STEPHEN WILSON: “We need” are two short words that are repeated ad nauseum in discussion, debate and what used to be called ‘reporting’ or ‘journalism’ on climate and energy policy, followed by some version of: “Think of forests of wind farms carpeting hills and cliffs from sea to sky.

Think of endless arrays of solar panels disappearing like a mirage into the desert,” …to quote Australia’s former chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel.

As the early stages of the ‘renewable energy transition’ come to their local area, a growing number of people in the Far North Queensland community have begun to ask: What on earth are we doing? Are we destroying our local environments and communities in a vain attempt to save the planet from climate change? How did we get to this point? Where are we heading? Do we need a Plan B? Stephen is the kind of person who will stop and question the meaning of those little words “we” and “need.” Stephen will discuss what a power system is, how it works, and why he thinks Australia’s current ‘Plan A’ is destructive and dangerous. In his brief talk, Stephen will share some insights from his professional and academic experience in the worlds of university research, commercial strategy, and government policy.

ABOUT: Stephen has a tendency to challenge listeners. He is on the public record as saying that we are testing the market to destruction (House of Reps inquiry, 2019) and that our current energy policy and plans for our electricity systems is “a perpetual recession machine” (CIS event, Sydney, Jun 2023).

Talk lifted from Transition to Extinction JCU Tess Seminar, held on 6 March 2024 by Rainforest Reserves Australia. Watch the full seminar:    • Transition to extinction forum at Jam...