In 1967 a history professor from the University of California delivered a paper in which he argued the world’s environmental degradation had its roots in the Judeo-Christian notion of dominion. When the biblical text declared that humankind was to “rule” and “subdue”...
Face to face with a great white shark
Australia Day. A Time to Laugh and a Time to Cry
I find myself conflicted this Australia Day. Do I laugh or cry? On the one hand I am a proud Australian. I love this country. I love the fact that I can go to a footy match, sit beside supporters of my opponents, and feel perfectly safe. I love our self deprecating sense of humour, that calling a...
Why We Should Respectfully Ignore the Climate Sceptics
Climate sceptics are entitled to their opinions but they are not entitled to pretend there is a scientific debate going on. They should be given the same accord in public debate and policy making that we give to those who argue children should not be vaccinated. I respect their right to their...
Watching the Reef Die
The Great Barrier Reef is dying. It’s hard to believe but we are witnessing the decline of one of the great natural wonders of the world. Yesterday, the Queensland Government released a report that shows the health of the reef is now “poor”. A panel of independent scientists...
Like Lemmings to the Sea…On Our Sheer Climate Stupidity
Somewhat unfairly, the small Arctic rodent, the lemming, has been thought prone to bouts of mass suicide. The same can now be said of humankind, although in our case the charge seems more accurate. Last month the World Bank released a report, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must Be...
Creation Care. A Call to Action by the Lausanne Movement
The Lausanne movement is a movement of evangelical Christians focussed on global mission. At a consultation earlier this month the movement issued a call to action on the environment. The full text is reproduced below. What do you think? Introduction The Lausanne Global Consultation on Creation...
Why debating science won’t convince many climate sceptics
It seems that scientific literacy has little to do with attitudes to climate change. Given all the major scientific academies, most esteemed science journals, and major scientific bodies affirm the high probability that human actions are changing the climate, one might expect that the more...
There’s a Whole Lot More to Our Environmental Challenges Than Climate Change
Listening to the public environmental discourse at the moment I hear a lot about climate change and little else. The reality is that climate change is but one of many serious environmental challenges confronting the world today. My attention was drawn to this by a 2009 paper “A Safe Operating...