Where there’s smoke…

Melbourne, Sydney and vast swathes of the Eastern States have suffered the effects of the worst bushfire season for years, and the effects of smoke on the population must be taken into account in future planning.

Who gives a flying fox?

Flying Foxes or Fruit Bats are fascinating native creatures but nobody welcomes them to their neighbourhood.

Rage against the machine?

Is humanity sowing the seeds of its own destruction by creating ever more ‘intelligent’ machines? Max Thomas wrestles with the thorny issues of defining sentience and the threat of automating war.

Life imitating farce

Violence and anti-social behaviour by young people are in the news, but the mass media itself must take its fair share of the blame for social discontent and disorder.

It’s easy being green – or not?

Most people are now rightly concerned about the environment, but does popular concern necessarily translate into effective action?

Half baked anti-Cook sentiment won’t encourage reconciliation

While some have criticised the Cook landing anniversary project as outdated colonial baggage, it may well serve to raise awareness among all Australians about the need for reconciliation as an essential and integral part of our growth as a nation.

Our Darling’s getting dearer

With the Senate about to consider allocating more money to the Murray Darling Basin Plan, it’s time to reconsider the issue afresh. Increased efficiency in agricultural water use should result in more water being available for environmental management, not less.

The potential – and perils – of ‘technological optimism’

‘Technologically optimistic’ solutions to global warming include everything from wind and solar energy to mass scale kelp farming, but will any of these strategies work?

Mirror, mirror, on the wall…

Max Thomas makes an impassioned plea for rational debate and enlightened leadership to tackle the pressing economic and environmental problems of our time.

Considering our river systems

Is Cubbie Station to blame for the state of the Darling River? Expert on environmental management systems Max Thomas considers whether the accusations are accurate.

The Rain in Spain

The push for Catalonian independence has its roots in conflict dating back 300 years. Max Thomas considers the vital natural resources that have shaped civilisation and human development for thousands of years and suggests that independence movements elsewhere in Europe should closely watch developments in Spain.

Alternative alternatives – energy solutions

Transitioning from coal-fired power generation to renewable energy technologies is a necessary process but how do we do this most efficiently and effectively? Max Thomas considers some of our past disasters and successes.