Eco online

A time to unite

Anyone who has attended meetings will know — the greater the number of people, the less chance there is of obtaining an outcome.
Therefore the outcome of Copenhagen should come as no surprise. Governments from wealthy countries know that voters are easily swayed by economic arguments. Poorer countries want more for their people. While we all [...]

Population: the real problem?

Letter to the Editor
By now it would seem beyond doubt that global warming is a reality and a serious problem. Precisely how much of it can be attributed to human activity and how much to natural causes may be open to debate. There is also mass starvation and violent aggression, manifesting in our part of [...]

Copenhagen: Wong meets with Australian youth delegation

Penelope Ward, reporting from Copenhagen

Excitement and nervous energy turned to frustration and angst as thousands waited outside the Bella Centre, with NGOs, IGOs, media and official party delegates all swarming around the centre to get to work. With the heads of state of 192 countries arriving this week, security has been tightened and any forms [...]

Denying climate change: it’s a question of morality

When faced with tragedy, atrocities or grief we humans, it appears, have a wonderful way of dealing with it. Denial.
In his book States of Denial, Knowing About Atrocities and Suffering, sociologist Stanley Cohen writes: “One common thread runs through many different stories of denial: people, organisations, governments or whole societies are presented with information that [...]

Local action starts as Copenhagen talks continue

The climate was on everybody’s mind as low clouds created hot and humid conditions on the Sunshine Coast today. But it wasn’t only local weather patterns being discussed. As the Copenhagen climate conference enters its second week, thousands of Australians took to the streets around the country for the 5th annual walk against warming.
On the [...]