Back towards the Dark Ages

Just a few generations ago, humans lived in a "green" world. There was no coal, oil or gas providing light, heat, transport and traction power. In this green utopia, wood provided heat for cooking fires and forests were felled for charcoal for primitive metallurgy; farmers used wooden ploughs and harvested grain with sickles and flails; the nights were lit using candles and whale oil; rich people used wind and water power to grind cereals; horses and bullocks moved coaches, wagons and troops; there was no refrigeration and salt was the only preservative for meat. Towns were tiny as the whole family was needed to work the farm. For most people, the daylight hours were filled with heavy labour to produce, preserve and transport food. There was no surplus to support opera, bureaucracy or academia.

Humanity was relieved from this life of unrelenting toil by carbon energy – steam engines and electricity, machines, tractors, cars, ships and planes. Prosperity and longevity soared. Today the pagan green religion celebrates the first step in their long campaign to destroy industrial society and reduce population. They should be careful what they wish for. For example, just a few more bitter winters in Britain will see their wind powered lights going out. A British observer once said of the Whitlam government: "Any fool can bugger up Britain, but it takes real genius to bugger up Australia" ". Parliament today showed the sort of genius needed to dim the lights in the lucky country.