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Showing posts from June, 2011

Can adventure writing encourage passivity ?

This blog is prompted by a recent tweet by @bikeaboutuk. They are part of the way across the Gobi desert. It’s tough, and they were openly describing how they felt. How they were struggling. That there had been “one too many days in the desert”. I liked their post, because it shows we all struggle at some stage. We have all had those days where the headwind just seems relentless. That the energy tank is just totally empty. At 11 o’clock in the morning, having only been on the road for 3 hours, you stop. Pitch the tent and lie in it, and go to sleep. I’ve done it. There is a school of writing about adventure that is of the “macho” variety for want of a better name. It’s not exclusively written by men. But it emphasises achievement, and is in the vein of overcoming any obstacle. I don't want to single anyone out as being unworthy - it's a style of writing. But I wonder how it leaves most of the population thinking about adventure? Every time I pull up to a caravan park I get

Climate change conflict: more likely than you thought

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world .... as in being able to remake ourselves.” Mohandas Gandhi All proceeds from the sale of 2023 go to charities promoting renewable energy. You can buy it here In the novel 2023, Australia is isolated in the world. It is threatened by the new, clean, green economies. They have lost tolerance with Australia’s continuing persistence in both burning fossil fuels and exporting them to those parts of the world that continue to burn them. India and China, and Europe have transformed their energy systems to almost completely renewable. The rest of the world, lead by Australia, lags behind. Just this week, in Australia, we have had news of climate change scientists being moved to a secure location as a result of death threats. Sectors of the media have created a whole atmosphere of “hate speech” surrounding climate change.  Still, it is a long way from the scenarios of 2023. Even with the space of ten