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Population Growth

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Climate change response must include slower population growth

Monday, 21^th of March 2016 Climate change environment population growth

Parts of Australia had a public holiday last Monday and, in the great tradition of the long weekend, families headed for the hills or the beach.

I admired the stillness while Charlie pointed out the coldest part of the river where the rainbow trout live.

Sadly, as the river drops – and it is at a very low point already – the water heats and the new trout have to go lower and lower looking for their ideal temperature of about 12 degrees Celsius. We marvelled at the survival instincts of the fish as we peered into the translucent stream.

Two large trout, clearly the older and wiser of the school, were pushing the young ones out of the cooler spot and into a bit of hot water. There just wasn’t enough space for them all.

The older trout were going to make sure they got to their 11-year lifetime – just as Prime Minister Howard did.

Bob Hawke failed the rainbow trout test, lasting eight years however, although he did do remarkable things until his Treasurer Paul Keating pushed him into warmer water and he ran out of political oxygen.

<h2> Climate change is serious trouble </h2>

Political change and climate change have a similar characteristic. Many get too invested in themselves to notice and accept what’s going on around them.

Since striking up a friendship with Nobel Laureate and Special Adviser to the UN on Climate Change, Jeffrey Sachs, I’ve been absolutely convinced that we’re in very serious trouble.

Charlie is also alarmed. He says there are three things that we must all do. The first is to use less fossil fuel. Sadly, red-gum fires in the shack will have to stop.

Second, we have to deal with the carbon, and the best way to do that is to plant more trees. In my case that means reforesting the 50-hectare paddock.

<h2> Population growth must slow </h2>

And we must slow global population growth. And that’s a tough one. We’re a bit like the trout that spawn thousands of tiny eggs in the gravel at the bottom of the river.

Of course they don’t all make it in the battle for life and then those that do are confronted with our slowing streams and an over-heated world.

Those two older, larger and wiser trout that I spent Sunday evening watching have the same issues that we have. The river is also dividing into the haves and have-nots

And we will see this play out more and more in this election year, when our nation has to work out if there’s enough refreshing cool water for everybody. But sadly there just isn’t.

Are those that are already there going to share it or will they push the newcomers out? If you’ve got a comfortable middle-class life with negative gearing, adequate superannuation and the other perks of life, are you prepared to give up a bit to let others have a better chance at life?

We need to answer the question because one thing that we do know is that the economy is a bit like the river that I was looking at. It’s slowing. And it’s not going pick up its pace anytime soon.

With Easter coming, many, of us will be heading to the beach or the hills. Stop and think for a minute. How long will it be looking like this? Plant a tree at least. Author <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/by/Harold-Mitchell" rel="nofollow">Harold Mitchell</a> Photo courtesy of <a class="owner-name truncate" title="Go to James Cridland’s photostream" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/" rel="nofollow" data-track="attributionNameClick" data-rapid_p="56">James Cridland</a>