2026-05-05
News over the last two months has been dominated by the US and Israeli bombing of Iran, and particularly by the resultant disruption to global supply chains of oil, LNG and fertilizers due to closure of the strait of Hormuz. These events find mention in the articles presented in this Green Issue. In view of the recently released United States National Security Strategy it is urged that Australia review its own national security strategy, particularly with regard to its sycophantic relationship with the US adhered to since 1945.
If WA was a country it would be one of the top three LNG exporting countries in the world. Cutting off of LNG supplies from the Persian Gulf has induced two main reactions. Supporters of Australia’s gas exports are gleefully eyeing the resulting expanded markets and higher gas prices. But climate action and renewable energy advocates see the crisis as an opportunity to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and thereby increase energy security. What particularly needs to be done in Australia is generally hasten the renewable energy transition, accelerate electrification of the transport sector and more seriously implement energy efficiency.
Although closure of the Strait of Hormuz has global economic consequences it is the poor who will most suffer. This may extend to the point of induced famine particularly due to the immediate and ongoing needs of poorer farming communities for fertilizer and fossil fuel, at affordable prices.
As if we don’t have enough existential issues to worry about, rapidly evolving developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents another one – threatening to vastly change our economy before we have had a chance to digest its implications and apply appropriate legislative constraints.
But back to that perennial existential threat – climate change. The case is made that the sequestration of soil carbon can be used to offset greenhouse gas pollution is a furphy.
It is indeed a pleasure to receive every two months reports from our MPs of the kaleidoscope of activities they have been involved in. This issue is no exception with updates from our MLCs Brad Pettitt, Sophie McNeill, Tim Clifford and Jess Beckerling.
Header photo: The Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Goran_tek-en. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.