Why is it that conservation campaigns that follow the Save the [Insert Species Here] format feel like they fall short of the usual categories of political discussion?

These campaigns often get patronisingly dismissed as quaint, emotive, even childish. They populate the kids table of political discourse while the elder statesmen of economics and infrastructure debate high minded things in the parlour upstairs.

I am here to convince you that the case of Save the Koalas deserves a spot in the primetime of political talk right now. …

Addressing Ageism in the Pill Testing Debate

Here. A horrifying consequence of public debate in an age of social media. The large number of voices that would say “good!” to news of a young person dying.

These statements in particular have a tone of determinism to them, like they deserved to die. Frequently these people cite intelligence in the same psuedo-scientific tone that proponents of eugenics and the “bell curve” do. That any person who takes illegal drugs is stupid.

I’ve found opposite. Young people are incredibly and admirably smart.

In reading scientific literature, interviewing researchers and speaking with community groups, it’s become clear to me that young people are more resourceful, adaptive, critical thinkers then any media gives them credit for. They show a desire for facts in a system they know lies to them, which is more than can be said for many of the “adults” participating in the debate online. …

Part II of explainers on Dead Fish, Menindee Lakes and the Murray Darling Basin.

With an understanding of the setting of the Menindee Lakes and its importance to the region and most of the country (in Part I) let’s make an attempt at unweaving this tangled mess of mismanagement.

The unique circumstances of the Menindee lakes are that they can be controlled and directed by both the state and federal governments, under certain conditions. Also, being a river system and all, what happens upstream impacts these lakes, and what happens to these lakes impacts those downstream, in different states and territories.

For this reason these issues have spanned span decades and have tainted both major parties at both levels of government. Here I’m just trying to string that narrative into a few consistent…

An explainer for anyone!

For this we need to start with the big picture because the lakes themselves are just an isolated part of a tangle of many waterways. They are a tangle of political, economic and industrial interests also. Understanding these relationships is important to seeing why these isolated lakes is a national issue.

It really doesn’t get much big picture than the Murray Darling Basin, a system of rivers and wetlands that cover an area the size of Egypt. Running through four states (and one capital territory) it is the largest river system in Australia. Millions of Australians, thousands of farms, and much of the country’s economy depend on it. …

In what could be a clinical case study of terminal tone deafness, Australia has managed to pull off one of the most embarrassing international performances of recent memory.

Poland is the setting for this week’s gathering of the UN Convention on Climate Change where Australia has demonstrated that it couldn’t read a room if it was covered in the braille equivalent of ALL CAPS. The string of misfires, faux pas and public reprimands, when seen as a whole, should concern any citizen of this country.

Here, summarised and highlighted for your convenience, a list of the week’s achievements.

Pro-Coal Loners