Canberra Times: Afew years ago, I took part in a panel discussion on the future as part of the Brisbane Festival of Ideas. My two co-panellists quickly declared their optimism (although both were fully across the challenges). I'd decided that morning to ''come out'' and admit I was a pessimist. ''Pessimist'' was a pejorative term, I said, but pessimists had the consolation of being right.
I realised more than five years ago, with the evidence of the growing effects of global warming, that we'd left it too late;...