From 1880 to 2008 the Bulletin was Australia's " serious news " magazine. It ceased publication in January 2008, and shortly thereafter a new serious news magazine appeared on the news stands. It was simply called " The Monthly " and it provided in depth coverage of Australian and world events.
The August issue contains an essay by Robert Manne entitled " Dark Victory ". In essence, it explains the world lack of action on climate science and it's replacement by " phony " science, the gathering of those intellectuals with a propensity to be stubborn and express a " denial " philosophy. It is suggested that world energy interests - namely, coal and gas - conspired to use the tactics successfully used by big Tobacco to create confusion in the minds of the public over the health risks of using tobacco.
It is a well written essay containing many points of logic, but there is perhaps a tendency to blame conspirators intent on serving their own interests when this lack of real action may be the result of world leaders recoiling from the predicted consequences of seriously tackling global warming.
The Greens and the science establishment are clear on what needs to be done. We need to switch from burning fossil fuels to other forms of renewable energy and that has to happen on a wide front. Of immediate impact to every man, woman and child in the western world would be the change to electricity generation. If we stop burning coal to produce electricity, the price of the product soars. Higher energy prices make our manufacturing less competitive and it sheds jobs. We face the dual dangers of higher living costs and expanding unemployment.
A tentative beginning to global warming action was starting to take hold prior to the 2008 economic meltdown. Kevin Rudd was Australia's prime minister and he seemed genuinely prepared to grasp the nettle and enact legislation. The sudden collapse of world finance caused him to back away, and that cost him a degree of popularity - and ultimately his job.
A pure accident of politics then too charge of the situation. The replacement prime minister failed to gain public approval and when the nation went to the polls it delivered a hung parliament. Coalition with the Greens was the only way to retain power, and part of the price for that support was the introduction of a watered down carbon tax. It is clear that this tax is still vastly unpopular and that it will not deliver any meaningful change to the world carbon position.
It is equally clear that the world has divided into two opposing camps. The Scandinavian countries, plus Australia and a few others have taken limited action, but the big polluters have dug their heels in and are resisting taking any meaningful action., Without at least the United States of America, China and India reducing carbon output, the world carbon crisis will continue to worsen.
" Dark Victory " delivers one reason why it's writer thinks we face an impasse, but perhaps the leaders of those three great nations have another compelling fear that causes them to resist taking even a timid first step
The history books deliver chilling accounts of what happens when the broad public rises in rebellion. At the time Australia was settled the people of France began sending their king and members of the aristocracy to the guillotine. In the last century, the people of Russia overthrew and murdered the Czar and his family, and the blight of Communism swept fear into every corner of the world.
The " Arab Spring " started in Tunisia, when a vegetable seller had his cart seized by the police, preventing him making even a tenuous living. His immolation lit a match that has swept through a swathe of countries, deposing leaders and sending some of them to a brutal death. We watch the nightly news as this wave of rebellion causes more death and destruction across Syria.
It seems likely that the leaders of the big polluting countries are convinced that the results of global warming will need to become more apparent - and very much more urgent - before the broad masses will accept the sort of privation that will be necessary to reduce carbon dioxide. Perhaps the real reason for this strange avoidance of any sort of action plan - is sheer self preservation !
It seems that the changes to our way of living arising from global warming are less frightening than the social upheaval that could be unleashed if we take the drastic steps necessary to restore the carbon balance !
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