Home » Posts tagged 'the conversation' (Page 3)
Tag Archives: the conversation
Coronavirus: have we already missed the opportunity to build a better world?
Coronavirus: have we already missed the opportunity to build a better world? Many people like to say that the coronavirus is teaching us a lesson, as if the pandemic were a kind of morality play that should lead to a change in our behaviour. It shows us that we can make big shifts quickly if we want […]
A toilet paper run is like a bank run. The economic fixes are about the same
A toilet paper run is like a bank run. The economic fixes are about the same Panic buying knows no borders. Shoppers in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States have caught toilet paper fever on the back of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Shop shelves are being emptied as quickly as they can be stocked. This panic buying is the result of […]
I’ve seriously tried to believe capitalism and the planet can coexist, but I’ve lost faith
I’ve seriously tried to believe capitalism and the planet can coexist, but I’ve lost faith As the Productivity Commission confirmed this week, Australia’s economy has enjoyed uninterrupted growth for 28 years straight. Specifically, our output of goods and services last financial year grew by 2%. Economists obviously see the growth of a national economy as good news […]
Climate action shouldn’t mean choosing between personal and political responsibility
Climate action shouldn’t mean choosing between personal and political responsibility Can your individual behaviour make a real difference to the environment? And should you be expected to voluntarily change your life in the face of our worsening environmental crises? Some argue this emphasis on personal responsibility is a distraction from the real culprits: companies and governments. We often […]
2019 was a year of global unrest, spurred by anger at rising inequality – and 2020 is likely to be worse
2019 was a year of global unrest, spurred by anger at rising inequality – and 2020 is likely to be worse 2019 may well go down as the most disrupted year in global politics since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the subsequent implosion of the former Soviet Union. However, the likelihood is that 2020 will […]
Techno-fix futures will only accelerate climate chaos – don’t believe the hype
Techno-fix futures will only accelerate climate chaos – don’t believe the hype Don’t expect the future to turn out like popular 1960s TV show The Jetsons. Thanks to the efforts of climate activists, the climate and ecological emergency has never been more prominent. But acknowledging the problem is just a starting point. Now this momentum must be harnessed to […]
Freedom of thought is under attack – here’s how to save your mind
Freedom of thought is under attack – here’s how to save your mind Freedom of thought stands at a critical crossroads. Technological and psychological advances could be used to promote free thought. They could shield our inner worlds, reduce our mental biases, and create new spaces for thought. Yet states and corporations are forging these advances into […]
Surveying archaeologists across the globe reveals deeper and more widespread roots of the human age, the Anthropocene
Surveying archaeologists across the globe reveals deeper and more widespread roots of the human age, the Anthropocene Examples of how human societies are changing the planet abound – from building roads and houses, clearing forests for agriculture and digging train tunnels, to shrinking the ozone layer, driving species extinct, changing the climate and acidifying the oceans. […]
A globalised solar-powered future is wholly unrealistic – and our economy is the reason why
A globalised solar-powered future is wholly unrealistic – and our economy is the reason why Over the past two centuries, millions of dedicated people – revolutionaries, activists, politicians, and theorists – have been unable to curb the disastrous and increasingly globalised trajectory of economic polarisation and ecological degradation. This is perhaps because we are utterly trapped in flawed […]
Despite good progress, 100% low-carbon energy is still a long way off for the UK
Despite good progress, 100% low-carbon energy is still a long way off for the UK In the past ten years the UK’s electricity mix has changed dramatically. Coal’s contribution has dropped from 40% to 6%. Wind, solar power and hydroelectric plants now generate more electricity than nuclear power stations, thanks to rapid growth. Demand for electricity has also […]
Here’s how Britain’s changing weather is affecting wildlife
Here’s how Britain’s changing weather is affecting wildlife The Beast from the East, a polar vortex which brought freezing conditions to the UK, arrived on February 26 2018. Two days later there was a minimum temperature of -11.7°C (10.9˚F) at South Farnborough in Hampshire, and a maximum of only -4.8°C (23.4˚F) at Spadeadam in Cumbria. In […]
Climate change is killing off Earth’s little creatures
Climate change is killing off Earth’s little creatures Climate change gets blamed for a lot of things these days: inundating small islands, fueling catastrophic fires, amping-up hurricanes and smashing Arctic sea ice. But a global review of insect research has found another casualty: 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. It confirms what many have been […]
The suburbs are the spiritual home of overconsumption. But they also hold the key to a better future
The suburbs are the spiritual home of overconsumption. But they also hold the key to a better future Once is the defining image of the good life under capitalism, commonly held up as a model to which all humanity should aspire. More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities. Yet with the global […]
COP24: climate protesters must get radical and challenge economic growth
COP24: climate protesters must get radical and challenge economic growth What do we want … when do we want it? Now. Etienne Laurent/EPA At the COP24 conference in Poland, countries are aiming to finalise the implementation plan for the 2015 Paris Agreement. The task has extra gravity in the wake of the recent IPCC report declaring […]
The battle for the future of farming: what you need to know
The battle for the future of farming: what you need to know It is widely agreed that today’s global agriculture system is a social and environmental failure. Business as usual is no longer an option: biodiversity loss and nitrogen pollution are exceeding planetary limits, and catastrophic risks of climate change demand immediate action. Most concede that […]
