The Wire

As the bickering continues over how and how much to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions, and whether indeed we need to – it’s refreshing to find an unashamed optimist like John O’Brien . He’s the editor of a new collection of essays called “Opportunities Beyond Carbon” which presume that all the arguments and difficulties will iron themselves out and by the 22nd century we will end up with a sustainably powered world He says Australia is missing its chance as it wrangles over emissions trading and that it will be the emerging economies that end up leading the rest of the world into the sustainable future.