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A Rational FearLaughing in the face of fear. Comedians and experts rip into the news. Author: Dan Ilic
Laughing in the face of fear. Comedians and experts rip into the news. It's #QandA on crack. Winner Best Comedy Podcast 2020 / 2021 / 2022 / 2023. Sign up to the newsletter: http://www.arationalfear.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Comedy, Comedy Interviews, Earth Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The end of the Liberal Party and the new climate wars.
Episode 249
Saturday, 14 March, 2026
Recorded live at Climate Action Week Sydney, this episode of A Rational Fear dives deep into the rise of the far right, fossil-fuel-funded disinformation, and what it all means for Australia’s climate future and democracy.Host Dan Ilic is joined on stage by:Malcolm Turnbull – former Prime Minister, now “concerned private citizen”Ed Coper – communications strategist and author of AngertainmentKate Hook – farmer, regional community leader, and two-time community independent candidate (Climate 200 co-convener)Across this wide-ranging conversation, they unpack:Why the far right’s culture war is such a serious threat to climate actionHow “anger-tainment” media ecosystems (hello Sky News) and social platforms reward disinformationThe inside story on fossil-fuel-backed campaigns, from Clive Palmer to astroturf outfits like “Australians for Prosperity”The existential crisis inside the Liberal Party and the risks of preferencing One NationHow regional communities are actually embracing renewables when they control the process and share the benefitsThe rise of community independents and why ordinary people, not party machines, are now driving political changeIt’s funny, bleak, hopeful, and occasionally unhinged—classic Rational Fear.Key TopicsClimate politics & the far rightTurnbull on why opposition to climate action has become “religion” rather than economicsHow internal Liberal/National dynamics warped energy policy around coal and renewables“Angertainment” & the media ecosystemEd Coper explains how social media rewards outrage and emotional extremesHow a small 7–10% anti-climate minority ends up feeling like 50% of the countryThe dangers of amplifying fringe narratives until they look mainstreamDisinformation playbook & fossil fuel moneyCoordinated disinformation in the 2025 federal election, including:~$80m in fossil-fuel-aligned spendingFront groups like Australians for Prosperity attacking pro-climate independentsIntimidatory tactics, rotating party shirts, and creepy “Don’t get hooked” billboardsThe global network of think tanks and astroturf groups exporting the same anti-climate tactics to AustraliaLiberal Party’s existential crisisWhy Turnbull thinks there are “virtually no moderates” left federallyHow chasing One Nation on immigration and culture wars strengthens One Nation, not the LibsThe potential fallout if the Liberals preference One Nation in seats like FarrerCommunity independents & regional hopeKate Hook’s experience campaigning in Calare and working in Hay and other regional communitiesHow structured community engagement turns hostility toward renewables into enthusiasm when locals control the benefitsThe independent “ecosystem”: thousands of volunteers, trusted local messengers, and evidence-based policymakingThe big question: how do we eventually get these independents from the crossbench into government and cabinet?How to fight disinformationTurnbull on why “ignore it and don’t give it oxygen” no longer worksThe “whack-a-mole” and inoculation approach: pre-bunking lies and relentlessly correcting themThe importance of better stories, not just better factsPower, agency & what listeners can doWhy grievance parties like One Nation don’t have real solutions—only easy pills for complex problemsCommunity organizing, local campaigns, and supporting independents as the real counterweight to fossil fuel money“There’s no cavalry coming over the hill” – why we are the ones we’ve been waiting for Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
