Australia 2020 Summit “destined to fail”

Stilgherrian — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:46:14 +0000

Another negative piece about the Australia 2020 Summit, this time from geneticist Michael Lardelli in The 2020 Summit — more hallucination than clear vision. He reckons it’s “destined to fail”.

Let me quote a couple more lines from the [ALP policy] website:

“The Australia 2020 Summit will examine… How we best invest the proceeds of [current] prosperity to lay the foundations for future economic growth.” And “How… we plan future population growth at a national and regional level, given the constraints of water shortages and sustainability?”

The trouble with these statements is that they assume the possibility of future economic growth and the inevitability and even desirability of population growth. But economic growth requires energy. A clear, objective view of the facts shows that by 2020, Australia and the rest of the world will be deep in an energy and food crisis of epic proportions.

Lardelli reckons that not even the Greens can openly suggest that future economic growth is impossible or that population growth is undesirable.

I don’t think we should write off the Summit just yet. These are Australians we’re talking about. If the Steering Committee tries to shut down true ideas-generation, I reckon our “best and brightest” will fight back with vigour.

Stilgherrian » michael lardelli

Australia 2020 Summit “destined to fail”

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