Contents - Autumn (April) 2003

From the Editors

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Paper 25

More water for irrigation and the environment? Some problems and prospects for worthwhile investments

Oliver Gyles. Pogue Road, Toolamba VIC 3614

Arthur Mailey, a great Australian leg spinner of the 1930s once bowled all day in a Test match, taking 0 wickets for 365. He later explained that he remembered the experience well, as his figures coincided with the Book of Hymns Ancient and Modern, Hymn No.365 ' Art thou weary, art they languid, art thou sore depressed?'' Ollie Gyles, weary and sore depressed by the prattling of water saviours and other cranks - but a long way from being languid - introduces technical and economic sense into water saving debates that have been characterized hitherto more by nonsense than sense. This querulous economist thinks it is not very clever to advocate investing resources to achieve outcomes where the benefits have no hope of exceeding the costs.

Paper 26

Selfishness or Altruism? An historical perspective of sustainable development, economies and science

Sarah Lumley, The University of Western Australia .

Sarah Lumley, in an historical perspective of sustainable development, economics and science, provides the timely reminder that concerns about improving commercial outcomes, environmental conditions and social equity are not discoveries the intelligentsia, and others, have made in the past week or two, but such concerns, together with rounded views of the role of market solutions, were prominent concerns of intellectual discourse over two hundred years ago.

Paper 27

Have the scientists got it right this time?

Tony Gleeson, Synapse Research and Consulting, South Brisbane.

The so-called 'Blueprint for a Living Continent' of the Wentworth group of scientists left Tony Gleeson feeling somewhat under whelmed. In his article 'Have the Scientists got it right this time?', Tony kicks off the questioning of this report by agricultural and resource economists.

Paper 28

Managing climate risk in agriculture

Hon. Kim Chance, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, WA.

Editors