The end of the climate culture wars?

Surveying the wreckage of the Coalition’s election campaign, former treasurer Josh Frydenberg made a crucial admission: Australia has not been “well served” by the culture wars over climate.

Saturday’s unceremonious ousting of the government by climate hawk candidates – Green, teal and, albeit to a lesser extent, Labor – suggests the Coalition can no longer win votes by stoking conservative scepticism on climate change.

But how did the climate culture wars start? Why did scepticism and denial come to be a significant element of the conservative viewpoint? As Matthew Hornsey and his coauthors note, the climate wars were triggered deliberately to slow the move away from fossil fuels.

Now, at long last, this roadshow is running out of road. Research is showing a welcome weakening of conservative-sceptic links in Australia. Other conservative parties – notably in the United Kingdom – have already undergone a climate pivot. In the wake of this rejection by the electorate, it may well be time for Australia’s conservatives to quietly simmer down too.

The Conversation has published more than 5,700 articles by climate scientists since we launched in 2011, and we’ll continue to shine a light on this important topic throughout the next term of federal parliament. Please support this vital work with a donation of whatever you can afford, and join thousands of civic-minded people who are already helping us produce quality journalism.

Doug Hendrie

Deputy editor, Environment + Energy

Today's newsletter supported by Universities Australia

The election shows the conservative culture war on climate change could be nearing its end

Matthew Hornsey, The University of Queensland; Cassandra Chapman, The University of Queensland; Jacquelyn Humphrey, The University of Queensland

Who started the culture war on climate change? And are we nearing its demise? Our new research provides some clues.

Almost 60% of teachers say they want out. What is Labor going to do for an exhausted school sector?

Jessica Holloway, Australian Catholic University

Schools barely rated a mention in the election campaign. But the incoming Albanese government faces a sector in crisis.

How the ‘reality-distorting machinery’ of the federal election campaign delivered sub-par journalism

Denis Muller, The University of Melbourne

The major parties have come to control the way the media can cover election campaigns – leading to dress-up stunts and gotcha questions instead of meaningful journalism.

Low staff turnover, high loyalty and productivity gains: the business benefits of hiring people with intellectual disability

Elaine Nash, University of South Australia; Basil Tucker, University of South Australia

Research shows there can be profound business benefits to hiring people living with intellectual disability.

Politics + Society

We’re about to have Australia’s most diverse parliament yet – but there’s still a long way to go

Tim Soutphommasane, University of Sydney

It may feel like a subplot for now, but this could end up being just be as significant as the teal revolution.
Attention managers: if you expect First Nations’ staff to do all your ‘Indigenous stuff’, this isn’t support – it’s racism

Kelly Menzel, Bond University

Universities can be hostile, overwhelming and unwelcoming places for many First Nations Peoples working in academia. More needs to be done to ensure culturally safe workplaces.
Quad praises Albanese government’s higher ambition on climate

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The Quad summit in Tokyo has praised Australia raising its ambition on climate change, after Anthony Albanese told fellow leaders his government would do more to assist Pacific countries address it.
Word from The Hill: Biden impressed by Albanese’s energy (even if the Liberals weren’t)

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

Michelle Grattan discusses politics with politics + society editor, Amanda Dunn

Health + Medicine

Soon Australian doctors will be allowed to advertise with patient testimonials – but beware the hype

Alexander Holden, University of Sydney

Positive patient reviews will soon be legal to use in medical advertising in Australia. How powerful is word-of-mouth promotion for health services?
Why do my armpits smell? And would using glycolic acid on them really work?

Christian Moro, Bond University

It all comes down to an oily secretion from special glands beneath our skin, which are very prevalent under the armpits, and more active at certain times.
To protect vulnerable Australians from COVID this winter, we need to pick up the pace on third doses

Peter Breadon, Grattan Institute

Poor areas are more likely to have low COVID vaccination rates, even though residents in these areas have greater exposure to the virus.

Science + Technology

When self-driving cars crash, who’s responsible? Courts and insurers need to know what’s inside the ‘black box’

Aaron J. Snoswell, Queensland University of Technology; Henry Fraser, Queensland University of Technology; Rhyle Simcock, Queensland University of Technology

Our research on a recent Australian court case shows how experts and lawyers can overcome opaque AI technology. But regulators could make it even easier, by making AI companies document their systems.
Pay ‘with a smile or a wave’: why Mastercard’s new face recognition payment system raises concerns

Rita Matulionyte, Macquarie University

The technology is currently being trialled outside of Australia. It’s one of the first major attempts to bring it to western markets on a large scale.

Environment + Energy

Good timing and hard work: behind the election’s ‘Greenslide’

Kate Crowley, University of Tasmania

In 2022, the ‘Greenslide’ took seats from major parties. Here’s how they did it.
Don’t believe the backlash – the benefits of NZ investing more in cycling will far outweigh the costs

Simon Kingham, University of Canterbury

Transport planners estimate money spent on high-quality cycling infrastructure yields benefits between ten and 25 times the costs.
New Zealand must get over its obsession with big cars and go smaller or electric to cut emissions

Jen Purdie, University of Otago

The New Zealand government has set the goal of net zero by 2050 but to get there, New Zealanders will need to let go of our big cars and embrace smaller options.

Education
Writing for our (digital) lives: war, social media and the urgent need to update how we teach English Lucinda McKnight, Deakin University The Ukraine war shows how important agile and critical social media use can be. It’s a reminder that our English curriculum in schools is out of touch with our world of digital communication.

Arts + Culture
Halsey’s record label won’t release a new song until it goes viral on TikTok. Is this the future of the music industry? D. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye, Queensland University of Technology On Sunday, popular American singer-songwriter Halsey shared a video calling out their label for demanding a viral TikTok before releasing a new song. The video went viral.

Books + Ideas

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: class prejudices, the convict stain and a corpse-bride

Sascha Morrell, Monash University

It is one of Dickens’ best loved novels and an exposé of the class system, but the book’s depiction of women has proved divisive.
All Creatures Great and Small at 50: why these stories about a country vet still charm today

Helen Young, Deakin University

More than 60 million copies have been sold of James Herriot’s tales of life as a vet in the Yorkshire Dales. What is the key to their continued appeal?

Business + Economy
Wages and women top Albanese’s IR agenda: the big question is how Labor keeps its promises Andrew Stewart, University of Adelaide Lifting wages will be a priority for the Albanese government to ease the cost of living. But the unions and the Greens are likely to push for more changes to tackle problems with the Fair Work system.