The True Cost of Food
A kilogram of beef contains between 15,000 and 100,000 litres of embodied water. For every kilogram of wheat grown in Australia, seven kilograms of topsoil are lost. We give lip service to concerns about peak oil and greenhouse gases, yet our agricultural industry is utterly dependent on unsustainable quantities of polluting petrochemicals. There’s no reason why this insanity can’t be … Read More
The Dangers of Resource Economics
From the health of the Murray to the clean air politics of Emissions Trading, the news abounds of issues balancing on the crucial understanding of resource economics. Natural resources are unique in that they are the building blocks of life. They also have a limited supply. This makes them incredibly valuable. The source of their value is their scarcity. The … Read More
Garnaut’s Limitations
Following the release of this week’s Garnaut report on climate change, much has been made of the exemptions smokestack industries are lining up for. Another handy diversion is the debate over whether India and China wll be involved in any emissions trading system (ETS). Who put the carbon into the atmosphere in the first place? Both are wedge issues that … Read More