Synopsis

Without trying to be a textbook, my paper walks through the essentials of how earths climate came to its present condition, stressing the importance of the wind and ocean currents as they redistribute earths heat, and pointing out the nice, warm temperature plateau on which we currently live.

Most importantly, the dynamics of the Greenhouse are explained.

The dramatic progress that man has made in the last 100 or so years is due to his ability to exploit the energy from concentrated fuels, and this leads onto discussing the downside of this success - carbon dioxide and its link to global warming.

The all too often proposed triple panacea of voluntary usage reduction, of population growth limitation and of new technology quick fixes are debunked.

The disastrous effects on the planet of our lifestyle with its endless consumption, and of the uncontrolled population growth, are explored in some detail.

The merits of available sources of electricity are reviewed, pointing out the usefulness, yet severe limitations of the known renewable technologies, solar and wind, as well as the vagaries of cleaning up coal plants. Nuclear power generation is proposed as the only practical option, despite public disquiet.

A summary of Australias current fuel usage for electricity generation is given, followed by a practical proposal for a possible way forward.

My purpose then is to show the inter-linkage that exists between the many aspects of the climate problem, to assist in making sense of, and to give perspective to, the mass of information, hype and sometimes bias in the current debate.

Two years ago, while on a camping trip through the Pilbara, I took the front cover photo of exquisite Millstream in the Chichester National Park WA, a place of such tranquil natural beauty, and yet we are losing it!