TIME: Exactly a month ago, I was driving down a long, empty stretch of road in eastern Australia, swerving around kangaroo carcasses and listening on the radio to Prime Minister Julia Gillard give a policy speech on climate change ahead of the August 21 national elections. It was a stunning day in rural Queensland, with blue skies stretching out over the eucalyptus trees, and almost no other cars on the two-lane country road. Coming from Hong Kong, I felt like I was getting the most peace, quiet …