by
Robert McLean
Few matters of consequence were discussed Beneath the Wisteria on Saturday
morning.
Those who gather each month are a polite bunch, rarely being
confrontational in that they demand others, or guests, to clearly articulate
their position on any process that worsens carbon dioxide emissions.
Guests on the Saturday just gone (October 25) were candidates
for the Seat of Shepparton in the November 29 State Election, Rod Higgins
(Labor), Greg Barr (Nationals), Fern Summer (independent) and Dianne Teasdale
(independent).
Michael Burke, the Country Alliance candidate, was an
apology.
Each candidate was allowed several minutes to talk about
their response to climate change, explaining policies they would pursue and how
they would do it. However, their observations and comments were largely rhetorical
and rarely, if ever, alluded to what positive steps they would take to mitigate
our emissions and how they would instigate the needed societal changes.
The general congenial nature of Beneath the Wisterians was on display last Saturday and most of the
hard questions were simply not asked.
There appears to be a sense that, and maybe this is my
interpretation, the process in which such things as state elections are
embedded and integral to, is a societal behaviour that is at the root of
worsening circumstances that are manifesting themselves as climate change.
Subsequently, as all four candidates had no idea of what
impact they could, or would have on a deeply entrenched political system, their
observations and replies were somewhat superficial.
Beyond that their generosity in spending an hour Beneath the Wisteria was appreciated.
Acidification of the world’s oceans appears remote from
Shepparton concerns, but is of critical importance to everyone who lives here, but
was something that most certainly wasn’t discussed on Saturday.
The world’s oceans impact dramatically on Australia’s weather
and can bring weather of massively damaging dimensions to the Goulburn Valley,
in terms of protracted droughts, exceedingly hot weather which combined with
conditions worsened by drought produces bushfires that quickly become
unstoppable wildfires and rainstorms of a magnitude that produce never seen
before floods.
Scientific American tells us that acidification of the world’s
oceans, a serious implication of our relentless burning of fossil fuels, is
costing the world dearly.
A story headed: ”Oceans Could Lose $1 Trillion in Value Due to Acidification” says one estimate looking only at lost ecosystem protections,
such as that provided by tropical reefs, cited an economic value of $1 trillion
annually.
