Who would have thought that there would be a connection between these two seemingly disconnected events?
Wednesday June 5th 2013 happens to be World Environment Day.
And June 5th 1989 was a day of the "counter-revolutionary rebellion" in China.
Now for my long-bow.
I know that there is still plenty of social unrest in China as this innovative response to censorship laws above proves. (I'm sure when you're trying to manage a couple of Billion people a little fear goes a long way for the Party's self-confidence.) No disrespect meant to those who lost loved ones in the demonstrations, nor the CCP in trying to run their country.
My connection is, having just spent the day in Canberra listening to politicians try to make sense of the Renewable Energy Revolution, is that the Clean Energy industry needs to replace these rubber ducks with lumps of coal; and replace the student with the average punter wanting to take control of rising electricity costs.
Because the industry is just not getting any respect in Canberrra.
Just as China will be THE key driving factor in the economic success of the coal industry, it is also THE key driver of investment in the Clean Energy industry.
From Canberra's point of view, who's long-term vision is heavily influenced by Alan Jones' morning radio show from what I heard, renewables is not an industry, just a problem for voter backlash. And energy market reform is "of no any interest to anyone". "Don't waste your time", says aspiring LNP Energy Minister Ian Macfarlane.
So nearly 25 years has passed and CCP has nipped their counter-revolutionary rebellion in the bud, but the fear is still present and drives legislative fervour there.
But in Australia where our "she'll be right" culture has moved from a self-sufficiency ethos to nw be a "i-don't-have-to-work-hard" liability - the revolution around energy independence is just taking shape.
No Federal Government is going to want to get into a debate on a topic so sensationalised by the mainstream media. (now owned by coal companies).
No State Government is going to want to give up revenues from the energy sector.
No established Utility is going to want to give up legislated profits in the name of self-reliance.
No fossil-fuel based resource company is going to want to mark down their forward growth forecasts and assets.
There's a lot against change.
It is the responsibility of the industry, young and weak as it is a the moment, to bring to the market innovations in energy independence that will enable the revolution to take hold in the streets of communities across the country.
And its going to take some kahoonas, like the ones the student had to stand in front of the tanks back in '89, to drive the change needed to reverse our development-led effluent left in the atmosphere of this planet.
But change we must.
