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Originally Posted by paraclete

Tal, we are just as much caught in this mesh as you are. All we hear here is the market mechanism and how it solves problems, why it is going to reduce carbon emissions by 80%, provide new industries, full employment, innovation and lead us into a utopian future and if that doesn't do it then new and innovative taxes will.. .. ..

but we are seeing a move for a moritorium on fracking, moves to restore the Murray-Darling which will mean less water for big cotton and intensive agriculture and the opening of uranium mines

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LOL, I find it amusing an island is short of water, but there is technology that can help with the crops, and still have plenty of water for the wild life.

How Is Salt Water Filtered into Fresh Water? | eHow.com

Unbridled capitalism... you are still stuck on strawman arguments .

Nope, problem solving through technology, and effective management of those technologies.

Actually capitalism inhibits technology.

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Originally Posted by talaniman

LOL, I find it amusing an island is short of water, but there is technology that can help with the crops, and still have plenty of water for the wild life.

How Is Salt Water Filtered into Fresh Water? | eHow.com

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Yes nice to know about technology but when we speak of salinity we don't just speak about salt water but about a rising water table bringing salt to the surface and destroying the viability of agricultural land. This is what increasingly happens with large scale irrigation. When we speak about the Murray-Darling system we are not speaking about wildlife but down stream availability of water. During the recent drought, the flow at the mouth of the river system, one of the larger river systems in the world, stopped. Could you imagine what would happen if the flow at the mouth of the Mississippi stopped? We are speaking of a river system that was once nagivable for thousands of kilometers. Can you realise the volumes of water we are taking about?

I can imagine what a political football it is when politicians scramble for solution.

You are a young nation, there is time to grow and learn, unlike the duffs here who rather make money than figure out real solutions.

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Originally Posted by talaniman

I can imagine what a political football it is when politicians scramble for solution.

You are a young nation, there is time to grow and learn, unlike the duffs here who rather make money than figure out real solutions.

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Tal size isn't the issue nor is money we are the 16th economy in the world, much bigger than our relative population and yes, we are young but only in respect of our current political structure, our roots are much the same as yours. The nature of our land means we can't grow like you did because we don't have the water resources like you do, no furtile great plains, you see, so all the ideas you come up with are tried here but many fail because this is a different place, might as well be a preparation for Mars

I meant grow in the way you deal with your problems, and obstacles Clete. Mans survival is his adaptability, and problem solving.

The land is what it is and you have to take what you have. Pretty obvious you are not a techno geek, or engineer. Nor can you think in those terms, but I have no doubt someone is working on the problem and despite past failures, they are still looking for better solutions.

I am surprised the Chinese haven't given you some good ideas since they have been working with the same issues that you have.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib775/aib775o.pdf

Problems of the irrigation system in the Turpan Basin of China

Your problems are not unique Clete, nor are the solutions, or the politics.

Hi Tal

I'm sure the Chinese have wonderful ideas but again a land with plenty of water, maybe Israel can give us some ideas, the problems would be closer. Look, we have some great ideas of our own, but not the national will to implement them, and, of course, too much environmental opposition. Engineering solutions can create their own problems, our Snowy scheme had to be reversed 50 years on to restore environmental flows to the rivers, a grand engineering plan that failed to live up to its potential

LOL, Where you say political will, I say its about the MONEY. I find it interesting that so many get the money out of politics amendments to our Constitution have started to replace the balanced budget amendment talks, tax reforms and the like that politicians are talking about.

That's the bottom line to inability to solve many nations problems, the money that's involved. Solutions are jut to expensive... or o they say. I say no solution, or inadequate ones are even MORE expensive.

The great difference between our nations is in fact the political system and the level of corruption in high places. We don't seem to have that, what ever it is, for nation building. It isn't Money, our government is investing in the NBN, why I don't know, but it is billions but try to get support for a dam or any other large scale inferstructure. It takes decades. You may find it strange but our mountains are still the barrier they basically have been since settlement, we are a country 12, 000 miles long. You said something about an island a little while ago. Don't think island, think continent. My own state is bigger than Texas

Then it's a young island country. Still has to grow, and evolve, as do we all, past our national issues. We can and will, have before. So will you, think centuries not decades.

And many issues to solve, it never stops. One thing or another.

I think it is time to raise the Eureka Flag again
Eureka Flag

" WE SWEAR BY THE SOUTHERN CROSS TO STAND TRULY BY EACH OTHER, AND FIGHT TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES."


What we need is to sweep all those procrastinating politicians into the sea. We do have some will that you seem to lack over there our Treasurer has announced sweeping cuts to the budget and it won't get any argument from anyone. Can we send him over to lead your super committee?