Brendan Nelson holds the line on global warming

I almost forgot to tell you about my first scoop ever: Last month the leader of the Liberals, Brendan Nelson, in reply to an email I sent to him, wrote this:

As Australians, it is time for us to start living on environmental interests, rather than just capital interests.

I made the observation, then, that he 'is working up a lovely line on climate change'.

Last week Brendan told Kerry, on The 7:30 Report:

We also need, I think, to have changes in our federation, the responsibilities of government, the sharing of money, the environmental challenges so that we start to live on environmental interest instead of the capital, security and defence of our nation and its interests and values and a cohesion of our society.

Keep working that line. It's thought provoking: This Earth with all working parts in good order, our capital inheritance; it's sustainable carrying capacity, our stipend.

Not quite the t-shirt slogan needed to be Australia's next PM, but the Liberals need to move their base, quickly, to understand that the economy is a sub-system of the environment, fully. The unions did well with a parallel meme they ran during the Workchoices battle in the lead up to last year's election: We live in a society, not an economy.

Now that passes the t-shirt test.

Global Warning Climate Change Energy