Topic tags: Tony Kevin, camino, copenhagen, climate change, carbon emissions
If there's one thing that the recent election campaign and its outcome demonstrated, it's the depth of the divisions that exist in our Australian community.
Our politics is focused on point-scoring, personalities, and name-calling across party lines. The media, for the most part, don't help, driven by the 24-hour news cycle and the pursuit of advertising dollars into a frenzy of click-bait and shallow sensationalism.
What does it mean to be an Australian in times like these? What are the values that unite us?
Eureka Street offers an alternative. It's less a magazine than a wide ranging conversation about the issues that matter in our country and our world; a conversation marked by respect for the dignity of ALL human beings.
Importantly, it's a conversation that takes place in the open, unhindered by paywalls or excessive advertising. And it's through the support of people like you that it is able to do so.
A good article John. This is an interesting daily journal, free of charge ALEXANDER PALMER | 16 November 2009
For me too, walking 850 kms of the Camino del Norte across the northern coastline of Spain last year was an eye opening experience. One of the main lessons of the Camino for me was that we need to stay connected to the earth. I noticed in particular, the hospitality in the towns and villages where the old people still carefully cultivated every strip of land (sweet corn growing on a traffic island!), where water was available from the fountains and where the hedgerows where heavy with blackberries, wild mint, coriander and columbines - and the contrast with areas where row on row of McMansion chalets are being thrown up - no gardens, high walls, no public drinking water and no sense of community. Walking across the country, I was very conscious of something precious that is being lost for ever. Helena Sweeney | 16 November 2009
Thank you Tony for being a voice of hope for Copenhagen - I have not heard, nor read too many lately. Andrew | 16 November 2009
My conversion approaching Melbourne on the western highway some 20 years ago when it suddenly dawned on me that in about half an hours time I would be inhaling filthy smog rather than fresh air. 20 years on, it seems that there is lots of talk, much of it obstructive, and no action. David | 17 November 2009
My sincere thanks for an evocative, thought provoking and deeply caring article. The theme for me, was that of service to our global village. If we are unwilling to put ourselves last, ( the Good Samaritan),this 'village' may be on a perilous journey. Bernie Introna | 18 November 2009
I also found Tony's comments on climate change generally positive, but they suffer the same problem as the Pope's message and climate change commentary from the Greens. That problem is over-emphasis on the desired ideal without any apparent recognition that a certain amount of realpolitik compromise is required to set the scene for radical change. To disparage as 'toothless' the 20% renewable energy target ignores the motivational value of setting an achievable quantitative target that provides some economic credibility to the alternative energy industries. Manufacturers of alternative energy hardware need economic credibility if they are to finance the construction, supply and installation of systems to provide and deliver alternative energy. 'A series of loosely linked national commitments to pursue scientifically meaningful national carbon emissions reduction strategies' would be nice to have, and an internationally accredited ETS with significant (at least 20% by 2020) reduction targets would force the financing of reduction technologies. And while I share Tony's wish for rapid decarbonisation of Australia and the world, it can only be achieved when an alternative technology can take its place. The only alternative energy source quantitatively able to replace coal in the short term is nuclear. But do we want it? Ian Fraser | 23 November 2009
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