Essay by Eric Worrall
Aussies are more worried their toaster will become self aware than they are worried about climate change.
To defeat the global Goliaths devastating our planet, we must raise an army of Davids
Peter Lewis
Wed 26 Nov 2025 11.20 AEDTAs Australians face a maelstrom of interconnected disasters, the climate catastrophe has become just one of many things to doomscroll about
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An even bigger challenge for those of us seeking more decisive climate action could be the increasing competition among the phalanx of existential risks – pandemic, nuclear warfare, sentient AI and unparalleled inequality.
Kemp argues that these are not standalone challenges. They create a poly-crisis where each feeds the other; climate collapse drives displacement, AI guzzles energy while powering inequality, 10,000 nuclear warheads are stockpiled as the temperature rises.
“These threats are not unavoidable,” he writes, “they are consciously created by powerful groups who profit handsomely from the endeavour. Global catastrophic risk is the product of the worldwide system of extraction: the Global Goliath.”
A final poll question illustrates how the climate crisis has been subsumed by this maelstrom of interconnected disasters; not so much ignored but now one of many things to doomscroll about.
How concerned are you about the following existential threats?
TOTAL: Concerned TOTAL: Not concerned Very concerned Quite concerned Unsure Not that concerned Not concerned at all The development of AI that is self-aware 67% 24% 35% 33% 9% 18% 6% Social upheaval through rising inequality 62% 28% 25% 37% 10% 21% 7% Catastrophic impacts of climate change 59% 33% 28% 32% 8% 20% 13% Nuclear warfare 57% 35% 28% 30% 8% 25% 10% Another global pandemic 57% 35% 23% 34% 7% 26% 9% A meteor strike 29% 60% 13% 15% 11% 28% 32% …
Projecting the trajectory of existential risk beyond the life of current horizons, say 100 years, one of two things must happen: the Goliaths self-terminate or we find a way to work together and slay the giant.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2025/nov/26/climate-disasters-devastating-planet-collective-action-against-corporations
Kemp’s prognosis is that we recognise that governments have been captured by the Goliaths and organise ourselves into an army of Davids, redistributing power through open democracy and citizen juries.
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I find it hilarious greens are complaining about other doomsday narratives distracting people from their fake doomsday narratives. 59% concerned about climate change is still a lot of concern, but clearly a lot of people are moving on.
As for the “Army of Davids” citizen jury / citizen assembly idea, that appears to be the political methodology of choice for sham democracies. Fake citizen assemblies are helping to keep the Venezuelan dictator in power. It turns out when the selection of politicians is by any means other than a popular vote, the process is open to even more manipulation.
The big question – how long will global governments bother to continue to hold COP climate conferences? Reading the rest of the Guardian article, even among the climate concerned, faith that COP will deliver anything useful has collapsed. Only 6% of survey respondents were “very confident” that COP30 would achieve anything meaningful.
Holding big international summits on how to manage the threat of malevolent AI would attract far more public interest than COP. The UN might even convince US delegates to attend if they started holding interesting conferences.
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There are only three real dangers Aussies should worry about. Sharks, kangaroos and spiders. And other Australians at the barbecue.
It’s quicker to list the things that aren’t dangerous in Australia.
To wit: some of the sheep.
“To wit: some of the sheep.”
I know its in NZ (a small island just of the east coast of Australia)…. but !!
New Zealand sheep killings: Elderly couple killed by ram on Waitakere hobby farm identified as police reveal they were ‘confronted’ by animal | Daily Mail Online
GREAT comeback…LOL!
Some plants as well perhaps? Are there not some plants in Australia with very sharp edges on their leaves which can cause nasty cuts?
You’re thinking of the Gympie Gympie plant, an Aussie native, one touch of which causes such pain some people end up committing suicide.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides
I’ve got a Monkey Puzzle (Auracaria) tree in my back yard. Very sharp and thick leaves the whole length of each branch. And when they mature, the female variety grows giant seed pods (up to 15lbs). Not a tree you’d want to take a picnic under.
Aussies are paranoid buggers. They’re probably the most fearful people on the planet. Scared of their own shadows, the whole lot of them micturate down their legs every five minutes. Flipping out is the national pastime. “Who can it be knocking at my door” is the national anthem. One Aussie sneezes and the rest make a mad dash for the doors. It’s a wonder any of them can get out of bed.
You must live in a different part of Australia…..
Maybe an inner city “Greens” or “teal” suburb ? 😉
And snakes
Maggies attacking your head and gulls grabbing your chips are also a worry.
You forgot the most fierce of all – Dropbear.
Politicians????
Easily distracted…
To be John Blunt about it, I’d be scared witless by Albanese Intelligence. But then we have the likes of Starmer, Reeves, Miliband etc etc to worry about.
Wasn’t the Indigenous Voice his big thing? He was very wrong about that one.
Let me set my Aussie brother’s and sister’s minds at ease. It is just a computer, turn it off and it don’t do a damned thing.
Yes, pull the plug! Turn that “self-aware” off.
Yep, it is a computer, it only does what it is programed to do and nothing more. Turn it off and it don’t do a damned thing, other than gather dust.
I can assure you, my toaster has zero intelligence !!
I suspect there is a correlation between those percentages and the frequency and intensity of news articles regarding the same.
Is there anything in Australian law that prevents the 59% of citizens from doing all they can to avert the climate catastrophe they fear? Do not purchase clothing made from fossil fuels; buy only clothes made from wool, cotton or flax with no elastic composition and only from local producers to minimize the use of fossil fuels in their production. Do not buy nor drive nor ride in any motor vehicle whether powered by gasoline or electricity in whole or part. Electric vehicles should be shunned because of the CO2 generated by their production and by the electricity supply they need as Australia’s electricity comes 63% from coal and 20% from natural gas. Move about only by walking. It is the lowest CO2 emission mode of travel. Even a pure gasoline car emits less CO2 than an EV in Australia. Do not use electricity in your home or business or place of work because of the way it is generated in Australia.
There are likely many more changes concerned Australians could modify their behavior to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions from their life style. Why not do them all but please let us know how it works out.
“There are likely many more changes concerned Australians could modify their behavior to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions from their life style.”
And none of them would make a gnat’s fart difference to “the climate” . 🙂
Personally i would put russophobia on top of the list of concerns. It is odd that geopolitical tensions are NOT on this list, only ‘nuclear warfare’.
Climate change has clearly diminishing returns and has now been superseeded. At least in Europe, certainly in the UK that always carried strong anti russia sentiments by the establishment.
And by Macron, the little Napoleon..
Sadly, the Russians are the very least of our problems hence the hype.
UK exposes attempted Russian cyber interference in politics and democratic processes – Gov.uk
“Rachel Reeves accused of misleading voters with shocking ‘lies’ before Budget
The Chancellor claimed the official Treasury watchdog had justified tax rises, but what they said was completely different”. Express
It’s an unholy mess. So point the finger…
‘UK exposes attempted Russian cyber interference in politics and democratic processes – Gov.uk’.
That’s pretty rich coming from a government that seems determined to do just that.
And all these ‘russian’ drones popping up everywhere in Europe. As if the russians would just willynilly put them out there to aggrevate the europeans into becoming more hostile to them. I mean, it is at such a moronic level that it is no wonder people start turning against them. It’s like a perfect combination to bring the house down: Agenda 2030 and russophobia. I dont think either is going to work. It just exposes the establishment and props up resistance. But the current ‘leaders’ simply do not care. They will have a job waiting for them when they leave the table, no matter how bad they’ve been. That’s what you get when you are an establishment team player.
There are no Russian drones that can fly that far,
but there are intercepted Russian drones that have been rearranged by the west
to create a specific outcome Gladio-style.
Just as with the Ukrainian drones that hit the shadow fleet( for not paying protection money to the Lloyd’s – Rothschild cartell) the Russian drones are being operated by a 3rd party.
They are right to be concerned. Those sentient toasters are relentless little buggers.
“And no smeggin’ flapjacks!”
I was hoping someone had posted this, since my YT links never show the video. Nicely done!
I would like to see another question..
“The catastrophic economic and social effect of “climate change” agendas such as Net-Zero.”
Surely this survey was of Guardian readers…”Social upheaval due to rising inequality?”…seriously? In a world that has achieved the widest of equality known to humans(*), people are so jealous of a few billionaires that they see it as a major threat. Though I guess when 59% still believe in the climate fraud anything can be considered an existential threat.
(*) If I really have to say “But we can always do better” the point is already lost….
Bottom line: Aussies are just too scared – period.
Our corrupt media works hand-in-hand with government.
Media promotes fear.
And government comes to the rescue.
Your TV is more dangerous that AI will ever be.
A crisis is not enough for these people. They had to invent the “polycrisis.” Enough disasturbation.
It’s a hard thing to lose, losing brings out the worst in us. Kemp is proof.