Dr Ted Christie: Environmental Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Solutions

“ P rotecting cultural heritage and development are not mutually exclusive; we can have both, but projects have to be well-designed.” Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek (2024).   The recent decision by the Federal Environment Minister to shut down a tailings dam for a gold mine development, to protect Indigenous cultural heritage, has ignited controversy and conflict.   The controversy is not only over the decision’s impact on the viability of the Regis Resources’ Gold Mine Project at Orange, Central-Western NSW.  It has also highlighted the complexity of the problem when cultural heritage protection (with its focus on Traditional knowledge) and  development (with its focus on Western science) collide over future land use. There is now  community concern that history may repeat in Australia for development projects proposed on Indigenous owned and controlled lands. However, there would be little dispute that the above statement by ...

  The recent announcement by the leader of the Federal Liberal National Party for a climate action plan for Australia’s transition to net zero emissions based on seven nuclear plants with a mix of renewables of gas and renewables, has ignited concern and controversy. This is not surprising given the latest independent polling (18 June 2024) on this issue in Australia by the Essential Report  which indicated that: - “People think the best way to achieve our net zero by 2050 target is by developing renewables rather than developing nuclear (63% to 37%) ”. The poll highlighted the reason why public interest environmental controversies continue to ignite conflict when environment/anti-nuclear positions and development/pro-nuclear positions collide. T he unfortunate outcome for the information conflict situation, in this case, is a red corner ~v~ blue corner scenario! Instead, the focus should be on managing the information conflict created by divergent op...

    1.0            In 2023, the U.N. Secretary-General, António Guterres identified the  “ Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities” [ CBDR-RC Principle]  as a key driver for achieving net zero deadlines - subject to a significant condition: “Every country must be part of  the solution. Demanding others move first only ensures humanity comes last”. 2.0            Existing issues that have limited the adoption of the CPDR-RC Principle over time are identified e.g., c onflicts over inequality and competitive advantage; the wide disparity in national contributions of global CO 2 emissions between all countries . 3.0            The article outlines the framework for a level playing field for reducing emissions, equitably, to reach net zero by 2050, based on the linkage be...

            Divergent public opinion and controversy has arisen in Australia over a referendum the Federal Government intends to hold later this year. Specifically, that an advisory body known as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (“ the Voice ”) may make representations to Parliament and the Executive on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, the available information to facilitate voting  about the “ the Voice process ”  at the referendum has been an issue.     A conflict management framework  was applied to address this issue. The focus was on the  “interests”  (or  needs and concerns ) about the Voice process that the public have in relation to the referendum question –  rather than the voting   “position”  they may hold . The features of “ the Voice process ” were compared with public participation processes for resolving public int...

  T h e challenge for stable electricity   on an energy grid, powered primarily by renewables, is to   ensure continuous energy when the sun isn't shining, or the wind isn't blowing; or even if there is a sudden spike in demand i.e., Firming capacity. As renewables replace coal, significant issues over energy security   have ignited public concern and controversy whether renewables, such as wind and solar energy, ensure stable electricity power . Public concern resonates with the following opinion by the former Energy Security Board of Australia chairwoman, Dr Kerry Schott, as reported in the Australian Financial Review   (28 February 2023): ‘Former energy tsar,  Kerry Schott,  has criticised State governments, especially Victoria, for “demonising” gas, saying the fuel was crucial to shift the electricity grid from coal to renewable energy as part of the net zero transition… gas has to be part of the solution in the transition to renewable ener...

      T he media coverage that followed a protest by a group of climate activists in Brisbane on 01 February focussed more on the “general overreach” of government in silencing protesters - rather than on understanding activist concerns: Whether “we are acting appropriately or urgently enough on climate change”. Whilst there may be divided public opinion on rights to protest, there should be no dispute that the activist’s concerns drew attention to serious issues related to action for climate change. Australia’s new Climate Change Act 2022 came into force on 15 September 2022. GHG emissions are to be reduced   by 43% on 2005 levels by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050. But the legislation does not as yet provide a national plan on how these targets are to be achieved. In the absence of any national plan for action for climate change, climate activist concerns about what the future holds for our children and grandchildren are real and warrant wider conversat...

  KEY WORDS: Paris Agreement; emission reduction targets; energy security; affordable energy; renewables;  equity; sustainable development; SDG13; scientific-round-table; ETS 1.0    To achieve the Paris Agreement goals, effective integration between energy security and action for climate change to reduce GHG emissions is crucial - but remains problematic. 2.0      The UN’s 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goal 13 for “ Climate Action ” requires climate change measures to be integrated into national plans, policies, and strategies. 3.0      A national plan for energy security and sustainable development should not only represent a power system that is affordable, reliable, and secure - but also have the optimum balance between renewables and other feasible and viable climate action options to achieve emission  reduction targets, sustainably. 4.0   A pathway for a national plan that integrates energy securi...

KEY WORDS:  Paris Agreement;  emission reduction targets;  energy security; power systems; dispatchability;  predictability; illusory promise; national plans; equity; sustainable development; SDG13; multi-objective analysis 1.0      Commitments by governments for reducing emissions in their NDCs, to date, fall far short of what is required.  2.0      A national plan should not only represent a power system that has the optimum balance between renewables and other climate action option(s) to reduce emissions sustainably and equitably; but also the plan should lead to a commitment that can be implemented.  3.0      W ithout a national plan on how to implement emission targets into climate action to achieve Paris goals and its binding obligations, there is a risk that the targets pledged could prove to be an “illusory promise” i.e., a promise made which is uncertain, indefinite, vague or impossible to fulfil. R...

  TAGS: Energy security; sustainable development; multi-objective analysis; methodology; scenarios; objective criteria; innovation; diffusion; adoption Climate action national plans relied on to achieve emission reduction targets must be made in accordance with the Paris Agreement’s binding obligations. A problem-solving pathway based on multi-objective analysis methodology is outlined which enables sustainable solutions for energy security and climate action to be found. The methodology would facilitate the preparation of viable national plans to reduce emissions as they would be made “on the basis of equity and in the context of sustainable development” - and so comply with the Paris Agreement.   READ MORE...

  TAGS: COVID-19; resilience; recovery; impacts – public health, economics, social, cultural; inter-generational equity; sustainable development; methodology - multi-objective analysis; public participation.      Any plan for recovery must focus on a future in which it may be improbable to reduce COVID-19 health risks to a zero level.       Co-existence with COVID-19 should be seen as the norm for a resilient society.   Recovery from the pandemic also needs to be seen as a classic sustainable development problem for Government to resolve – not simply public health or economic   issues.     Any recovery plan should minimize the extent to which costs and benefits are shared disproportionately between generations.    The recovery plan requires sustainable solutions that resonate with the principle of intergenerational equity – a concept of fairness between generations. The principle is the foundation for sustaina...

  TAGS : COVID-19; resilience; transition; recovery; public health; vaccine hesitancy; acceptable risk; trans-science; International Risk Governance Council; risk assessment; concern assessment; health literacy .       Whether society considers a COVID-19 health risk to be acceptable is, in part influenced by perceptions of its impacts. This question also raises a trans-science issue: "How safe is safe enough"?   Risk perception involves people’s feelings, beliefs, attitudes, and judgements. It is at the core of understanding vaccine hesitancy .     Risk appraisal based on both risk assessment and concern assessment would lead to better-informed decision-making by the public on COVID-19 vaccination.    It would also enhance public trust and confidence in vaccination and COVID‑19 vaccines as well as promoting health literacy .   READ MORE …

TAGS : COVID-19; resilience; response; conflict; vaccine hesitancy; health literacy; vaccination; scientific innovation; diffusion; adoption; economics; mental health .    Mixed messages on some vaccination issues have led to information conflicts causing confusion for people in deciding on whether to get vaccinated. Where the public health message is mixed, or not clear, it may ignite existing vaccine concerns or create doubt about the vaccine - and so be a trigger for vaccine hesitancy. The challenge for science is to promote better informed decision-making by the public on COVID-19 vaccination by communicating a clear public health message that promotes health literacy. The role that concepts for the diffusion and adoption of scientific innovations have to facilitate health literacy is outlined. READ MORE…

TAGS: COVID-19; resilience; response; transition; recovery; vaccine hesitancy; acceptable risk; trans-science; IRGC; risk assessment; concern assessment; inter-generational equity; sustainable development; public health; information conflicts; health literacy; scientific innovations; vaccination, diffusion, adoption.         Concern over the appropriate problem-solving pathway for Australia to adopt to effectively address the global COVID-19 pandemic has ignited public controversy and conflict.       One media critique of the response in Australia to the pandemic refers to the “lack of balanced analysis of the harm of lockdowns versus the harm of COVID ”.      Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic - caused by different opinions on what scientific information is relevant, different interpretations of the same information or insufficient information - has created scientific information conflicts.      ...