Speeches
Climate Denial versus Climate Science
by Clive Hamilton , March 2010The attack on climate science in recent times has been orchestrated, relentless, and effective. Unfortunately, the chorus of declarations that the climate scientists got it wrong has had no impact on the earth’s climate. Indeed, those who study the climate itself rather than the bogus debate in the newspapers and the blogosphere understand that climate science and popular perceptions of climate science are diverging rapidly, not least because the news on the former is getting worse.If the Earth seems to be locked on a path leading to a very different climate, a new and much less stable era lasting many centuries before natural processes eventually establish some sort of equilibrium, how do we respond psychologically to the scientific warnings? There are three braod types of coping strategies.... (A speech at the launch of Requiem for a Species at the Global Change Institute, University of Queensland, 24 March 2010.)
In Praise of Boredom
by Clive Hamilton , February 2010Here in Canberra—where long working hours are obligatory, where dutiful public servants are dragged from their beds by self-important ministers, where the Prime Minister’s office has more burn-outs than Summer Nats—an exhibition that celebrates idleness is surely subversive. (A lecture at the “Idle Hours” exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, 5 February 2010.)
The Rebirth of Nature and the Climate Crisis
by Clive Hamilton , July 2009A lecture to the Sydney Ideas series. In recent times a new theory of a living Earth has captured imaginations. According to James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis, the Earth is a living system in which the biosphere interacts with other physical components of the Earth to maintain conditions suitable for life. The prevention of climate catastrophe, some argue, requires a shift to a new consciousness, one based on a rediscovery of the idea of a living Earth. To understand how such a philosophical transition might occur, it helps to consider the last great historical transformation of consciousness, the one that gave us the modern view of the Earth. The emergence of the mechanical philosophy in the second half of the 17th century changed our deepest conception of the world. Previously the Earth was seen as alive and intentioned; the new science saw it as dead. Although Renée Descartes is usually regarded as the seminal thinker of the mechanical philosophy, in fact its roots can be traced to the thirteenth century Scottish theologian Duns Scotus.Isaac Newton’s work saw the triumph of the conception of a dead Earth, yet Newton himself did not reject the old ‘Hermetic’ philosophy for the new one but held to versions of both. While writing his great mathematical work, the Principia, he also devoted himself to esoteric studies. If Newton could simultaneously be the father of modern science and conceive of the world as alive, could his insights provide the seeds for a new ecological consciousness? And does Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis solve Newton’s conundrum of how to marry a conception of a living Earth with the methods of modern science?
The Time for Radical Action
by Clive Hamilton , January 2009A speech at the Climate Action Summit, Canberra, 31 January 2009
Climate Change and Its Implications for Australia
by Clive Hamilton , September 2008"The crucial question that no one seems willing to address explicitly is whether our political institutions are capable of responding to the climate crisis with the urgency the science demands. If we are to have a good chance of heading off the worst effects of global warming, global emissions must be cut by at least 60 per cent by 2030. Sixty per cent by 2050 is not enough. Sixty per cent globally by 2030 means cuts of 90 per cent in rich countries like Australia. Can this be done?" (From the Annual University Lecture to the Australian Defence Force Academy.)
Reclaiming morality from conservative dogma and post-modern indifference
by Clive Hamilton , August 2008"In the history of the species we have reached the point where to ask why we are here and to attempt to confront our own Being invites ridicule. We communicate with each other more than ever—social networkers now complain that they are “too connected” and must tell their acquaintances to stop announcing what they are having for dinner. Yet beneath the babble, a great silence has descended over us. In Western civilization’s retreat to the superficial, we have not simply ignored the deeper realms but invalidated them: the wisdom is no longer handed down; the esoteric is mocked by the shallow; and, the conundrum of Being is everywhere resolved by more frenetic Doing." (From a speech to the Sydney Ideas series and at Cinema Nova Melbourne, on the occasion of the publication of The Freedom Paradox.)
Defending the Last Taboo
by Clive Hamilton , June 2008In this contribution to a debate at the Museum of Contemporary Art over the Bill Henson exhibition, I argue that deciding that the photographs are art rather than pornography does not end the ethical debate. There is a third, more nuanced position.
Growth Fetishism and Public Policy
by Clive Hamilton , April 2008This speech, given to senior executives of the Australian Public Service, reflects on the dominance of growth fetishism in Canberra, drawing on the recommendations of the 2020 Summit to illustrate the argument. Policy areas unduly influenced by the growth imperative include the labour market, middle-class welfare, education, environment and the arts.
Comforting Stories About Endless Growth
by Clive Hamilton , March 2008An after-dinner speech to the conference of Sustainable Population Australia.
That Canberra is taking too much power from the states
by Clive Hamilton , March 2008Argues against the proposition put to a meeting of the Socratic Forum.
Recent Developments in Climate Change Science and Politics
by Clive Hamilton , October 2007This speech, given in late 2007, addresses the issue of the state of climate science, the evolving position of the Federal Government on climate change, and the emerging security threats associated with global warming.
The Future of Social Democracy
by Clive Hamilton , October 2007"We cannot build a new progressive political program on the circumstances of the bottom 10 per cent of the population. We need to found a new progressive politics in the social conditions as we find them, and the dominant characteristic of liberal democracies is not deprivation but its opposite − affluence. The causes of unhappiness and distress today are predominantly the diseases of affluence − overwork, fragmentation of relationships, the emptiness of consumerism, psychological disorders and a pervasive anomie that challenges the solidity of our sense of self. ... " (Speech given in London organised by Compass.)
The Scary Politics of Climate Change
by Clive Hamilton , September 2007This speech to the Brisbane Writers' Festival argues that climate scientists and environmentalists have been afraid to reveal the true extent of the threats of climate change.
Democracy and Dissent in Australia
by Clive Hamilton , August 2007"Franz Kafka once wrote that 'it is an extremely painful thing to be ruled by laws one does not know'. The story in which Kafka made this observation told of an imaginary kingdom ruled by secretive nobles who kept knowledge of the law to themselves. But I cannot help thinking that Australians are increasingly ruled by laws we do not know or understand. ... " (Speech to the Melbourne Writers' Festival.)
That Capitalism is Bad for the Soul
by Clive Hamilton , August 2007"Capitalism’s fine in its place; the problem is that it has a restless urge to spread and colonise everything. ... " (A debate at Macquarie University.)
Trade and Environmental Governance
by Clive Hamilton , November 2006"There is widespread concern that today’s international institutions are inadequate to deal with the serious environmental dangers faced by the world. The foremost worry is the apparent inability of the world to tackle the problem of climate change with the urgency and seriousness it demands. ... " (Speech to a forum organised by the European Union Delegation in Australia, Opera House, Sydney)
The Political Economy of Climate Change
by Clive Hamilton , June 2006In his Milthorpe Lecture at Macquarie University, Hamilton details the ways in which the Howard Government distorts the science and economics of climate change to justify its position of doing nothing. He also explains the tactics of the "greenhouse mafia".
Against the Pursuit of Happiness
by Clive Hamilton , May 2006"Achieving psychological wholeness is so difficult because the mundane world, the world of things, is spinning and this ‘rotation’ generates a centrifugal force that acts to throw us outwards, away from the stillness of the inner core. And in modern consumer society the centrifugal forces have never been more powerful ... " (Speech to the 2006 Sydney Writer's Festival.)
The Pressures of City Living
by Clive Hamilton , May 2006"Tonight I would like to talk about some of the psychological costs of urban living. For it seems to me that the epidemic of mental disorders and widespread anomie that characterise modern affluent societies can be attributed in part to the stresses of city living. ... " (Speech to the Fenner Conference).
The Intensification of Consumerism
by Clive Hamilton , May 2006"In an affluent society dominated by a marketing culture, consumption is no longer about satisfying our needs but creating a sense of self. The marketers understand this far better than we do. ... But there are signs of reistance." (Public Lecture organised by the Demography and Sociology Program, ANU.)
Marketing and Modern Consumerism
by Clive Hamilton , March 2006This speech to the Third National Consumer Congress considers the habits of the modern consumer and the influence of advertising. It focuses on the democratisation of luxury goods, the increased hours adults spend working in order to allow them to spend more money, and the insidious techniques of marketing targeting children.
The Death of Social Democracy
by Clive Hamilton , March 2006The idea of the citizen on which social democracy was historically founded has been transformed. Social democracy saw the individual as a member of a class engaged primarily in an economic struggle, from which was derived an identity and a place in the social order. Today, we go to the market to find an identity, to adopt a persona that reflects our desired self onto the world. ... (A talk to the Fabian Society, Melbourne, on the occasion of the publication of What’s Left? The death of social democracy, Quarterly Essay 21.)
The Dirty Politics of Climate Change
by Clive Hamilton , February 2006The tactics of the "greenhouse mafia" are exposed and the "dirty dozen" most responsible for holding back action on climate change are named in this speech to the Climate Change and Business Conference.
Growth Fetishism and the New Politics of Wellbeing
by Clive Hamilton , November 2005This speech, given in Sweden, provides an exposition of Hamilton's theories on the fetishisation of economic growth in contemporary society. He also expounds on the political implications of growth fetishism and concludes with "ten theses on consumption".
Poverty in Australia
by Clive Hamilton , October 2005This talk to the Canberra Writers' Festival is a commentary on the politics of poverty and poverty statisitics.
A New Politics of Wellbeing
by Clive Hamilton , July 2005This speech outlines some of the background thinking that led to the development of the Wellbeing Manifesto. It also comments on the Manifesto's relation to conventional politics.
The Wellbeing Manifesto
by Clive Hamilton , July 2005This is the speech given by Hamilton at the launch of the Wellbeing Manifesto. The speech outlines the background and the thinking behind the manifesto, as well as giving its subject matter a brief introduction.
In Defense of Public Education
by Clive Hamilton , May 2005It’s a tough time for public schools in Australia. The consensus that once joined all parties in strong support for the public system has broken down with conservatives on the war-path against public schools and what they stand for. (Speech on Public Education Day.)
Can Humans Survive Automation?
by Clive Hamilton , May 2005We have become accustomed to believing that science and technology will solve our problems. But in affluent countries our problems are no longer ones of material deficiency. Quite the opposite. Industrialised countries are now beset by the sicknesses of affluence ... I think perhaps this is why at this conference we have not asked ourselves whether science and technology can solve our problems, but whether humans can survive more science and technology. (Speech to a conference organised by Manning Clark House.)
Consumption, Debt and the Environment
by Clive Hamilton , February 2005In this speech, Hamilton reflects on the problems of affluenza and the widely perceived need for continual purchasing of goods and luxuries. He also presents the alternative to this norm - downshifting.
In Search of Sustainability
by Clive Hamilton , January 2005We have witnessed the progressive privatisation of responsibility for environmental degradation. Instead of being understood as a set of problems endemic to our economic and social structures, we are told that we each have to take responsibility for our personal contribution to every problem. Of course, the assignment of individual responsibility is consistent with the economic rationalist view of the world which wants everything left to the market, even when the market manifestly fails. ... (Speech at a book launch.)
Climate Change Policy in Australia
by Clive Hamilton , September 2004This public lecture, organised by the National Institute for Environment, reviews the state of the climate chnage debate, including entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, the US and Russian positions, the ETS and the excuses used by the Howard Government to repudiate Kyoto.
Saints or Communists: Non-government organisations in Australia
by Clive Hamilton , July 2004Recently, the legitimacy of NGOs and their contribution to democratic processes has come under attack. Questions have been raised about their representativeness, their accountability, their financing, their charitable status and their standing as policy advocates in a liberal democracy such as Australia.... (Speech to the Communities in Control Conference.)
Money, Marketing and the Innocence of Youth
by Clive Hamilton , July 2004The dominant cultural force today is that of materialism and the marketing society that goes with it. Children grow up in a dense fog of commercial messages which form the most powerful influence on what they wear, eat and listen to, how they think about the world and how they define themselves as people. It is not just the specific messages about buying this or that product, but the entire ideology of materialism that underlies it - the endlessly repeated message that the way to live a successful and happy life is to accumulate as much money as you can. If these messages were being propagated by a political organisation we would be scandalized; the cry of ‘brainwashing’ would go up and something would be done to protect our children from this insidious force. ... (Speech to the Annual Conference of Teachers of English.)
Consumer Capitalism: Is this as good as it gets?
by Clive Hamilton , February 2004The democratic impulse – which until the seventies took the form of collective struggles to be free of political and social oppression – has segued into something else, a search for authentic identity, for self-actualization, for the achievement of true individuality. At last, here was the opportunity for people to aspire to something beyond material security and freedom from political oppression. But it was not to be. ... (Maurice Blackburn Oration)
Sacrificing Democracy for Growth
by Clive Hamilton , July 2003At a news conference soon after he became Prime Minister in 1996 John Howard said that the measure of success or failure of his government will be whether or not he can achieve a 4% growth rate. No one asked why. ... (The Reid Oration)
The Queen and Me
by Clive Hamilton , May 2003After-dinner speech to the AGM of the Australian Republican Movement.
Can Porn Set Us Free?
by Clive Hamilton , May 2003Perhaps there is a place for purely objectified sex, divorced from human passions other than lust, but when this view of sexual relationships pervades social understanding and the intimate behaviour of generations of men and women then we have lost something fundamental to our humanity. ...(Speech to the Sydney Writers' Festival.)
Money, Careers and Contentment
by Clive Hamilton , March 2003This address, given at Commencement Dinner to students at Bruce Hall ANU, urges the students to think carefully about their chosen course of study and their subsequent career moves, while informing the students about the paths in life that lead to, or away from, contentment.
An Optimal Population for Australia
by Clive Hamilton , April 2002This address to the Economic Society of New South Wales considers the economic and environmental arguments for and against stabilisation of Australia's population.
Colonising Space
by Clive Hamilton , July 2000Tonight I would like to talk about something completely different, an issue that may turn out to be the last frontier for environmentalists. We are now accustomed to thinking of the environment on a global scale – ozone depletion, climate change, and so on. But perhaps it is time to begin thinking beyond the Earth. ... (After-dinner speech to the Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics.)
Diesel and the Environment.
by Clive Hamilton , April 2000In this speech to the Australian Trucking Association, Hamilton spells out the problems of global warming, presents data on the contribution to this problem made by the transport industry, and details the changes made to diesel taxes by the former Howard Government.
Hansonism and the Politics of Spin
by Clive Hamilton , September 1998"Paul's legacy is Pauline." (A talk to Politics in the Pub, Harold Park.)
Cashing in on Koalas
by Clive Hamilton"One approach worthy of serious consideration would be to charge a fee for visitors to Kangaroo Island to hunt koalas. In this way, we could enhance koala conservation while also providing a worthwhile tourist experience that would help us break into the lucrative American market."