They were called ‘the teens’, those wild, turbulent years leading up to the year 2020. It suited the times too, given that the only known intelligence in the entire universe had at last seen the need to come of age.

The lessons of the twentieth century, the ‘fossil fuel era’ as history would remember it, had finally got through – even to the rich and the recalcitrant. This story is not about them.

It is about young blokes in Braidwood hanging out looking for something to do. Leo and his mates were bored. They had the vintage Camry, but what was the use of a set of fossil wheels without some juice in the tank?

“Hey, any of you dudes got creds on your card?” Leo looked at his mates.

“I’ve got fifty,” said Bryce.

“Nearly a hundred for me,” said Cody.

“I think I’ve got some left,” added Dale.

“OK, way to go,” yelled Leo, jumping to his feet.

“I’ve been out at Windellama, at Marty’s Regen Doof Doof and I planted so many trees, man I was in agony for days, but I did get nearly three hundred creds. So if we all put in say, forty each, that’s one-sixty which’ll make the gas affordable”.

“Let’s cruise down to Batemans to the Cyber Mall and check out the new PS17,” suggested Cody.

“OK,” agreed Leo, “But we’ve gotta see the new Nintendo ‘EncepholoCap’. It does things to your limbic system that’ll blow your mind”.

Some things never change.

What did change though, was the introduction of the carbon card. The size of a credit card, using smart technology to record data, the carbon card started off being optional but within a few years everyone had one.

It worked a bit like a ‘frequent flyer’ reward points system. Everyone who agreed to participate had a carbon account.

Some things, petrol and other fossil fuels especially, became very expensive to buy with cash but some of the expense could be offset with carbon credits deducted from the card. It was in effect, a discount card that was swiped at the point of purchase.

When the carbon credits had been used the discounts ceased. A whole new economy developed to recharge carbon credit cards.

Landcare and other organisations working to rehabilitate the environment became favourite weekend destinations. A day spent planting grasses, trees or working in the creek was a great way to have your card recharged.

After clocking off at the end of the day, a swipe of the card at the site office was all that was needed. The possibilities were endless.

But back in the present ...

We’re caught between scientists saying we’re on the brink of an irreversible climatic catastrophe and a mining sector determined to ignore any threat to its record profits.

There is a danger that if we wait too long we’ll lurch wildly from ‘no need to worry’ into ‘no point in worrying’.

The story of the future is being written day by day. We should never give up until we get to the bit, “...and they all lived happily ever after”.