climate change

Why saints and science shouldn’t mix

ABC television’s Q&A program earlier this week started with discussion about the canonisation of Mary MacKillop and ended with debate about climate change. Which of these topics do you think the following response, from Greg Hunt, the shadow minister for climate action, environment and heritage was in relation to? “I think the answer for me [...]

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How Australian Idol is killing climate change action

It has suddenly dawned on me why climate change denial is so numerous and so strident. The fault lies with none other than Australian Idol. Well perhaps not just Australian Idol. Dancing with the Stars, It Takes Two and all their so-called ‘reality’ brethren are equally to blame. There was a time, ‘back in the [...]

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The debate we have to have … more of

Last night I had the opportunity to witness a real debate. The occasion was an IQ2 debate at Melbourne Town Hall. Six experts – three on each side – took turns to argue for and against the proposition that Australia should embrace nuclear power. The highlight of the evening was that, according to before and [...]

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Climate Change Straight Talk from Unlikely Sources

15000 delegates are currently sitting in Copenhagen and thrashing out some sort of agreement on how humanity might be saved from the effects of climate change. That’s a mighty big committee. Let’s hope all the hot air that will be exhaled over the next fortnight is being captured and put to good use. I must [...]

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Hurry Up and … Slow Down

Over forty years is a long time to work on a single task. Yet that has been the lot of the four editors of the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary. The massive 3,952 page double volume will be released this month, the culmination of the editors’ entire careers. In our world of fast, [...]

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Steve’s Diabolical Challenge

Like Senator Steve Fielding, I am a lapsed engineer. Like Steve, I have attempted to understand the science of climate change. Unlike Steve, I eventually understood that the task is beyond ordinary mortals. In fact it is even beyond the intellect of a single engineer. I realised that we should be leaving it to the [...]

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