IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions
IQ2 Oz- Add IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions: Tuesday 29 May 2012, 6:45pm to your calendar Tuesday 29 May 2012, 6:45pm
- Add IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions: Tuesday 26 June 2012, 6:45pm to your calendar Tuesday 26 June 2012, 6:45pm
- Add IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions: Tuesday 31 July 2012, 6:45pm to your calendar Tuesday 31 July 2012, 6:45pm
- Add IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions: Tuesday 21 August 2012, 6:45pm to your calendar Tuesday 21 August 2012, 6:45pm
- Add IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions: Tuesday 18 September 2012, 6:45pm to your calendar Tuesday 18 September 2012, 6:45pm
IQ2 Oz 2012 subscriptions are now available!
Same sex marriage should not be legalised
Tuesday 29 May, 6:45pm
Decades of activism have been required in order to reduce incidents of discrimination against gay and lesbian men and women. But there is a final frontier to be crossed – the extension of the legal right for same sex couples to marry. While the
majority of the Australian public support this development, there is trenchant opposition from some quarters – most notably amongst some religious groups who consider marriage to be a sacrament ordained by God. There are groups who argue the social
meaning of marriage is heterosexual, as the basis for a secure traditional family life. There are also strong voices within the gay and lesbian communities who oppose marriage – preferring to maintain a symbolic separation from the distinct
heterosexual community. All of the legal entitlements enjoyed by married couples could be extended to same sex couples without upsetting any of the committed guardians of the status quo. So, why risk dividing the community for the sake of what
amounts to nothing more than symbolism? Or are symbols precisely the kind of thing worth fighting for – precisely because others guard them so fiercely? Speakers include Clover Moore, Mark Textor and
Professor
Nick Tonti-Filippini.
We've seen the energy future and it's nuclear
Tuesday 26 June, 6:45pm
The unfolding nuclear disaster of Fukushima has seen Germany abandon nuclear energy. Other countries are rethinking their options. Yet, given grave scientific warnings about the role of carbon emissions in climate change, prominent environmental
scientists like James Lovelock have called for the world to employ nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. Lovelock’s call has divided the environmental movement – and sections of the wider community – where there remains a deep-seated
fear about nuclear hazards (disposal, pollution, accident, weaponisation and proliferation). Proponents of nuclear energy claim that a new generation of reactors are safe. Opponents say that the residual risks are just too great – especially when
contrasted with those of increasingly affordable technology for renewable energy. So, are fears about nuclear power misinformed, misguided or even relevant when indexed to the unfolding reality of adverse climate change? Given our vast reserves of
uranium, our stable political economy and isolation – does Australia have an obligation to embrace nuclear power?
We've nothing to fear from a powerful China
Tuesday 31 July, 6:45pm
As the dominance of the West is overtaken by a newly assertive China, will it cause geo political instability? It is all too easy to forget that the economic and military power of the West has only eclipsed that of China for a few brief centuries.
For the rest of recorded history, China has held an equal or dominant position. By most accounts, the yoke of imperial China was relatively light – with ritual ‘kowtowing’ and the payment of tribute being the cost of relative autonomy. The Chinese
Government is drawing on this version of history, in portraying its modern aspirations in a benign light. Yet, for all its assurances, China faces resistance. Critics point to a number of worrying signs, including: a substantial increase in China’s
military expenditure, a new assertiveness in connection with territorial claims in the South China Sea and a staunch refusal to apply international norms for human rights in its territory. Is fear of China’s rise justifiable – or are such fears
simply the product of prejudiced Western minds – conjuring phantom menaces from out of the shadows of history?
We'd all be better off if farmers had the right to say No to miners
Tuesday 21 August, 6:45pm
Australia is endowed with vast reserves of mineral and energy resources lying deep below ground. Historically, Australian governments have claimed that our collective prosperity depends on these resources, and have exercised ultimate control of what
lies below. Governments then grant rights of exploration and access to land otherwise used for productive purposes by the nation’s farmers and graziers. Despite helping to feed the nation and preserve a distinctive way of rural life, farmers have no
right to keep the miners off their land. Nor can farmers exercise control over how the extractive industries affect a vital commons – the quality of our water. As the need for food security intensifies, is it time to grant famers new legal
entitlements to control access to their land? Would this serve the public interest – with famers acting as stewards of the public good? Or would this simply allow farmers to enrich themselves trading public goods for their private interest?
There's nothing wrong with designer babies
Tuesday 18 September, 6:45pm
Medical science promises a future in which it will be possible to prevent children being born with many of the diseases that currently afflict humanity. In many cases a child could be protected by refining its genetic structure at the earliest stage
of life. At the same time, it is possible to select other attributes – gender, height, eye colour, etc – thus recasting the odds in the ‘lottery of life’. To some this will sound like progress. Others will be appalled – seeing this as further
evidence of humanity’s arrogant assumption that it can stand above either God or Nature. Are ‘designer babies’ a boon to humankind – the product of human ingenuity applied for the common good? Or should human life remain a source of wonder – where
we accept and cherish what we receive rather than shape the gift to order?
Price: $135
(Additional fees may apply)
All prices, dates, times and program details are subject to change without notice.