild and expensive weather lessons. I hope you have got deep wallets for your insurance needs.