Jeremy Baskin is a Fellow of the Melbourne School of Government, and a doctoral student at the Australian National University’s Centre for the Public Awareness of Science
Bowtell’s story is wrapped in a larger view of the relationship between science and politics. Crudely put, he sees science as good and true, and politics as compromised and bad. Science should trump politics in a pandemic.
‘Not again’ will be the first thought of many climate-change veterans. They will recognise in the Great Barrington Declaration (GBD) echoes of the dispiriting and distracting climate-science wars. Released on 7 October, the declaration is a brief statement promoted by three eminent epidemiologists. It is highly critical of lockdown approaches to tackling COVID-19 and argues […]
COVID-19 may herald a welcome reversal of the ‘post-truth’ turn, and an acceptance that facts matter and expertise counts; there are, however, many reasons not to embrace such reassertions of expert authority uncritically.
We need technologies of humility, not of hubris Climate change. Anyone paying attention knows that the prognosis is bad. The expected weather disruption is increasingly visible. And moves to rapidly de-carbonise our economy are underwhelming, despite enormous public mobilisation globally and a great deal of inspiring invention and innovation.
Civilisation, white farmers and being a South African Australian today Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton's call to prioritise a refugee intake of white South African farmers because they need 'special attention' and 'help from a civilised country like ours' has received a great deal of press coverage in both Australia and South Africa. It has garnered support from a number of leading Liberal Party figures, mostly MPs with right-wing leanings. Dutton's most vocal supporters…
