WHOOP! My second stand-alone article on the excellent reneweconomy site... South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill was in a pugnacious mood at the launch of Climate Wars, the new book by Labor’s shadow climate minister Mark Butler, and let fly at the ‘rightwing f***wits’ (his words) that were keen to use any event to attack renewables. Butler’s book... Continue Reading →
Climate change? Eh? 1998 Labor Essays…
So, by 1995/6 the whole idea that you might be able to 'green' the Australian Labor Party had kinda fallen apart. The 1993 election had ignored the issues (with Keating particularly aggressive, blah blah true believers blah blah), and despite Environment Minister John Faulkner's best efforts, the proposed carbon tax/levy in 1994/95 died an ignominious... Continue Reading →
The media, the environment – lessons from South #Australian history…
Right-winger sometimes try to 'catch out' Noam Chomsky by saying 'well, you critique the mainstream media saying it helps manufacture consent, but you at the same time rely on journalistic accounts to put together your arguments. Are you a hypocrite or what?' (I paraphrase). Chomsky replies that there are many hard-working and diligent journalists who... Continue Reading →
Blogging the days away. Day 1-3…
Friday/Saturday Right, so – flight. Not much to say I guess. It was 5 tonnes of carbon into t’atmosphere… Flew in an A380 the first leg, read a bunch of stuff from the Palgrave Handbook of International Political Economy and energy. Very very good stuff it was. Also read a lit review on transitions and... Continue Reading →
1973-5 warnings on #climate change #auspol
We were warned a very long time ago about climate change. I don't mean by the IPCC. I don't even mean by James Hansen (bless him). The warnings were there by the mid-1970s about what might be on the way. In 1973, in the very first issue of Habitat carried an article by W. Strauss... Continue Reading →
When you think climate change, think “dam”…. #3MT
Here's me giving my spiel in the "Three Minute Thesis" heat at University of Manchester Here's the slide I used. And... I'm through to the Three Minute Thesis Final to be held on Wednesday June 7, between 2pm and 3:30pm in University Place Lecture Theatre A. You can register for a (free!) ticket https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/university-of-manchester-three-minute-thesis-final-2017-tickets-34791162303. ... Continue Reading →
Turnbull, #climate and the National Press Club #auspol
On February 1st Malcolm Turnbull will make a major speech on the Coalition’s climate and energy policy at the National Press Club.In his last public utterance on the topic, at the Sydney fish market in December last year, he spilt coffee , perhaps trying to douse the flames caused by Josh Frydenberg’s declaration that carbon pricing would... Continue Reading →
#Keating and #climate – the longer Cabinet papers story
The 1992/3 Cabinet Papers have been released. The Conversation let me (I badgered them) do the article on what we learn from them about the environmental policy battles. It's posted here, and I think they did their usual excellent job editing me. Here is the full (much too long for their format) version, in case... Continue Reading →
Balance schmalance- when the powerful do it is in the ‘national interest’
So, I am writing an article; a proper academic article. Got me a journal in mind and everything. It's on incumbent strategies versus challenge(r)s, and uses multiple streams approach and defensive institutional work. Gonna have the sucker done (first draft) by the close of play on the 27th December if it kills me. Reading some... Continue Reading →
“British Lord Vestey, and Vincent Lingari”… and Phillip Knightley
There's a great Paul Kelly song From Little Things, Big Things Grow, about an Aboriginal Land Rights struggle. It opens thus- Gather round people let me tell you're a story An eight year long story of power and pride British Lord Vestey and Vincent Lingiarri Were opposite men on opposite sides Vestey was fat with... Continue Reading →