Thanks for laying out some interesting scenarios for Australia's future. Though I've lived mostly in the USA, I have close relatives and friends who live in Australia, and I've participated in the World Solar Challenge. With that race in particular as part of its heritage, Australia has a head start over other countries.

I want to start with your comment:

> None are Silver Bullets.

I don't like the violent metaphor, but I know what is meant. Unfortunately, this cliche has dominated the discourse, and has the effect of discouraging everyone from taking a hard look at the alternatives and discerning what's worth the trouble. We aren't going to get there by scattering our focus and giving government funds to every wacky scheme that comes along. There are a couple of simple metrics, Energy Return on Energy Invested, and carbon emissions, especially in light of recent reports on global warming and acidification of the oceans. With these metrics it quickly becomes obvious that renewables in their various manifestations will do the trick – not without serious effort of course.

Please, no more talk about silver bullets. Do the math, pick the winners, and get on with it. There's no time to waste!

> Repeal all excise on domestically produced biofuels.

Au contraire, stop producing biofuels and stop importing biofuels. The surest way to accelerate the intolerable loss of soil and water (domestic) and the destruction of our remaining rainforests (imports) is to promote biofuels. In the transport sector, 80% or more of any fuel is converted to heat and 20% or less to forward motion. That forward motion is then 90% metal and 10% people. Then, 20% * 10% = 2%! Except for rural transport, fuel in the 21st century is absurd. The Internal Combustion Engine is as appropriate in the urban setting as a wood fire surrounded by stones on the floor of a kitchen. Biofuels don't change that; in fact they make it far worse by eating into our food supplies and our oxygen regenerators. We can be more clever than that.

> The government should facilitate the current trends towards hybrid and electric vehicles

That would still be 90% metal and 10% people. Worldwide, the automobile delivers ~1 million traffic deaths per year. There is an alternative in the works, and Australia can choose which side of the equation it wants for its economy: to create true wealth and export creative solutions or continue with Business as Usual and import solutions later from other countries.

Remember the Chinese billionaire who learned about solar at U NSW, and then went back to China. With its leadership in solar energy and solar transport, Australia has a chance of becoming a commercial powerhouse.

If Australia wants a tolerable climate, it won't be exporting coal! If Australian wants an economy, it will join the Solarevolution!