Editorial: Have we turned off the taps too soon?

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I was offered another perspective on the Government's recent decision to end all future oil and gas exploration permits ... and it has me thinking.

It was suggested that it had taken the best part of 150 years for society to become fully dependent on fossil fuel and so it makes sense that it will take plenty of time to exit ourselves from that dependency — most likely many decades.

Even if we manage to swap out the bulk of the domestic car fleet with electric vehicles within 25 years, fossil fuel will be required for long after that for pretty much everything it does now.

Alternative fuels don't even yet exist for commercial aircraft or for many other things.

Cutting off oil exploration after 25 years will effectively kill any hope of the industry being resurrected once all the skillsets and infrastructure are lost. And it means we are likely to have to pay premium prices for the oil that we will still need.

Instead of cutting off access to the reserves we have within easy reach and control, the government might have been better announcing something actually visionary, and deserving of being hailed our modern nuclear-free moment.

Perhaps a bold plan to invest in — and adopt — clean energy solutions over a timeframe that sets out its expectations of industry and includes incentives for early adopters and sticks for stragglers.

We lag far behind so many countries in a space we should — if our clean-green mantra is to be believed — be leading.

Or how about a policy that addresses our agricultural sector – in particular, dairying. We contribute way more than we think to climate pollution. And it's a tricky one to solve.

So perhaps we need a clearer vision before we turn off the taps?