It's 50 years since Apollo 11 landed on the moon. In response to global excitement about the moonwalk, astronaut Jim Lovell, who led the fated Apollo 13 mission, said: "There is no mystery. We just decided to go there."
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In 1963 JFK set the goal: to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade, and in 1969 it happened. An incredible feat of science and engineering saw America surge ahead in the space race. Thanks to all that science, satellites and space stations give us a bird's eye view of the rapid changes that are now taking place down here on Earth.
The Blue Planet is losing it's icecaps and rainforests while deserts expand. CO2 emissions are warming the globe and the frequency and ferocity of wildfires and cyclones are observed from space.
We have a decade to tackle the climate emergency or say good-bye to society as we know it. We should all reduce our carbon footprint, but those who carry the most responsibility for tackling the emergency are politicians.
Ever since Kevin Rudd went soft on the "greatest moral challenge" and Tony Abbott announced that "climate change is crap", state and federal governments have reduced environmental protections and bolted our economy to coal and gas.
Our local member and energy minister, Angus Taylor, has been integral to this course for the last 10 years, denying us the benefits of a low carbon future. The business case, expertise and technologies are available to reduce emissions in every sector.
What we lack is the decision to go there.
