Raising the BARR – Week ending 29/03/2024

Raising the Barr

TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE

Everyday it seems that the media coverage focuses on a change that is being made somewhere and then goes on to voice the many objectors to the change.

Which often makes me wonder: can we afford to stand still and do nothing?

Take electric vehicles as just one example. The world is shifting toward electric vehicles. The countries with huge populations have decided that all vehicles sold will soon (next 10 years or so) be electric. Hence, the massive car manufacturing companies are shifting all of their production over to electric vehicles – so that they can feed the markets of those massive countries.

China, the US, Japan and India, between them, sold about 55 million cars in 2023. Australia sold about 1.2 million. Our market is too small to have influence over the major car manufacturers.

So the reality is that while some will use this change in vehicles to beat their chest and make outrageous claims in the media, the truth is that we are heading in the direction of electric vehicles, rapidly, and we should simply be planning for what will be needed to make the change as smoothly as possible.

This same question about change, and it’s inevitability, can be applied to so many topics at hand. We really do need to concentrate on getting the best outcomes for our society, not argue with each other around the fringes of hysteria.

HOW BRILLIANT THE MANNERS OF OUR YOUNG ONES

I recently had the chance to work on canteen at one of our local sporting organisations. I was blown away by how well mannered and polite our kids and their parents were.

Every single approach to the service counter started with “Can I please have ….”. There really is a wonderful thing about using manners and how much it can help the exchange between us all. Well done parents, grandparents, and other care-givers in teaching our young people something that is free to use, takes very little effort, and makes such a huge difference.

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