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Future Australians could face starvation: Dick Smith
Posted 7 hours 10 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 53 minutes ago
Dick Smith speaks to the media
Dire warning: Dick Smith (AAP: Paul Miller, file photo)
* Video: Curb population, or starve: Dick Smith (ABC News)
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High-profile businessman Dick Smith has used the run-in to Australia Day to argue that Australia must curb its population growth, saying the country could run out of food if it has too many mouths to feed.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said that he supports a "big Australia" and there are forecasts the population will reach 36 million people by 2050.
But Mr Smith says there is not enough food and water to go around.
He says Australia should cut its skilled migrant intake and encourage people to have fewer children.
"Our politicians are completely letting the Australian public down," he said.
"Nine out of 10 Aussies don't want 40 million people here, but there's no discussion, there's no debate.
"There has to be. Because what's the use of bringing kids in this world, who even in a modern Western country could starve to death? And that's what could happen."
Sustainability experts agree there is an urgent need for a debate in this country, predicting water, power and other infrastructure problems if Australia's energy-guzzling lifestyle doesn't change.
Professor Mike Young from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Adelaide has told The 7.30 Report our 'water-affluent' lifestyle will simply have to go.
"Water - or lack of it - is going to determine the fate of some of our cities."
With regards to Australia's power use, Tony Vassallo from the Institute of Sustainable Solutions says 10 kilograms of coal are burnt for every household in Australia, every day.
"It's time that we start to change now how we use electricity", he said.
"And we're going to do it much more intelligently in the next few years".
- A week-long series on our ever-growing Australian population: problems, potential solutions, and the need for change, begins tonight on the 7:30 Report.
... and Larry is funny, much better than koshie, I hope he gets drunk again soon and films a show.
