what does the future hold now?, page-33

lautrec

I don't believe the CSG argument is about the real effects of fracking. If it were, NSW and the nation wouldn't be at this critical juncture.

That protestors without a skeric of industry knowledge can take as gospel all that a radical few feed them on complex, varied technologies proven over decades and without question or balance, virally disseminate mistruths and misinformation via social media to force the hand of a weak government to cast aside lawful process is the real heart of the issue.

As a nation we dont do public lynchings, for good reason.

As a nation we have regulatory process, for good reason.

Democracy is nowhere near perfect, right or altruistic and it is the truth that mobs and mob behaviour result in a fair proportion of regrettable, tragic and unfixable outcomes.

NSW now faces the real prospect of having birthed the eureka moment of environmental/social radicalism in NSW and Australia.

NSW now faces the reality of a relentless march of manipulated protestors to thwart not just CSG in the state (Origin, Santos) but new and expanding coal projects, ditto in Qld, ditto with other mining ventures.

The end play of these events, the loss of government control over state outcomes, will be the inevitable flight of capital from state and country and inevitable widespread job losses.

This is not the future for Australia the majority of protestors had in mind, but it is the reality of their endeavours if successful.

Western economies just cannot turn off fossil fuels in an instant ... there has to be a decades long period of transition from fossil to renewables and whtever else human endeavours can come up with.

This alternative view is very specific to MEL threads because it is imo a more valid view of:

1. what has happened thus far with MEL,
2. what potential arguments may be used to fight what has happened and
3. basis to take this argument to politicians, regulators, communities and the nation

Dex