Writer
Mark Diesendorf
Dr Mark Diesendorf was originally a physicist who expanded into interdisciplinary research on energy and sustainability. Previously he was Professor of Environmental Science and Founding Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. Currently he is Honorary Associate Professor in the Environment & Society Group in the School of Humanities & Languages, UNSW Sydney. Web: https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/associate-professor-mark-diesendorf. Mark is the lead author of ‘The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation: Technological, socioeconomic and political change’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023).
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Coalition, pro-nuclear lobbyists, argue Australia needs nuclear energy; oppose renewables
Proponents for a nuclear energy industry in Australia increased their media activity following the announcement of the AUKUS agreement. Their campaign has been taken up by the Coalition. The international campaign reached a crescendo during the COP28 climate meeting. Continue reading »
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Planned degrowth is needed to stop the collapse of civilisation
An opinion piece (‘Degrowth approach is disastrous’, Canberra Times, 9 September, p.38) by authors from the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) attacked the concept of degrowth to a steady-state economy (SSE) and defended the notion of continuing economic growth on a finite planet. Continue reading »
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Confronting state capture
A radical approach to building an ecologically sustainable and socially just society. Continue reading »
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The transition to a steady-state economy: a reply to Michael Keating
Scientific research shows that the environmental impacts of human civilisation have exceeded several planetary boundaries. To avoid societal collapse and to assist the transition to an ecologically sustainable civilisation, we must transition to a steady-state economy. Continue reading »
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Reduce consumption, or face reality of civilisational collapse
An important debate is developing in Pearls and Irritations on the need to reduce consumption. In his article “Labor’s Environmental Denialism”, Stephen Williams acknowledged several positive steps being taken by the Labor government to help protect the environment, and then argued that Labor was failing to address the fundamental drivers of environmental disaster, which he Continue reading »
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What’s not to like about nuclear fusion?
Recently the mass media have bombarded us with hype about a ‘breakthrough’ in controlled nuclear fusion. Continue reading »
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The nuclear industry’s updated songsheet remains outdated
The campaign for nuclear power stations in Australia defies the unstoppable rise of renewables and should be rejected by governments and the electorate — it’s a technology whose time has passed. Continue reading »
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The politics of reaching net-zero
Rapid technological change is necessary but not sufficient to avoid dangerous climate change. Policies to encourage selective consumption and reduced total consumption are also needed. Continue reading »
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Peter Garrett gives Labor a free pass on climate action
Peter Garrett’s essay in ‘Upturn: A better normal’, edited by Tanya Plibersek, rightly castigates the federal government’s continuing support for fossil fuels and its failure to implement effective climate mitigation policies. But he doesn’t address Labor’s reluctance to take the strong action demanded by climate science or identify the policies needed. Continue reading »
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Economic Recovery from Covid-19 while mitigating Climate Change
Green growth, based on technological change, is necessary but not sufficient for effective, timely, climate mitigation. It must be supplemented by reducing the material consumption of the rich countries. Continue reading »
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It’s time for a serious consideration of a job guarantee
The federal government could and should fund a job guarantee for all who want to work, paid at the minimum wage, to replace Jobkeeper and Jobseeker, with jobs created by all levels of government and community organisations. Continue reading »
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A Government Program to lock-in Fossil Fuels
The federal government’s “Next Generation Energy Technologies Investment Package” is designed to lock-in fossil fuels. Continue reading »
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The last chance to stabilise Earth’s climate
The aspirational Paris target of 1.5ºC maximum warming will be beyond our reach if the economy returns to pre-Covid ‘normal’. Technological solutions, although necessary, are not sufficient. Continue reading »
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A Radical Thought: Implement the Steady-State Economy
The post-Covid recovery period may be a suitable time to consider how to transition to a steady-state economy with almost full employment. Continue reading »
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MARK DIESENDORF. Lessons from Covid-19: Strategic Planning for Future Risks
A key lesson from Covid-19 is that markets cannot manage major risks and that strategic planning is necessary. Continue reading »
