An ever growing problem !

It is flattering that Australia is fast becoming the prime destination for the oppressed of this world.  They are prepared to put their lives on the line in leaky boats to reach our shores - and partake in " the good life " that Australians are reputed to lead.

It was not always so.  When the first fleet arrived in 1788 the desired destination for those escaping the serfdom of Europe - was America.   It was rumoured that the streets were paved with gold - and those who were prepared to travel west into Indian country were offered the incentive of free land on which to establish their family farm.

By contrast, Australia was a penal colony a full six months sail from Europe's shores.  Conditions were unknown, but reputed to be harsh - and a less risky transit across the Atlantic ocean was the better option.

How things have changed.   We now number seven billion people and both Europe and America are busting at the seams.   Both still offer an escape from the wars and religious intolerance of Africa and the Middle East, but Australia - with it's casual way of life - is the new " Eldorado ".

Many people have fears for the future.  It is predicted that planet earth will hold ten billion people long before the middle of this century - and beyond that the population explosion could lead to " standing room only ".

Science is probing the heavens and we are discovering other worlds with conditions similar to earth.   It is possible that we could one day establish colonies there - and solve the problem of over population.
Once again distance will be a limiting factor.    According to Einstein nothing can travel faster than the speed of light - and these distant new worlds are more than a hundred light years away.  Time travellers would need to live and die over many generations before they even land at their new home.

There have been recent rumours that Einstein got it wrong.  Travel beyond the speed of light may be possible, and there are exciting theories that space contains things like " worm holes " that may facilitate travel faster than the blink of an eye - just as steam ships eclipsed sail in providing faster travel times, only to further give way to jet aircraft.

All that is in the future.  Right now the troubles of the world we live in is creating an ever growing number of people heading for our shores.    Just as a trickle becomes a creek - and a creek becomes a river - we could be facing a future flood far beyond our capacity to cope.

Let us hope science dusts off those plans for future space travel and solves the time problem involved.

Our present twenty-two million may just be the tip of a future iceberg !