Big enough to be game-changer

Clive Bibby

Opinion

I’M ALWAYS suspicious when a columnist begins his article with complimentary overtures that are invariably followed by patronising comments about my inability to understand the truth.

I normally would resist the temptation to respond to Bob Hughes’ “counter argument” and assertion that he and other disciples are alone on the Road to Damascus.

However, in this instance, I can’t allow this sort of misrepresentation of my opinions to go unchallenged.

Bob’s views don’t mean that he has a mortgage on morality or even the only ideas of value. It is because of the need to do things differently that I urge our leaders to introduce new strategies. Even Bob (and I note the Mayor) agrees that the old ways have failed to keep pace with the 21st century demands of this region.

Well that’s a good starting point! So, what to do next?

In the spirit of respectful dialogue, can I offer a list (not long) of why an alternative approach to Bob’s mantra (one of sitting on one’s hands and waiting for the inevitable) should at least be considered.

Firstly, the thing we agree on:

We have very few options for economic growth and we are running out of time to put in place systems that will secure our way of life for future generations.

Now, let’s look at other reasons why my suggested approach is a positive one:

Apart from the traditional contributors to our pastoral economy, the investigation of our natural resources of gas and minerals (notice, I don’t include oil but personally wouldn’t rule it out) offers the only option large enough to be a game-changer.You may be surprised to learn that I agree with much of Bob’s summary of the negative aspects of the current methods of oil exploration. But my concerns with this type of exploitation only go so far, as they may become less worrying in a relatively short time. In the meantime we must move on. Advances in technology are changing the face of this industry at such a pace that it would only be a fool who refuses to accept the possibility of breakthroughs that mitigate the risks associated with current techniques.

The best analogy I use is to reflect on South Australia’s plans for recycling the world’s nuclear waste. It wasn’t so long ago that Bob and his mates were railing against the use of nuclear power and pointing out how that scourge was going to reduce the world to rubble in no time at all.

Well, if we look at current developments in that industry, there appears to have been massive changes to the way they do things . . . so much so that this form of power generation is actually being promoted by none other than Bob’s mates at the IPCC — a group of scientists who want to see an end to the use of fossil fuels, but recognise that decisions about survival will often come down to adopting unattractive options.I believe that our reserves of methane gas in suspension could offer this region a unique opportunity to get the show back on the road. It is the one option that could transform this community and at the same time allow Bob and co the flexibility to care in the manner of their choice.I will be the first to join his group of advocates of electric cars once we have turned our gas resource into a fuel for the electricity plants that can make it happen.