A new podcast from the University of New South Wales, "Preppers" gives us a new take on an old idea.

"‘Climate breakdown’: State of calamity in Portugal as fires rage out of control";

"George Monbiot: Neoliberalism, Nature and Negative Consequences";

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Mark Bachelder (pictured) orchestrates the community calls for the Foundation for Safe Climate from his home in California, reaching out to the world.

I met Mark by chance and in an illustration of how small the world is, he and a recent guest on this podcast, Osprey Orielle Lake, know each other well.

Mark is interested in climate matters and sees much of the solution to the present dilemma to be found through conversation and during our chat, I alerted him to the six-week series being organized by the Melbourne-based Conversation at the Crossroads - "Ethics in Turbulent Times: How to Bring Society to Higher Ground".

Mark Carter (pictured) from Flight Free Australia was clearly the first person to call when it was announced that Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport would receive Federal Government cash to make the complex's third runway a reality.

A story in The Melbourne Age - "Melbourne Airport’s $3 billion third runway cleared for take-off" - told of this development.

Mark explains how his group draws inspiration and sustenance from the European organization, "Stay Grounded" and is affiliated with the locally-based group, "Climate Action Network Australia".

High-speed rail is an alternative to flying and one view can be read in an article on The Conversation by Phillip Laird, "High-speed rail plans may finally end Australia’s 40-year wait to get on board".

The Geelong-based, "The Sustainable Hour" talked with Mark earlier in the year and this episode of "Climate Conversations" includes the audio from that interview, which happened before the confirmation announcement of the the third runway.