On 25 June 1969 Ralph Slayter, an Australian scientist, gave one of the first (but not the first - that's for another time) warnings of the dangers of the build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Slayter was talking at the Australian National University, as part of a lecture series on 'Man and the New... Continue Reading →
The question was designed to be difficult, and the answers were in equal parts cautious and revealing. Rather than about recycling – the topic of a tightly run panel discussion put on at the King’s Head by Adelaide Sustainability Connect and the SA Young Professionals Group of Waste Management Association of Australia (WMAA) – the question was... Continue Reading →
This species. I mean, seriously. Anon, 1988. Greenhouse Switch. Australian Financial Review, 7 November, p.4 Australian governments should stop building coal-fired power stations as a start to combatting the greenhouse effect, conservation groups said yesterday. A group of 25 conservation, consumer and other community organisations said brown coal was the “dirtiest” of the fossil... Continue Reading →
So, there was this thing called the Australian Environment Council, made up of Federal and State ministers of the environment. It was set up in 1972 and had a long-ish run. And, as is the nature of these beasts, it produced Reports. And number 7, published in 1982, was on the public's willingness to pay... Continue Reading →
A couple of years ago the folks at the Conversation asked me to bash out a piece on what Australians knew about climate change in the late 60s, early 70s. I did an okay-ish job, but have since radically expanded my knowledge of that period. What we have below is not the first mention of... Continue Reading →
'The Australian Energy Market Operator has just released a report on the future of the Australian energy market. Giles Parkinson over at reneweconomy.com.au has probably already got a 4000 word forensic demolition of it posted [sort of]. It is clearly going to be used by various shades of fossil fuel friends to say "only coal... Continue Reading →
I'm going through my unread gmail messages, tracking down notes to myself about the four empirical chapters of The Thesis (which is all but done). And I'm stumbling on stuff that I always intended to blog/think more about. Here's one (should probably turn into a video!) "The first rule for understanding the human condition is... Continue Reading →
May as well put cards on the table. I think we’re fubarred. I think that we’ve now left it “too late” and a grim meathook future is all we have to look forward too. There is probably still time to learn a bunch of new skills, use our technology specifically to soften the coming climate blows. ... Continue Reading →
How many innocents lose their lives, In the gloss of the packaging? Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay, by the great British punk singer TV Smith. Bag It is a good documentary, in the vein of Roger and Me (where Michael Moore tried to get a face-to-face interview with a General Motors chairman), Supersize Me (where a now-disgraced film-maker... Continue Reading →
Explaining why I haven't yet done the paperwork to get my Irish citizenship (to which I am entitled through my mum's mum), I found myself saying to a new colleague 'it's because I hope - and I know it won't happen - but I am still hoping for it - that the 'British Establishment' will... Continue Reading →
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