Challenges of 2015: economy, environment, religion

It is called Humanomics and is based around the development of many not-for-profit corporations that are led by the best brains in the nation.

To get our mind thinking in a new way, Peter Hartcher's book The Adolescent Country is worth reading, as it highlights the ancient attitudes we carry around and strive to perpetuate. It opens our minds to a potential that can be unleashed that has nothing to do with growth for growth's sake. Our thinking can also be moulded by a book on Indonesia called Demokrasi by Hamish McDonald that helps us to understand why this powerful neighbour must be the cornerstone of our regeneration, not our old ties with a faltering Europe.

Of course, with the current chaotic state of the undemocratic swill called the Senate in the Australian Parliament, it is difficult for any innovative changes to be made to the way the economy and society are managed.

To get a clearer understanding of this problem, you may care to read the current edition of Quarterly Essay written by Guy Rundle, from Crikey. It is irreverently called Clivosaurus. You guessed it - it's about the unpredictable politics of Clive Palmer. Even if you intensely dislike him, it is worth reading, as we will very soon need a referendum to abolish the Senate as it is a blot on commonsense.

CLIMATE CHANGE is well and truly back on the political agenda and it is impossible to discuss it separately from economics.

Tony Abbott blundered badly in trying to keep it off the G20 agenda when it was blindingly obvious that he was never going to succeed. His attempt meant that Obama and Xi made their climate change announcement in Beijing, whereas it should have been made in Brisbane where we could have made it look as if we had brokered it.

Then, Obama embarrassed Abbott by making it the cornerstone of his speech at the University of Queensland. That speech was one of Obama's best ever, and this is saying something as he is the greatest orator of my lifetime. Why Julie Bishop and Campbell Newman attacked him over his comments on the Barrier Reef is beyond my comprehension, as they have lost a lot of votes over their unnecessary comments. They forgot the great saying, "when in trouble, shut up."

The battle around climate change has always been about magnifying the burden of its cost. That battle has now been lost. Action will happen and the cost must be paid.

In 2015, the world will have no option but to agree on a price for carbon, with no-one - corporate, personal, charity or government - gaining an exemption without paying the price. It is in our common interest to live, work and play in a clean environment. The sooner we create it, we will be relieved of a future negative.

Australia's immediate challenge will be to join, seriously and significantly, in worldwide research that will create clean coal technology. It is a field in which we will obviously benefit.

Obama will be the key player in all of this, as he has nothing to lose in his last two years of office. I am currently reading the latest book on his political life called The Stranger, which has been written splendidly by Chuck Todd. The title derives from the fact that no black man has ever before been in the White House. His rise was so meteoric that no-one really knew who he was, and he found it very strange to be there.

Finally, let me say that RELIGION will dominate 2015.