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 →
“Stop building coal-fired power stations” say green groups. In 1988. #auspol #climate ffs
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 →
Save the earth? Yes, but not if it costs…. #auspol #climate history 1982
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 →
What we knew on #climate in 1971… #auspol
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 →
WTAF ABC? Deafening #climate silence on Radio National. #frydenberg #auspol #chomsky
'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 →
Nothing under the sun. Not “new”, no nothing (Nietzsche).
another in the fun series "Marc clears his gmail while hunting down thesis additions" On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense 1873 Essay Translated from: Über Wahrheit und Lüge im außermoralischen Sinn I Once upon a time, in some out of the way corner of that universe which is dispersed into numberless twinkling solar systems,... Continue Reading →
Can we see right? With C. Wright, maybe…
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 →
#climate justice or just us? Of learning, time machines and the “what should have been done”#AFoI2018
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 →
Brilliant facilitation “patch” at #AFoI2018
Sometimes small tweaks can have big impacts, and can sidestep showdowns with the powerful and their (often) big brittle egos… At the Adelaide Festival of Ideas (of which more later) today, I saw a brilliant little facilitation trick/hack/patch/whatevs (1). It’s so simple, so elegant and – today at least – so effective that I’m a... Continue Reading →
Excellent environmental event on plastics and recycling #Adelaide #hope
Messages of practical action and causes for (cautious) hope abounded tonight at the Adelaide Sustainability, where a meeting on plastics and what to do about and with them was held. Around fifty people (overwhelmingly female) got to eat scrumptious (potlatch) food, and then heard from four expert panellists, all before watching an interesting American documentary... Continue Reading →
