tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929009897479726160.post5305087566523585280..comments2024-01-10T19:25:28.334+11:00Comments on fairgreenplanet: @WePublicHealth - did you ever have to make up your mind?Val Kayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04022522407838661280noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929009897479726160.post-55501460064822683652013-09-08T16:26:55.547+10:002013-09-08T16:26:55.547+10:00Thanks for your comment, it raises some big questi...Thanks for your comment, it raises some big questions, I might have to reply to them in later posts but will try to give some brief responses below.<br />It hasn't actually been a landslide result in the election, in spite of some predictions, which presumably means people could turn back towards Labor and Greens in coming elections without too much angst. The risk is of course that we will lose years of progress on carbon reduction we could have been making, and it gets harder and more expensive all the time. I will be interested to see whether Tony Abbott follows through his promise to get rid of the carbon price, we shall see soon I suppose, but I think it will be hard to do in practice.<br /><br />Health services already are responding to the mental health issues raised by climate change, will try to put some info about that up in a post soon.<br /><br />Regarding turning denial around, my view in summary is: go around it rather than confront it - talk to people about benefits of sustainable living, appeal to both self interest and altruism (saving money for yourself and helping the environment), as discussed in a previous post. Next step may well need to be regulation, but Australians have a history of accepting regulation fairly readily when linked to public health (seat belts, non smoking regulations etc) - of course the whole free market, individualistic discourse about freedom from the IPA etc may lessen the chance of getting reasonable regulation democratically accepted, and thereby actually make heavy handed (fascist) responses more likely. That's my fear I guess but I hope it doesn't happen.Val Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04022522407838661280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929009897479726160.post-76363798145545315642013-09-08T15:49:47.811+10:002013-09-08T15:49:47.811+10:00sorry if this is off topic, but what do you think ...sorry if this is off topic, but what do you think will happen as climate deterioration already in the pipe as it were begins to bed down & increasing numbers of what they call low information voters gradually come to the realisation its not a hoax. i think it will take about four or five record breaking summers & record breaking winters for it to begin to be raised at suburban bar-b-ques. maybe less. will they turn on labor & the greens for being right? will they turn on the libs & nats for getting it wrong? personally i think the instances (is that the right word?) of clinical depression will increase. are you hopeful that mass denial can be turned around? in time? my partner says i'm an inveterate optimist but its getting harder for me to be positive about this. i heard a german green interviewed back in the 80s, i'll never forget it, she said we'll either get green democracy or we'll get green fascism. like i said i'm finding it hard to stay optimistic even though from all accounts that matter i seem hardwired for it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com