Today the sun is shining, but we didn’t see much sun in March. So much rain topped off by the intense rain, the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie – 728.8mm of rain in March fell on Yamba, the highest March rainfall for Yamba since records began in 1877, way, way above our average rainfall in March for Yamba which is less than 190mm. And our paper reports the result of so much local rain with the reinstatement of a red alert warning for possible land slippage on Yamba Hill, extensive riverbank collapse on Woodford Island, and still in the Clarence Valley, the massive flood damage that resulted from Cyclone Debbie’s effects in Lismore. Looking to future planning you might want to consider this. Why is such extreme rainfall now occurring and more importantly, can you do anything so that your children and grandchildren don’t end up where we appear to be heading? Today sea temperatures are now higher than in the past, to the extent that there is now 7% more moisture in the atmosphere. This extra moisture in the atmosphere falls to earth again, sometime, somewhere and sometimes in a hurry. In the early 1970 just when it become evident, particularly to the insurance industry, that climate extremes like cyclones, floods, droughts and bushfires were becoming more frequent and severe, Barry Commoner, an American biologist and university professor outlines what he called “The Laws of Ecology” which were just four simple sentences:- Everything is connected to everything else. Everything must go somewhere. Nature knows best. There’s no such thing as a ‘free lunch’. In one line:- We all live downstream. So if you throw something away it affects one or more of your four vital needs, namely, the air you breathe, the water you drink, the soil that grows your food and the Web of Life upon which all life depends. A final quote from Barry Commoner:- ‘If you see light at the end of the tunnel, you are looking the wrong way’. Do you think your major party politicians are looking the wrong way in attempting to address climate change and its extreme weather events like Cyclone Debbie? Do you think ‘Future Super’ superannuation fund is on the money in its most recent advert:- “Politicians will play the opportunistic short game, putting the next election ahead of the next generation”? For the sake of your own next generation, thankfully the future is what you choose. Harry Johnson, Iluka