As I write, a coincidence of deep meaning has occurred. Today,
the newly sworn Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, has signed
the Kyoto Protocol. Those who consider this to be merely symbolic
might consider that some symbols signify very real problems.
Consequently such a gesture of recognition has the potential to be
both powerful and acutely relevant. In a time when leadership is
more vital than ever, in an era wherein we have had to endure the
reprehensible blind stubbornness of the world's foremost power, the
need for such leadership on issues such as climate change is thrust
into sharp relief. If indeed climate change should be referred to
as simply an "issue".
It has been a dramatic year of awakening for hundreds of
millions of people around the world. The course of this book's
development charts this in its small way. Originating 18 months ago
as an examination of issues relating to water resource management,
the book evolved through our research and internal debates to
incorporate the inextricably linked topics of climate change and
responsible use of energy sources.
It was a year in which revolutionary works such as former United
States vice-president Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth became
entwined on the global Zeitgeist. We felt obliged as editors to add
value, in our way, to the evaluation of climate change.
We began 2007 with the seminal - if now seemingly ancient -
Stern report, a milestone expression of a government at its
constructive best. Other important titles emerged apace: The
Guardian columnist George Monbiot's Heat took off where Gore
finished; Solarcentury chief executive Jeremy Leggett's book, Half
Gone, a personal but objective account of petroleum reserves and
the industry, was re-issued; and then came British environmentalist
Mark Lynas's Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, a
blow-by-blow description of our world and our lives in
progressively hotter climates, one degree at a time. It evokes a
hallucinatory panorama not unlike a terrifying science fiction -
except that it is science fact, and entirely too real.
By the middle of the year it was no longer unreasonable to
posit, as has notable scientist and writer James Lovelock, that the
survival of Homo sapiens beyond next century was in serious
question. At one point of despair we questioned whether national
governments alone are even equipped for the task. Federal
governments have both the reach and access to capital to lead. This
requires a multifaceted approach, requiring cooperation
transcending all levels of government, small businesses, the
corporate sector and the scientific and educational
communities.
Later in the year the magisterial The Meaning of
the 21st Century: A Vital Blueprint for Ensuring our Future by
James Martin arrived, another science based and deeply humanist
work which draws from much wider sources to chart the way ahead
contemplating various methods by which we create our futures. His
balanced and astonishingly diverse presentation shows how we can
use available tools to manifest a civilisation that merits guarded
optimism about the century ahead, and the future of our children
and grandchildren.
We asked ourselves, could we contribute further dimensions to
this intelligent work?
Initially, we examined Australian expertise and approaches to
provide a local view that in parts would have applicability to the
wider world. There are numerous examples. Among the high
points is water management science and technology which has,
unbeknown to many, been world class and world leading for at least
two decades - necessity being the mother of invention in the
world's driest continent. Here we have much to offer the world.
Second, we sought to chronicle a number of organisations - of
whatever sort - government, business, associations - that had
progressed sustainability performance, increased energy efficiency
and other contributions to reducing the effects of climate change
before the mass awakening swept the globe. These organisations are
the heroes of this book, and each has set an inspirational example.
A wide number of positive stories have emerged featuring
organisations that have taken stock, and examined their processes.
Much has been achieved.
One of many revelations was the degree of advanced,
thoughtful and unrecognised work being accomplished at local
government level consistently over the past decade or more,
reducing toxic emissions and improving water management and other
strategies. The Newcastle (New South Wales) and Armadale (Western
Australia) councils stand out, along with many others. PACIA, an
association for the Plastics and Chemical Industry, has grabbed the
issues by the neck, seeking to drive its industry into a better
future of planetary health. Many corporations we observed have
begun to study themselves of late. An admirable number, some
reported here, have been active for years.
Let this be then, one of the beginnings of our Australian self
evaluation, the raising of our consciousness about climate change,
our effort to contribute to the world, and let these testimonies
urge us to emulate the organisations within. Let us consider this
book the first step on a journey that is to continue over decades.
The destination? Sustainability - a future for our
civilisation.
Australia, let us step up and take a leading role. It is time to
understand, to think and to act.
JMF Keeney, Editor-in Chief
ETN Communications
