Have you ever had a song that just sticks in your head? An earworm as they say in the land of labels, a song that keeps on going around and around, driving you demented. I had this the other day, my subconscious playing nasty tricks on me.
The song was Let the sunshine in, one that I remember singing in the late Sixties. Or was it the Seventies? I think it came out with that controversial musical Hair, an anti-war, anti-establishment piece with an infamous nudity scene. The song was all a bit hippyish but had a catchy tune. It had references to an age of Aquarius (whatever that meant) and the need for positive change.
Well, we bloody well need some positive change all these decades later. The reality of renewable energy and sunshine is taking front and centre in my thinking. And I am getting annoyed, very annoyed. Why, you ask?
Today I heard a politician rabbit on about building nuclear power stations to tide us over in the interim phase between old-fashioned carbon emitting technology – think dirty coal-fired power stations and new solar and wind farms, generating all the electricity we need.
It was typical politician speak, sound grabs, blame heavily cast on the present government, though goodness knows we’ve had a few of each variety in the past 20 years.
We have had years and years to contemplate this need for alternative energy sources and it strikes me that we have been incredibly slow, stupid and downright dumb in how we have approached this looming crisis.
Many years ago, in the mid-1970s, I spent a few weeks in the Middle East and I was amazed at their innovative approach to energy. On every building I saw there were solar hot water services, capturing for free what nature was providing. Granted they looked jerry-built and not aesthetically pleasing but they did a good job and ensured that at least a portion of the need for electricity was covered by the sun.
I came back home and waited and waited for our forward-thinking politicians to join the club. We have abundant sun, so why did it take 40 years at least to play catch up?
We now have one of the biggest uptakes of solar panels on our roofs, thanks to private citizens, but we seem to have not joined the dots in making sure the rest of the infrastructure handles this load.
And as for nuclear power – the idea the politician pulled out of a hat – the consensus is that they take years and years to build, are not popular with the electorate (who wants one in their backyard?) and then leave us with a pact with the devil to try to store the radioactive waste material.
My scepticism rises about our ability to not have enormous budget blowouts (no infrastructure seems to meet its budget estimate), let alone having any of these plants built within a reasonable time frame.
Climate change is upon us. There will be more severe storms, drought and hotter days to test the resolve of people and governments. Water will become a scarce commodity in some parts of the world and other parts will be inundated by rising sea levels. There is more than a sense of urgency to all of this.
Will future generations shake their collective heads in disbelief and disappointment that we squandered our opportunities and were so slow in our need to save the planet?
What are your thoughts on the current power situation? Have our politicians squandered opportunities? Or is nuclear the future? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Podcast: Too many Aussies ignoring valuable energy rebates