Both Tim Flannery and Nick Rowley come to the Deakin Lectures as veterans of last year’s Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. After the disappointing outcome of that conference we asked both presenters, why sign up for more talk on climate change?
Series Moderator Rowley sees the lectures as a chance to continue the debate. “At a time when the public debate is confused, the politics a mess, but the risks only more clear, we need to hear from those with deep understanding and experience of what it takes to meaningfully address the climate change. More than bold words from the stage, each Deakins lecture will challenge the audience and allow us to question what it will take to address this most wicked of problems."
For Series Curator Tim Flannery it’s about action shifting from the political to the personal. “Accepting we have a problem, and doing something about it, are two different things. As we move towards taking action we need to hear from leaders who have changed things, in their business, political party or community: innovators who have succeeded in addressing an aspect of the climate problem.”
“You may not have heard of some of them, but in their spheres they’re global champions. That’s why this year’s Deakins are so important. They give us the chance to learn from the world’s most successful game-changers in the climate arena, and so to lift our own game.”
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More hot air on climate change? I'd rather hear how we can act when our politicians let us down.
Tony
22 May at 04:41PM
Flannery always has something positive to say doesn't he? If we had more debate in parliament then this event wouldn't be necessary.
Because Rudd has backed out of his election promises and Copenhagen was a non-committal waste of time, it looks like people are going to have to work out their own ways to cut CO2 emissions. Will that be the sort of thing these debates offer?
Anna Watson
22 May at 05:40PM
What interests me about debates about climate change is the attempt to come to terms with the public relationship to science. If we are not taking science seriously then why do we fund universities, medical research or innovation? This is not an entirely rhetorical question. Let's talk about whether public opinion trumps science and what the philosophical consequences are of putting an end to scientific inquiry.
Fully Sic
22 May at 07:47PM
If we stop talking about the disaster that is looming then the politicians cerainly will. It is important that we make as much noise as possible to get the public, press and therefore the government interested again. The lesson thus far is that they follow they don't lead.
Michael Lewin
23 May at 08:24PM
We seem to expend considerable energy debating things that are (or should be) for the better part a foregone conclusion. We should be starting under an assumption that as a species we have a 'net' contribution to global warming (given that 'gross' climate change includes the total including natural variability (volcanoes, sunspots etc).
From there the debate begins (socially , environmentally and economically) as to the extent and approach to our response. I'd like to see debates (when the sentiment and intent to do something is stimulated and elevated), lead to some form of commitment; whether it be individually or collectively - democratically decided by the audience.
Adam Majcher
24 May at 10:40AM
All the debates in the world will not make one iota of difference until we begin to tell the truth to ourselves and each other. We need to acknowledge that our lifestyle is indulgently destructive and we are indifferent to the consequences of our actions both on ourselves and others. We cannot change what we do not acknowledge. That must be the starting point. Get straight.
The breakdown in the sustainability of the environment is a sign that our present economy is equally unsustainable and our social awareness of responsibility is also equally unsustainable. We need to wake up, our very lives are at stake.
We have to get out of the childish right/wrong paradigm and create a whole new vision for a new world grounded in truth, honesty and fairness. I think it was Albert Einstein who said that we will need to create a whole new paradigm to fix the problems that we have created thus far.
Ailene Hewitt
24 May at 11:33AM
I believe strongly that something MUST be done about climate change, but I feel let down by our politicians. Is it really a surprise that they've let us down again?
Anonymous Duck
23 August at 11:51AM