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Australia: The right climate for action
Posted by Canberra Times: None Given on September 15th, 2013
Canberra Times: In the searing Max Frisch morality play Biedermann und die Brandstifter (The Fire Raisers) the hapless Mr Biedermann invites three people into his home ignoring the obvious reality that they are arsonists.
He continues to turn a blind eye as they wreak havoc through his community.
Written in 1958, the play is seen as an allegory for Europe's contrived ignorance towards the rise of totalitarianism. Today it could be seen as a parable for our wilful blindness towards climate change.
The early...
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Australia: Climate change is the existential crisis with us right now
Posted by Canberra Times: None Given on February 4th, 2013
Canberra Times: Australia was once again devastated by bushfires over the summer.
When Parliament resumes on Tuesday after the Christmas break, it's presented with a stark choice. It can seize the opportunity to discuss the fires and the floods; the devastation and the losses and pluck up the courage to deal with the reality of climate change. This remains the biggest and most immediate danger facing the nation. The evidence of the threat lies all around us.
Even if you still believe there is doubt about the...
Riding the apocalypse
Posted by Canberra Times: None Given on January 31st, 2013
Canberra Times: Afew years ago, I took part in a panel discussion on the future as part of the Brisbane Festival of Ideas. My two co-panellists quickly declared their optimism (although both were fully across the challenges). I'd decided that morning to ''come out'' and admit I was a pessimist. ''Pessimist'' was a pejorative term, I said, but pessimists had the consolation of being right.
I realised more than five years ago, with the evidence of the growing effects of global warming, that we'd left it too late;...
Famine the final wake-up call on global warming
Posted by Canberra Times: None Given on November 26th, 2012
Canberra Times: It may already be too late to head off major famines in the mid-part of this century. That's one of the clear implications of the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers review of the world's carbon economy, Too Late for Two Degrees? Two degrees of global warming may not sound much to most people, but combined with extreme weather events it is the point at which the world's food supply, and grain production in particular, begins to face serious jeopardy. And if grain runs short, the first thing to go is meat....
Australia: Act now on climate change before it is too late
Posted by Canberra Times: None Given on August 1st, 2011
Canberra Times: We need to start taking climate change seriously and working out measures to address it.
Over the past 18 months the quality of the political dialogue on climate change in Australia has spiralled downwards, following the removal of Malcolm Turnbull as leader of the Coalition in December 2009, and Kevin Rudd's repudiation of his own policy on responding to climate change in April 2010.
Increasing numbers of Australians have simply tuned out of this discussion and, if asked, will either confess...
Australia: Storms brew in harshest climate
Posted by Canberra Times: None Given on December 26th, 2010
Canberra Times: Climate change, whaling, wild weather and water were the environmental issues dominating headlines this year. Australia mourned the loss of a conservation giant, University of Canberra freshwater ecologist and self-described political ''shit stirrer'' Peter Cullen, who died in March. His funeral service was attended by more than 900 people, who came to Canberra from all over Australia to pay their respects to a courageous, outspoken champion of national water reform. In its annual summary of world...