by Richard Hubbard | 7 May 2025 | Decoder Replay, Economy, Politics
Australia is its own continent but it has key strategic relationships with two big nations that don’t like each other. Political isolation is not an option. A koala bear lurks behind U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping. (Illustration by...
by Richard Hubbard | 5 Dec 2024 | Australia, Economy
Housing prices in Australia are so high young people can’t get loans to buy them. Luckily for some, there’s the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’. An ATM welcomes a user to the bank of mum and dad. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced...
by Richard Hubbard | 18 Dec 2023 | China, Politics
The United States may be the leader of the free world, but China is the economic powerhouse in the Pacific. Both want Australia as their dance partner. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, right, walks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a ceremonial welcome...
by Richard Hubbard | 13 Feb 2023 | Climate decoders, Decoders, Economy, Educators' Catalog, Environment, Writing's on the Wall
The Great Barrier Reef isn’t just an endangered world wonder. Protecting the world’s largest coral reef system is also key to Australia’s economic growth. A diver swims past coral on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, 18 October 2016. More than 90%...
Protecting the environment isn’t just the right thing to do, it can also be the profitable thing to do. Take the Great Barrier Reef, for example, which has an estimated value of $56 billion Australian dollars. Help your students disentangle the complicated world of environmental economics with this article.
Exercise: After reading the article, have students take the WWF Carbon Footprint questionnaire at https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/. The questionnaire estimates individuals’ carbon footprint, looking at food, travel, home and consumption habits. After the questionnaire, launch a class discussion on how changes in individual habits may contribute to fighting climate change — and might even be a profitable choice.
by Richard Hubbard | 17 Mar 2022 | Asia, Economy, Environment, Technology
Australia has been slow to combat global warming. Now wealthy entrepreneurs are picking up the mantle to drive change. A mannequin depicting a child covered in coal is seen during an Extinction Rebellion Protest in Brisbane, Australia, 22 April 2021. Australia is one...