Reef
Even the most passionate anti-environmentalist will admit that The Great Barrier Reef, the largest and most unique reef in the world, is in under threat.
The only issues to debate are how severe the danger is and what can be done to halt its demise.
I have tried to get realistic views of this, but it is difficult to do so.
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The reports from UNESCO are highly politicised and media articles reveal the political bias of every journalist.
But there is a great book that I can recommend that gives a splendid history of the reef and makes a passionate call for its preservation without blaming anyone. It is written by Iain McCalman and entitled 'The Reef - a passionate history'. I enjoyed it and it stirred my soul.
I am convinced that we can save the Great Barrier Reef without destroying our trade, if we are willing to pay the price of ensuring that miners clean up their act, shipping is pristine and the water in our rivers is crystal clear when it reaches the sea.
Bush
Don Watson has written a splendid book called 'The Bush'.
You will remember him as a key adviser to Paul Keating who incurred the wrath of the great man by writing an unauthorised book about him.
Watson was born and bred in rural Australia, and has written with great feeling about the role of the bush in our history and folklore. It is well worth reading, as he loves his heritage.
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But the book reminds us that, all over the world, people are moving in their millions from rural to urban areas, mostly as the result of political decisions, but also in recognition that the days of the small farmer are over in economic terms, particularly as technology replaces farm workers.
Australia is moving in the same direction but, hopefully, rural cities will thrive rather than our capitals growing ever larger.
Of course, no realistic person can look at the future of the bush without taking into account the future of Indigenous Australia.
Noel Pearson has written thoughtfully and challengingly about this in the current edition of Quarterly Essay. His contribution is called 'A Rightful Place' and it is worthy of serious debate, as all policies for integration and reconciliation have failed.
At some point, we must face the painful reality that indigenous people may not have a viable future in the bush, but the decision to change rests with them.
Indeed, by 2100, Australia will be unrecognisable from today. It is worth reading the book 'The Next Hundred Years' by George Friedman. I had a sleepless night wondering how my grandchildren will handle the very significant changes it forecasts.
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