Climate change is no longer a scientific issue; it is a cultural political issue.
Denial is simply a response to avoid the dilemma which we all face. Considering environmental change from a security perspective, Simon Dalby concluded in 2009 that the greatest threat to human security are the people with high per capita energy consumption in places like Australia, Canada and the USA (the northern metropoles). That is us.
Most of us model completely inappropriate behaviour, not just in energy and resource consumption, but also in electing governments that willing support economic activity and engage in military actions, which perpetrate global injustice. If we want to innovate, then we need to do so in what we value.
If we continue to elect govern-ments likely to take Australia to war over resources – as with Iraq – then we might find we also have a government prepared to go to war against the poor, or victims of natural disasters in order to secure their own position first. Australia was very lucky during the recent flooding to have the leadership we did. Had we a George Bush at the helm as was the case in New Orleans, then the ADF and emergency services would have been assigned to secure property, not rescue those in need.
When Tony Abbott supports protests instigated by media elites, is he really thinking about what is good for Australia and the future of humanity, or simply his own short-term political future?
Paul Reader
