An interesting weekend learning what the future has to offer.
Recently Perth hosted two interesting events. This is not unusual but the fact that my roster lined up to accommodate both is a rarity that I treasure. The first by order of attendance was the Japan and Australia: economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific hosted by the Consulate-General for Perth and the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA). The second was, Sunburnt Country: The History and Future of Climate Change in Australia; a public lecture by Dr Joëlle Gergis author of the book by the same name, hosted by the UWA Institute of Advanced Studies.
To cover all the material that the various speakers discussed, considered and critiqued would require an extended formal essay. And I’m not about to do that; maybe later. The main themes that I picked from the speakers, which included Professor Tomohiko Taniguchi, Special Advisor to the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Sam Walsh AO – Director, Mitsui & Co (former CEO, Rio Tinto), Fiona Simson – President, National Farmers Federation, Prof. Mark Beeson – Professor of International Politics, University of Western Australia and of course the previously mentioned Dr Joëlle Gergis – was interesting, especially after having some time to digest the information.
Each are specialists in their fields and more importantly are recognised and progressive in their chosen fields. The speakers all spoke of the problems ahead of business and the nation state in a world with severe climate change and short-sighted political focus. But there was no complaining and there were no glasses in sight that could be thought of as half full.
Instead all four of these broad thinkers talked about the blending of ideas, international cooperation and the uses of technology and big data to overcome the issues that are confronting businesses, trade, farming, mining, the environmental problems not just locally but globally. I do have a bias towards technology being the answer to solving the current man-made problems that we and our children will have to deal with. There is though, a glaring problem.
A federal election is sitting in the wings and so far, I have not heard any of the parties announce a defined and consistent policy that will help us to transition into sustainable water management, forging ahead with sustainable energy, investment in local research and development or even shared research and development projects. Where is the commitment? Why is their no vision? And why do farmers, scientist and business managers have a better understanding of Australia’s needs to remain sustainable and successful. Rather than the lawyer filled political parties whose reckless indifference and sometimes outright incompetence are only making the situation for all Australians – present and future – less likely to be a lucky country and more likely to be the people that vote for the pointless fear mongers of Palmer and Hanson.
The only ontology being expressed by Canberra, is that political myopia is real.
By: Peter Fox
My Axial Hub 