Chris Young

Recent articles by Chris Young

A climate tipping point is not a game on TV

The Earth has enjoyed 12,000 years of uniquely stable climate. It has arrived at this after aeons of instability; climate volatility is the norm. That exceptional stability has given us the ability to establish agriculture and civilisation. These are now, within the foreseeable future, coming under threat. By continuing to pump carbon into the atmosphere we are hastening Earth’s return to climate instability. The risks we face have been characterised as tipping points. As Peter Sainsbury observes, a tipping point occurs when natural processes begin to exacerbate problems previously caused by human activity. Once these natural processes start, they...

Albanese's old boys club needs a Kamala injection

Anthony Albanese’s focus seems to be less on delivering societal reforms in the spirit of the Labor movement than in working to keep government in the hands of Labor and the Coalition, and minimise the influence of Independents and the Greens. In the name of bipartisan agreement he is creating a political “old boys’ club”, negotiating legislation in agreement with the Coalition – the secretive NACC, modified Stage 3 tax cuts, AUKUS. Albanese’s justification may be that he wants his legislation to endure, but kow-towing to the Coalition now provides no guarantee of this. It looks more likely that...

Omar Khayyam’s guide to the climate crisis

“Lo, the moving finger writes and, having writ, moves on …”. The climatic warning signs grow ever more critical. Our politicians take some steps to address them, but always with an eye back to those whose interests that action might compromise. Fossil fuel industry lobbyists keep that retrospective eye focused on their industry’s interests. Our governments seem to succumb to this, or else, as Mark Beeson observes, “…they are incapable of grasping the immediacy of the problem or the scale of the necessary response needed to avoid catastrophe. This inadequacy of government response gives a Khayyamian inevitability to...

One way or the other, we're facing a reality check

Over the years since 1945 there has been a marked decline in religious belief in developed countries as our standards of living have risen. For many, now there is no need to wait for the next life to realise heavenly benefits; Heaven has arrived on Earth. Our planet is on the cusp of environmental collapse, as Ted Trainer observes, from our blind obsession with affluence and growth from over-consumption and over-production. We need major changes to global environmental management, and drastic lifestyle changes, to avoid the catastrophic crises foretold. The World Call to Action from the Club of...

Teals show the way to revive conviction democracy

Les MacDonald’s hope that democracy may finally be returning to its roots, where strength of conviction shapes policy, is personified by the parliamentary influx of Teals. These intelligent, capable individuals came to parliament holding a few conviction policies in common – strong action on climate, a strong NACC, a better, and safer world for women – and continue to operate, independently, through extensive, regular community consultation to understand and reflect the views of their communities in other matters. Regrettably, the major parties seem to be closing ranks against this democratic revival. Labor’s proposed reforms to political donation laws, while...

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