Max Thomas – Page 2 – Openforum https://www.openforum.com.au Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:27:37 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 Battery blues https://www.openforum.com.au/battery-blues/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 23:42:22 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=43639 Electric vehicles are slowly becoming more common on the nation's roads, but ideologically appealing developments can easily produce more intractable problems than the technologies they replace.

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Another way of hearing “The Voice” https://www.openforum.com.au/another-way-of-hearing-the-voice/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 23:42:37 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=43433 The proposed referendum on an indigenous 'Voice to Parliament' has generated a great deal of debate, with passions rising on both sides.

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Melbourne’s wildlife battlefield https://www.openforum.com.au/melbournes-wildlife-battlefield/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 02:41:29 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=41826 The 30,000 strong flying fox colony on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne offers an interesting case study on the difficulties of managing wildlife in urban settings.

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Indigenous people are human too! https://www.openforum.com.au/indigenous-people-are-human-too/ Mon, 30 Jan 2023 01:43:42 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=41348 The present struggle for power and influence on all sides in relation to “The Voice to Parliament” attests to the fact of our common humanity.

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Playing politics with food https://www.openforum.com.au/playing-politics-with-food/ Thu, 05 Jan 2023 23:55:52 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=41034 Environmental evangelists would do well to consider the disastrous “Holodomor“ that caused mass starvation and extreme poverty in the Ukraine during the 1930s.

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Questions remain over electric vehicles https://www.openforum.com.au/questions-remain-over-electric-vehicles/ Tue, 22 Nov 2022 21:33:29 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=40466 The current excitement over electric vehicles looks like a classic case of putting the cart in front of the horse, and when there's much excitement about the destination without knowing how to get there, it's easy to end up on the wrong track.

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Cultural burning https://www.openforum.com.au/cultural-burning/ Wed, 02 Nov 2022 21:10:41 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=40105 Advocates of the practice of "cultural burning" fail to acknowledge the potential health effects of particulates generated by such "cool burns".

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Last stand of the Karaaf wetland? https://www.openforum.com.au/last-stand-of-the-karaaf-wetland/ Thu, 27 Oct 2022 23:15:12 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=39975 The Karaaf Wetlands on Victoria's Surf Coast looks like an untouched oasis with its kangaroos, wallabies, and birds that migrate to it from Japan and China, however it is under threat as the town of Torquay grapples with a population boom and our endless hunger for development.

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What kind of voice to Parliament? https://www.openforum.com.au/what-kind-of-voice-to-parliament/ Sun, 02 Oct 2022 22:26:10 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=39554 The government's pledge to hold a referendum on an indigenous 'voice to Parliament' has been well received, but a number of issues remain to be resolved before the vote takes place.

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Thank you Queen Elizabeth https://www.openforum.com.au/thank-you-queen-elizabeth/ Fri, 09 Sep 2022 22:33:05 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=39251 The passing of Queen Elizabeth has reignited republican calls for Australia to sever links with the crown, and although the monarchy remains a bulwark against ambitious politicians, there are possibilities for reform.

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Storm in a brickworks https://www.openforum.com.au/storm-in-a-brickworks/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 23:21:19 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=38649 Strategies to deal with storm water runoff need careful planning, exemplified by the furore around the Burwood brickworks development stormwater system.

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Gas flows under pressure https://www.openforum.com.au/gas-flows-under-pressure/ Sat, 23 Jul 2022 07:17:12 +0000 https://www.openforum.com.au/?p=38545 The Australian Greens don’t yet seem to grasp that effective environmental stewardship depends on corresponding progress in justice, public health, education, trade, security, indigenous and international relations, social and economic wellbeing.

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