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Irrespective of whether we as a nation accept or don’t accept the science behind climate change, Australians are being forced to deal with an increasing number of disasters. Despite the herculean efforts of so many Australians, many volunteers, others salaried staff from multiple agencies and institutions, the current spate of bushfires around the nation highlights we, as a people, are not adequately prepared for what is ahead of us.

One of the big questions about carbon taxes are what to do with the revenue. The two main suggestions are to a) use it to pay for mitigation projects or b) refund it to taxpayers in equal lump-sum payments (which is called "fee and dividend").

There's also a third approach, which says that the proceeds from a carbon tax should be used to reduce capital gains and income taxes. The idea here is that reducing those taxes will lead to more long-term economic growth, which effectively reduces the cost per ton of CO2 that gets mitigated. This approach is called "double dividend".

On the subject of identity, the allegation that Bruce Pascoe is not an Indigenous Australian originated from a site called "Dark Emu Exposed".

The site claims to be run by 30 independent researchers. The editor of the site is a businessman called Roger Karge, who occasionally writes opinion pieces for the Murdoch press under the title "amateur historian".

Here's what the site has to say about the other "independent" researchers:

Sure Andrew Forrest’s $70 million donation is conditional.

Sure only $10 million is going to actual relief, while another $10 million will cover the cost of his volunteers and $50 million goes to his own think-tank.

Sure $70 million represents 0.005% of his net wealth and a minuscule fraction of the unpaid taxes he owes.

This is our first glance at what may end up becoming the proper climate change legislation of the Green New Deal. It's emphatically not finished yet, but it is still an interesting start.

Some key takeaways:

Sarah Morgan recently discovered an old newspaper from 1969 which contained the following advertisement:

It seems appropriate to compare this will minimum wage rates.

Minimum Wage Australia, 1969 c$1.39
Rent of a 2 bedroom flat, Drummond Street Carlton: $21 pw.
Hours worked to pay for 1 week's rent: 15.12

Updated rankings for the 2020 Democrats after the 6th and final debate for the year. This time only seven candidates made the cut which makes things easier to talk about, but whether many people are paying attention this close to Christmas/just after Donald Trump's impeachment remains to be seen.

So, thoughts about the debate:

First, nobody watched it. I think the candidates knew this, because they got a little goofy.

Yang was very likeable and entertaining. He also spoke for an entire nation when he gaped speechlessly at one of the worst questions ever asked in a presidential debate, about who they would ask for forgiveness and/or who they would give gifts to.

On 20 August this year Rio Wijaya, a trade unionist from the Indonesian dockers' union, was brutally attacked by security guards at Hutchison Port's terminal in Jakarta.

Later, he was arrested and detained under false allegations of defaming and assaulting the security guards.

What happened to Rio is part and parcel of an increasingly anti-union climate at the biggest container port in Indonesia.

Less than a month ago, mineworkers in Bulqiza (a region of eastern Albania) formed a trade union. Five days later, their employer -- AlbChrome -- responded by sacking the union chairman. The workers walked off the job, demanding his reinstatement as well as higher wages and more generally a respect for workers rights. The police were called in, and other union leaders and activists were arrested and questioned.