I'm speechless. For the first time in years it's from hope and joy.

[GliderGuider]

A politician gets it. Totally gets it.

What kind of future will our kids inherit?

Queensland government Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation Andrew McNamara recently made a series of points critical to the future of our children and grandchildren.

There have been attempts to make “housing affordability” a campaign issue. The development industry has claimed that the release of more subdivision land is the pathway to that goal.

This is what Minister McNamara had to say on the subject of growth and sustainability.

“Population distribution, standard of living and sustainability are linked inextricably,’’ he told the Brisbane Institute.

“A long-term study pointing out the appropriate population distribution for Australia, including modelling of the impacts both of climate change and peak oil, must now become a priority.

“In the 21st century, the human race must finally confront the reality that in the closed system that is planet Earth, there are limits to growth.

“No matter how clever we are, there is no escaping the physical limits of the world’s resources. The laws of physics trump the laws of economics every time.”

Mr McNamara called for a focus on “smart growth” that was low-carbon, low-pollution and resource-neutral, and which added to the natural capital, instead of destroying it.

He said global demands on natural systems exceeded their sustainable yield by an estimated 25 per cent.

“We are meeting current demands by consuming the Earth’s natural assets, setting the stage for decline and collapse,” he said.

“With some notable exceptions, policy makers have been guilty of allowing sustainability to be cast as a peculiarly environmental issue, marginalised from the main game of economic development.

“Pigeon-holing it as a narrow environmental concept has led us down a path of accepting unsustainability in the name of jobs and economic development.

“Yet what have we done but draw upon the Earth’s non-renewable resources as if they were limitless, and create an economy that assumes – indeed demands – cheap energy to sustain the national and international movement of food and goods and water and people in ever greater volumes and numbers.”

Mr McNamara called for the building of a new economy powered largely by renewable energy, backed by a diversified transport system, and that uses and re-uses everything.

And he warned of the dangers of exponential population growth, quoting American biologist Edward O. Wilson, who said: “The rampaging monster loose upon the land is over-population. In its presence, sustainability is but a fragile theoretical construct.”

I don't think I've ever been so stunned.

[phantom power]

1. I'm a bit envious...

that they have a position called "Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation"

I can has ur govt?

[sellitman]

2. Our "Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation" is Al Gore

It's just not official .........yet.

[GliderGuider]

6. Even Al Gore isn't this categorical

The guy mentioned Peak Oil, overpopulation, ecological footprints, limits to growth, the possibility of collapse, and quoted EO Wilson. All in one speech. Even Al's nuts aren't that big.

[trickyguy]

3. You better put the rubbers on and teach birth control to your kids.

Because Duane Elgin knows all about this over-population business.
And in his new book Promise Ahead he stats uncatagorically that the human race
must get our population boom under control or there will be NOT ENOUGH food, shelter
and other necessities if we add another 3 billion people to an already
over-crowded and out-sourced planet.:evilgrin:

[GliderGuider]

7. Done, and done.

About the overpopulation business, though - I really don't think birth control is going to help us that much. the only thing that reliably brings populations under control is limits on their food supply. Fortunately, that appears to be happening...

[diane in sf]

15. The thing that gets population reproduction to drop is living in cities and industrialization.

Population growth has slowed quite a bit all over this planet in the last thirty years with the rise in energy consumption/industrialization/education of women. UN population projections show growth in absolute numbers is going to top out mid-century (projections for absolute numbers vary) and then keep dropping.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. There are other politicians who get it

They generally keep their views to themselves.

[GliderGuider]

5. Keeping it to themselves - helpful, ain't it?

[OKIsItJustMe]

13. As one example, in his early career, politician George H. W. Bush worked to combat overpopulation

http://www.google.com/search?q=george+h+w+bush+overpopulation

[hunter]

8. Wow. Can we have some politicians who get it?

No matter how clever we are, there is no escaping the physical limits of the world’s resources. The laws of physics trump the laws of economics every time.

The magical thinking of human beings does not exempt us from the realities of nature. Our "laws" of economics are just one aspect of that magical thinking.

Our population is limited by the same factors that limit any other species, intelligent or not.

[losthills]

9. E. O. Wilson was a genius.

Nice to a politician quoting him.

[phantom power]

10. I've been trying to think of a polite way to ask...

does anybody else in power care what this fellow McNamara thinks? I mean, does his position have teeth?

[GliderGuider]

11. Well, he's a Minister, and a politician since 2001.

Governments aren't in the habit of appointing Ministers that are too many sigmas out. His Wikipedia entry is encouraging. A quick Google shows he's been beating the Peak Oil drum pretty hard for the last few years, and has been re-elected -- I don't know if it was despite or because of it.

[depakid]

12. I would also note that Queensland Premier Anna Bligh (yes -a descendent of Captain Bligh)

is regarded the most competent state premier in Australia (a far cry from the corruption and ineptitude in New South Wales).

Someone else you might like to meet: Penny Wong, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Water.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Wong

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/index.html

She also gets it.

[4dsc]

14. Amazing statement...

Its good that more and more are finally getting it..

[Juche]

16. Not bad

Overpopulation isn't a problem. What has been found is that once a country obtains a fair standard of living and healthcare infrastructure women stop having more than 2 kids per couple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Fertility_rate.jpg

Only a handful have a TFR higher than 3 and most are dirt poor African countries. Once they develop, TFR will drop.

The real risk of overpopulation will occur in the next 50 years when we develop anti-aging technology that dramatically improves lifespan to 200+ years.

But back to his point, I think that (as a cornicopian) economic forces will force us to use renewables. People aren't going to put up with $4/gallon gas when a plug in hybrid can provide the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas for $0.70, or if cheap solar panels can charge your car for free. As demand goes up and supply goes down, people look for alternatives.

So sooner or later a renewable economy is all but guaranteed due to supply & demand. But hopefully the transition will be peaceful and effective, instead of a painful jolt.

But I admire his willingness to plan ahead. We really lack that here. Throw a couple billion at renewables and hope for the best.