FOR decades Australian governments have waged a pointless war on industries producing carbon dioxide using taxes, emissions targets, direct action, harassment of coal and gas explorers and bankers, and promotion of expensive weather-dependent green energy.

This has damaged all metals industries - iron and steel, copper, nickel, aluminium, lead and zinc.

It is not possible to produce these metals in Australia without using diesel for mining and transport, coking coal for blast furnaces, thermal coal or gas for reliable electricity for mineral processing, rail transport and refining, and fuel oil for bulk carriers.

All of these operations produce carbon dioxide.

The choice is clear - abandon the futile war on carbon dioxide or sentence our metals industries to die.

Our sacrifice will not reduce global emissions - our producers will just slink offshore.

Without rapid expansion of nuclear power and electric vehicles and machines, that would be a world without metals.

Don't think plastics can replace metals in the new green world - plastics depend even more on coal and gas for raw materials and energy.

Without metals, some lucky humans may manage to revert to family farms, horse-drawn coaches, wind-mills, draught horses, bullock teams, sulkies, bark roofing, charcoal burners, wood stoves and kerosene lamps.

Any others who survive will live in metal-free poverty.

VIV FORBES Rosewood

OPINION: Letters to the Editor

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