Teaching for uncertain futures - Neville Freeman Agency

56APPENDIXNatureIn this world, the problems of climatechange and drought have been largelydealt with through a combination ofcommunity action and the widespreaddevelopment of technology. Cleanenergy has largely taken over fromfossil fuels and local sustainabilityinitiatives mean that many localcommunities are self-sufficient interms of power, water and foodproduction.National and state politicsAustralia’s leaders have forgedstrong regional alliances coveringeverything from trade and economicrelationships to defence and security.Many of the historical animosities haveevaporated and there is a new senseof co-operation and harmony in theregion. China remains a key tradingpartner but the country has alsodeveloped meaningful relationshipswith a number of other key nations.Domestically, politics has becomemore balanced and empathetictowards the needs of all sections ofsociety, not only because there aremany more female politicians, but alsobecause society is now dominated bywhat can broadly be termed ‘femininevalues’. The public good is now alsodefined more in terms of social andenvironmental impact rather than thewishes of the majority.Domestic economyDespite a few isolated water problemsthe economy is strong and there hasbeen a further shift towards primaryindustries and services.Large-scale manufacturing is weakbut small to medium-sized companiesare flourishing due to a focus oninnovation and quality. Collaborationbetween companies is high and so toois the involvement of customers andsuppliers in the product developmentprocess. The decline of many largefactories has caused localisedemployment problems, especiallywhen these problems coincide withhigh levels of immigration, but localcommunities usually sort theseproblems out without interferencefrom national government.Science and technologyAustralia’s leadership position in somany of the critical new climate andresource-related industries have madethe country the envy of the world.Indeed Australia has been flatteringlydescribed as the new Californiabecause of the mixture of opportunitymindedimmigrants and sunshine.Venture capital is flowing into thecountry and many scientists who leftAustralia for the United Kingdom,United States, China and India ten,twenty and even thirty years agoare returning.The Grapesof WrathThis is a world in which …SocietyLife is a constant struggle. Wateris scarce, which in turn limits theavailability of food and makes manyparts of rural Australia almostunliveable. It is a culture of make doand mend. There is still some moneyabout, mainly in pockets, whichfuels opportunistic street crime andburglary. There is also a significanturban/rural divide as those that canmove to the security of gated urbancommunities. The bush and theoutback are left to families who can’tafford to move, together with the oddcrazy person that has seen Mad Maxtoo many times.Family lifeThe fortress mentality is even morenoticeable at the family level whereextended kinship provides, at least theperception of, comfort and security.Urban tribes develop along the coastof Australia and people collect theirown water and grow their own food inan effort to save money and be selfsufficient.SchoolsSchools are flooded with children fromdrought-affected areas and struggleto keep crime and xenophobia outsidethe school gates.Resource scarcity means that schoolsfind it increasingly difficult to operatenormally and senior students find theeducation experience fairly pointlessgiven the lack of jobs and the dismaloutlook for the planet.