Analysis

As COVID-19 spreads globally, and the threat of widespread community transmission becomes more real, it has become clear the new coronavirus poses not only a major health risk but a significant threat to the livelihoods of millions of workers, writes Lisbeth Latham.

Nuclear power is prohibited in Australia, but a review is underway and the nuclear industry wants the ban removed. Jim Green argues laws banning nuclear power have served the country well and must be retained.

Barely three months after winning permission to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, Norwegian oil firm Equinor announced on February 25 it had scrapped plans for an exploratory well in the environmentally sensitive region. But the fight is not over, argues Renfrey Clarke.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison might think he can revive his political fortunes by pressing the panic button over the new coronavirus, but this will not help society deal with the real medical challenges we face, writes Coral Wynter.

Health professionals, community groups and the public have been arguing for some time that privatising public hospitals is a health disaster. A parliamentary inquiry has come to the same conclusion, writes Jim McIlroy.

What’s stopping society from getting going on a serious global response to the climate emergency? What needs to be done to avert the threat to human survival? Peter Boyle and Pip Hinman look at the challenges and sketch some solutions.

The superannuation system is under increasing scrutiny from climate activists as much of its funds are invested in climate-damaging companies, writes Andrew Chuter.

Blame for the dramatic fall in international stock markets in the last week of February has widely been pinned on the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the likelihood of a stock market crash was in place well before the virus emerged, writes Neville Spencer.

Despite recent rains, the water crisis of inland northern New South Wales communities is far from dissipating, report Tracey Carpenter and Elena Garcia.

Peter Dutton pretends not to know his right from his left. But, as Peter Boyle argues, facts have never been his strong point.

A climate action protest in Sydney on February 22.

The WA Labor government and oil and gas giant Woodside Petroleum support the call for net zero emissions by 2050. But beware of the climate change fakers, writes Sam Wainwright.

A climate action protest in Sydney on February 22.

We need to ensure that coal-mining communities are part of the renewable energy future, argues former steel worker Steve O’Brien.