Miriam Lyons: After Luck, Festival of Dangerous Ideas 2015
Sep 9, 2015
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Miriam Lyons, Australian policy analyst, discusses the consequences of the mining boom in Australia, the need for better management of natural resources, and the importance of taking action on climate change. She also explores the adverse effects of mining on rivers and land, advocates for a sustainable and low-carbon future, questions the subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry, and highlights the declining influence of political parties in Western democracies.
Australia should treat the mining boom as a slower, more sustainable process with higher taxes and a sovereign wealth fund.
Redirecting subsidies from the fossil fuel industry into renewable energy can create more sustainable jobs and contribute to a circular economy.
Citizens need to engage in activism, challenge the current focus on GDP growth, and support campaigns for change to address pressing issues and counter the influence of lobby groups and crony capitalism.
Deep dives
The end of the mining boom is not the end of the world
The speaker discusses the end of Australia's mining boom, highlighting the negative impact of treating it as a permanent bonanza. She urges for a slower boom with higher mining taxes and a sovereign wealth fund. Additionally, she encourages imagining Australia's place in a coal-free world, as thermal coal enters a structural decline and renewable energy becomes increasingly popular. She suggests policies such as a nationwide mining tax, investment in education, training, and infrastructure, and retooling the economy for a sustainable future.
The need to prioritize clean and renewable energy
The EPA estimates that Australian taxes subsidize the fossil fuel industry about $41 billion. The speaker emphasizes the need to reinvest these subsidies into clean, renewable energy, creating more sustainable jobs. She discusses the potential of a circular economy and highlights the harmful effects of coal, such as air pollution and climate change. She suggests redirecting subsidies and shifting focus towards low-carbon development and sustainable approaches to business.
The lack of policy generation within politics
The audience raises concerns about the lack of policy generation and decision makers not recognizing or addressing pressing issues. The speaker acknowledges this problem and highlights the influence of powerful lobby groups, crony capitalism, and political fragmentation. She emphasizes the importance of activism, encouraging citizens to get involved, join community groups, and support campaigns for change. The speaker also suggests rethinking the relationship between society, economy, and the environment, and challenging the current focus on GDP growth as a measure of progress.
The role of universities in shaping future leaders
The audience asks about the role of universities in preparing future leaders to address pressing issues. The speaker acknowledges the diversity among universities, highlighting the need for more pluralist teaching of economics. She mentions that some universities, like UTS, are doing great work in promoting alternative ways of thinking. The speaker encourages the student-led global movement for change and suggests seeking out universities and professors that embrace progressive ideas and interdisciplinary approaches.
Taking action and making decision makers aware
An audience member raises concerns about decision makers not listening or being aware of pressing issues and asks how citizens can influence change. The speaker suggests activism as a powerful tool for change and shares resources like getup.org.au for getting involved in local campaigns. She also highlights the importance of students and young people in driving change and encourages them to challenge current methods and advocate for sustainability and social progress.
Miriam Lyons is an Australian policy analyst, writer and commentator. She was the founding Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Development, an independent public interest think tank set up in 2007. She recently released a book with Ian McAuley, Governomics: Can We Afford Small Government? The book argues that cutting public services often leads to false economies, costing more in the long-term and undermining the basis of a successful capitalist system.
