Category: climate

John Hewson and integrity in a post-truth world

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Nobody can call out an errant politician better than former Liberal Opposition Leader John Hewson. In the 22 years since he resigned from politics, Hewson has become a respected academic, the darling of TV panel shows like Q&A, and a regular on the celebrity speakers’ circuit. Yesterday, Hewson was a keynote speaker at Griffith University’s two-day summit, Integrity20. Who better to address the opening topic “Post-Truth, Trust and the Ethics of Deceit?” Hewson has been…

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Renewable energy vs climate sceptics

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Have you ever noticed, after giving your dog a bath, how it will head straight for the nearest patch of renewable energy? Ours has a favourite sunny spot next to the dining room table where he will happily bask, while our solar-powered camping lamp, calculator and torches are recharging on the window sill. Free sunshine – what’s not to like? As it happens, we have been preparing our little caravan for a weekend music festival…

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Bushfires burning hot and early

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If you drove to Caloundra today you’d still smell the acrid smoke from last week’s rampant bushfire, which at one stage saw 34 fire appliances and 80+ firefighters on the scene. The smoky odour lingering around Bell’s Creek and Corbould Park Racecourse is a reminder of how quickly a grass fire can get out of control. Hot westerly winds fanned tinder dry grasslands as the rapidly escalating fire torched trees in seconds. The smoke and…

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If it doesn’t rain soon, mate

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Conversations in the street of any Australian town often involve the weather, which over the past four months has been bereft of rain or “dry” (pronounced “droy.” Tim: “How’s things, Harold? Harold: “Droy, mate!” Tim: “Got 10 points last night – hardly worth measurin’.” Harold: “How’re dams holdin?” Tim: “Nothin’ but mud and mosquitos.” Mrs Harold: “If it doesn’t rain soon, mate, we’re gonna move back to the town.” The latter is the narrator’s refrain…

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