Big Ideas

Union membership is a fraction of what it was but people power is finding a voice through new platforms and movements. People power has given us revolutions, political parties and unions. In part four we look at how people power is now helping to put a range of issues on the political agenda through new platforms, movements and voices in Parliament. We also hear how Parliament itself could be changed.

Put away the crystal ball. CSIRO's Data 61 has identified the digital megatrends of the next two decades. If you understand the changes ahead you can be the master of your own re-invention.

We all have the travel bug and cheap airfares promote mass tourism. As you wait at the airport, climb on the tour bus or walk shoulder to shoulder through Venice, it feels like the whole world is on the move. Can the planet sustain this level of tourism or does the tourist industry need a new business model?

It’s not unusual to have universities that are several hundreds of years old and still growing. What’s made universities such successful institutions? And can they endure faced with new challenges?

Many low income Australians experience rental stress and can easily find themselves homeless. How do we make housing more affordable and accessible?

The 25 Zero Project.  Twenty-five mountains on the equator have glaciers at their peaks. Unless we slow down climate change, in twenty-five years there will be zero ice. 25 Zero.

Making renewable energy reliable and affordable and glaciers disappear as climate change bites.

The race is on to transition to a low-carbon economy. If we ditch fossil fuels will electricity and heating be even more expensive? Three energy specialists weigh up the pros and cons of solar, wind, hydro, biomass and hydrogen.

The frozen confinement holds answers to the development of biodiversity, direct weather patterns across the world and is possibly our best indicator of climate change.

Dogs can be trained to do all kinds of things and they have emotional intelligence. It's these characteristics which make them great companions for people with mental health conditions. But can therapy and assistance dogs heal hearts and minds?