GUEST: James Nicholson, Bachelor Fine Art, Film and Television, Bond University (2018) Master of Science; Psychology (University of Sunderland, 2025)

In this episode host Andrew Nicholson explores one of the most culturally powerful and creatively ambitious industries on the planet: video gaming. With an estimated 3.6 billion players worldwide in 2026—around 42% of the global population—gaming has become a major arena of storytelling, social connection, artistic experimentation, and community participation.

Far from the old stereotypes of mindless escapism or niche hobbyism, today’s video games blend design, psychology, ethics, world‑building, and collective imagination at a scale few other mediums can match. Moreover, they are shaping how billions of people learn, collaborate, problem‑solve, and envision alternative futures.

This conversation looks ahead 15 years to consider some of the ways the video games industry could contribute further to the achievement of more climate safe, nature protected, socially supportive and fairer futures for all.

Andrew is joined by James Nicholson — games and media researcher, industry consultant, musician, cultural creative, and entrepreneur. James specialises in understanding how entertainment software shapes human behaviour and culture, and how games might now help shape a better world.

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS - with approximate time elapsed

FORESHADOW AND EPISODE INTRO - 0.0

GUEST WORK OVERVIEW – 3.50 

TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 – 7.48

SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE IN 2026 – 17.18

TAKING BOLD ACTIONS NOW – 26.14

GUEST CLOSING COMMENTS – 32.07

HOST CLOSING REFLECTION – 34.52

 CLOSING CALL TO ACTION - 37.46

CONTACT DETAILS AND END OF EPISODE – 40.39

RESOURCES LINKED TO INTERVIEW COMMENTS

Initiatives articles, reports, podcasts   Games for Good – consultancy portal website focussed on games developed to achieve social impact.

Good Game Club Podcast – a new series (from 2025) covering the ‘positive impact that digital play can have on people and planet.’

Playing for the Planet - an alliance that supports the video games industry to act on the environment.

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) thought piece by Sam Barratt – chief of youth, education, and advocacy at UNEP. Considers the video games industry's role to play in the climate disruption agenda. Recent academic paper (2025).

Literature review on how commercial video games engage with biodiversity and conservation. One conclusion is that much more definitive research on this linkage is needed.

The Power of Play (2023) report on some social, mental, and emotional benefits of video game from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association and

Power of Play (2025) report from the Entertainment Software Association.

Specific games or initiatives

Disco Elysium (2019) a non-traditional role-playing game

Frostpunk (2018) city-building and environment themed survival game

Next Level Collaboration (2026) Melbourne, Australia - selected video games for children as a tool to build specific social and collaborative teamwork skills.

Papers Please (2013) a game presenting hard moral choices.

Other games of interest

Longleaf Valley (2023) –a free downloadable game built around biodiversity conservation themes and linked to the funding of substantial, real-world tree planting.

Crossing Lines (2024) – short indie game visual novel explores reproductive rights of young women.

⁠Are you listening?⁠ (2023) – short indie game visual novel encourages practice of empathic listening skills.

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

GUEST: James Nicholson

AUSPICE PARTNER:

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE): T: 07 4639 2135 E: [email protected] 

 PRODUCTION: (acknowledgement):

Produced for HOPE Inc. Australia by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 16th July  2026. Music: James Nicholson

 WEBSITE    Instagram     LinkedIn     Facebook  SpeakPipe - for voicemail

Fiona Caniglia, CEO of housing advocacy NFP Q-SHELTER

One of the most urgent and deeply human challenges facing Queensland — and Australia — in 2026: the housing crisis. It’s a crisis touching almost every community. Home ownership is slipping out of reach for younger generations. Rents have surged far beyond wages. Essential workers are being priced out of the very towns and cities they serve. And homelessness is rising at a pace unmatched in decades.

As with many interconnected challenges explored across this series, today’s housing crisis is driven by deeper, system‑level forces. In Queensland and across Australia, these include:

• decades of under investment in social and affordable housing

• population growth and demographic shifts outpacing supply

• speculative investment treating housing as a wealth building asset rather than a human right

• climate driven displacement and mounting insurance stress

• a fragmented planning system spread across multiple agencies without shared long term goals

But what if we applied the imaginative, future‑focused lens used throughout this podcast series and flipped the script of this urgent challenge? Why not ask quite simply: What if we could house everyone who needs a home in Queensland in the decades ahead?

Thankfully, some visionary organisations, policy innovators, and communities have been asking exactly that.

One of the most important and longstanding leaders in this space is Q Shelter —Queensland’s peak body for ending homelessness and unmet housing need. Today, they are doing something rare in Australian public policy: setting a bold, long‑term, whole‑of‑system vision to help ensure every Queenslander has a home by 2045.

Helping me unpack Q Shelter’s role as an exemplar of visionary advocacy — and what it will take to solve Queensland’s housing crisis — is my inspiring guest, Fiona Caniglia, CEO of Q Shelter.

INTERVIEW TALKING POINT SEGMENTS – with approximate time elapsed in minutes.     

GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00 

GUEST FORESHADOWING COMMENTS – 0.36

EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.09   

GUEST SELF INTRODUCTION - WORK IN 2026 –4.39

IMAG EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 - 23.35

IMAG EXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE 2026 – 35.28 

IMAGEXERCISE 3 - ASSERTIVE ACTIONS IN 2026 – 42.43

GUEST WRAP UP COMMENTS – 49.57

HOST REFLECTION AND AUDIENCE INVITATION – 52.53

END OF EPISODE – 57.14

SELECTED RESOURCES LINKED TO INTERVIEW COMMENTS

 Q-Shelter – the organisation’s ⁠portal website⁠

Rental Increase Limitations or rent caps. Here is a well-considered 2024 research-based article. And this shorter 2023 article from The Guardian

The 2032 Olympic Games event to be held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. A number of researchers including Q-Shelter have pointed to the possible impacts of displacement and homelessness - and the need for well-considered strategic planning in the run up to the event and its aftermath.

 Q-Shelter – the organisation’s portal website

OTHER RESOURCES

Book by Henry David Thoreau – American visionary thinker and early environmentalist -Walden: or Life in the Woods (1854).

CONCEPTS

'Co-benefits' - regarding housing - research article

'More than human' - from an eco philosophy perspective

Wisdom of the Market – a general critique of neoliberal /economic rationalist / laissez-faire economics and its inability to deal with important challenges.

Podcast- The Home Front with Anthony Burke. A great Australian podcast series on the housing crisis in this country - and solutions.

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Fiona Caniglia Email: [email protected] T: 07 38315900

 AUSPICE PARTNER:

 Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment :

T 07 4639 2135 E [email protected] 

WEB    Instagram   LinkedIn    Facebook - or leave a voice message via SpeakPipe 

PRODUCTION: Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 20th April 2026 Music: James Nicholson .

GUEST: Dr. Bronwyn Kelly - Australian Community Futures Planning initiative(ACFP)

Dr Kelly is one of Australia’s most innovative thinkers on how this country could build fit for purpose, democratic capability for the challenges of the 21st century. Across her books: By 2050, The People’s Constitution, The Public Interest Economy, and in the vision document Australia Together, Dr Kelly has described  an ambitious model of collaborative citizen democracy. One of her core insights is that Australia’s traditional, government-centred decision making systems are no longer sufficient for navigating complex problems such as climate disruption risk, growing social inequality, increasing ecological decline, and the threatsto long-term economic security.

She argues that only by integrating the public directly into long-range planning — through structured, transparent, participatory frameworks — can Australia generate the kind of joined-up, future-ready strategies these highly challenging times demand.

Dr Kelly’s work aligns well with the sort of citizen led, democratic innovation we hope to amplify at IMAG40. And she offers a process by which we can ensure such citizen-led forums operate efficiently - to offer democratically designed plans which will maximise our chances of arriving at the sort of 2040 that Australians have said they want.

INTERVIEW TALKING SEGMENTS FOR GUESTS/HOST – with approximate time elapsed in minutes.

GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00

GUEST FORESHADOWING COMMENTS – 0.36

EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.19

GUEST SELF INTRODUCTION AND WORK IN 2025 – 3.51

IMAG EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 - 17.06

IMAG EXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE IN 2025 –25.23

IMAG EXERCISE 3 - ASSERTIVE ACTIONS FOR 2025 – 37.15

GUEST WRAP UP COMMENTS – 46.38

HOST REFLECTION AND AUDIENCE INVITATION – 51.21

END OF EPISODE – 57.56

 SELECTED RESOURCES LINKED TO INTERVIEW COMMENTS

 INITIATIVES AND ORGANISATIONS

 AUSTRALIA

 The Australian Community Futures Planning initiative(ACFP). Has a portal website on community futures planning. The publications page lists Dr. Kelly’s books and major documents. And her Substack found here.

The ACFP’s comprehensive State of Australia (2025) report mentions that the country is ‘not progressing towards a better Australia, we are traveling away from that preferred destination.’

The ACFP’s podcast series The Australia Together Podcast is hosted by Dr Kelly

Australian Citizen survey research. Some recent examples of  background attitudinal trends, and public perception of future threats and risks at a national level. Alongside citizen demands on climate disruption and stronger nature protection laws.

Existing examples of Australian, pro-community planning approaches by sub-national government. In Victoria, the Local Government Act (2020) mandated citizen ‘deliberative engagement practice’ for local councils in that State.

 INTERNATIONAL

Citizen Juries and Assemblies – a recent short explanatory article (2025)

The vTaiwan initiative. An ‘open collaboration platform for public policy, dedicated to promoting dialogue between government and citizens.’

CONCEPTS

Deliberative democracy as an improved model of governance.

Neoliberalism -some general critique of the neoliberal /economic rationalist / laissez-faire way of running an economy

Universal Basic Income  (UBI) Many UBI trials have taken place in a wide diversity of locations including the USA, the UK, India and the Pacific

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Dr Bronwyn Kelly: [email protected]

WEB:  www.austcfp.com.au

AUSPICE PARTNER: Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE): T 07 4639 2135 E [email protected] 

WEBSITE   Instagram    LinkedIn    Facebook or leave a voice message via SpeakPipe

PRODUCTION: by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 29th April 2025 Music: James Nicholson or other credited composer.

GUEST: Dr Millie Rooney, Executive Director of Australia reMADE

My wonderful guest today on Imagining 2040 is Dr Millie Rooney, Executive Director of Australia reMADE -  an organisation described as being an independent, non-profit, visionary alliance of leaders, thinkers, and practitioners dedicated to promoting a vision for a "best version of Australia". Australia reMADE acts as a community of practice that seeks to shift from simply fighting against existing, outdated systems to actively building new, fairer ones.

 Dr Rooney has a social science research background in community and social capital building and a keen interest in championing citizen inclusion to help create better forms of participatory democracy and politics. She has been present throughout the evolution of Australia reMADE as it has developed one of the most imaginative, values‑rich visions for this country’s future.

The organisation’s nine‑pillar framework — ranging from a First Peoples’ heart to a thriving democracy, from flourishing communities to a protected natural world —invites all citizens to pause, reflect, and picture the Australia we could become if we truly listened to what matters most for everyday people - and acted upon their concerns - assertively.

 The work of Australia reMADE offers us a compelling reminder that better, flourishing futures will not just happen by default. They must first be imagined and built together.

INTERVIEW TALKING POINT SEGMENTS FOR EACH GUEST  – with approximate time elapsed in minutes.

GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00

GUEST FORESHADOWING COMMENTS – 0.35

EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 3.00

GUEST SELF INTRO AND WORK IN 2025 –5.44

IMAG EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 - 12.15

IMAG EXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE IN 2025 –20.21

IMAG EXERCISE 3 - ASSERTIVE ACTION PLAN FOR 2025 – 34.55

GUEST WRAP UP COMMENTS – 39.35

HOST REFLECTION AND AUDIENCE INVITATION –46.04

END OF EPISODE – 52.25

SELECTED RESOURCES LINKED TO INTERVIEW COMMENTS

 INITIATIVES AND ORGANISATIONS

In Australia 

Australia reMADE the portal site of Dr Millie Rooney’s organisation. A rich portal site holding a range of information and links to community initiatives including their Reading Group

BOOKS OR ARTCLES MENTIONED

Pirate Care(2025)- also the associated website

Solidarity book review (2025)

Radical Abundance (2025) 

 CONCEPTS

Future theft- or stealing from the future – an imaginative way of framing the idea that over exploitation of present-day resources or restriction of democratic rights will limit the opportunities of future generations. Various books, articles and TV from 1998, 2006 and 2020.

 The Public Good –see the explanation of this concept provided by the Australia reMADE organisation

 Story theft – A form of propaganda, malinformation or disinformation which can result in the hijacking of community-led, progressive, or grassroots stories of development by powerful vested interests—such as corporations, state actors, or international organizations—who then replace these narratives with self-serving, sanitized, or overtly false versions.

 OTHER WORK

Book by historian Timothy Synder – review of Tyranny-Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. This book contains the idea, inter alia, of not obeying perceived authority in advance

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Dr Millie Rooney - contact page for Australia ReMADE

AUSPICE PARTNER:

 Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE):

T 07 4639 2135 E [email protected]  

WEBSITE    Instagram     LinkedIn       Facebook - or leave a voice message via SpeakPipe

PRODUCTION:(acknowledgement):

Produced for HOPE Inc. Australia by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 13th April 2026. Music: James Nicholson

A brief overview of some forthcoming episodes to drop in 2026 - along with a description of the new logo for the series.

* Please consider getting in touch with us to let us know what you think about the series. We look forward to hearing from you!

CONTACT DETAILS for Householders' Options to Protect the Environment - HOPE Inc.(Australia)

T: 07 4639 2135 E: [email protected] WEBSITE   Instagram     LinkedIn    Facebook  - or leave a voice message via  SpeakPipe

SERIES HOST: Andrew Nicholson

This brief 3 minute audience feedback report describes the achievements of the series across its first 5 months - and where we plan to take it next year commencing in April 2026, following a break.

For those wanting more future vision imagination podcast content before that date - please consider listening in to the excellent series described in the shownotes for our introductory episode at No 5 in our series. The links to the text based content there should also give you plenty to chew on before we come back in April 2026 - more visionary and energised than ever!

* CARRY OVER RESOURCE LINKS FROM EPISODE 9. ON MICROFORESTS REGENERATION OF LOST AND DEGRADED URBAN ECOSYSTEMS

Lack of space prohibited us from including the these important links following a wonderful discussion with Liz Addie from the Friends of the Escarpment Parks Toowoomba Inc, S.E. Queensland.

Examples of Miyawaki forests in Australia

The story of the microforest created by Friends of the Escarpment Parks in Toowoomba – local community group partnering with the broader community. Funded by grants.

 Pocket Forests W.A. partnering with schools

 Microforest Collective - ACT and NSW – partnering with local community

Tiny Forests Wollongong - led by local government

Practice examples of Miyawaki forests overseas

 IVN Nature Education, Netherlands - Aanbod Tiny Forest

Urban Forests Organisation – Europe

 SUGi organisation

Community Bushcare groups:

 Friends of the Escarpment Parks Toowoomba Inc (FEP) NFP organisation based in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland. FEP has published two guidebooks describing local plant species in the Toowoomba region’s bushland parks.

Habitat Brisbane: provides a good example of a well resourced council supported community Bushcare volunteer program in the S.E. Queensland region. Protect Trees Toowoomba : is a grassroots community campaign supported by the Darling Downs Environment Council. (DDEC). The campaign is dedicated to safeguarding the region’s significant trees and ensuring that development respects Toowoomba’s unique ‘Garden City’ character. Perhaps listen to Episode 7 of the series to hear more about DDEC's work. First Nations Peoples are custodians of our land:

 Bunya People's Aboriginal Corporation – has a stated mission of ‘healing country, strengthening songlines, living and sharing Culture’. The organisation’s Bunya Mountains Aboriginal Aspirations and Caring for Country Plan is available for download from the Corporation's website.

 Queensland Truth Telling Commission

Native Plant Nurseries:

Crows Nest Community Nursery

Brisbane community native plant nursery

Sunshine Coast Community native plant Nurseries

OTHER INTERESTING LINKS:

Gardening Australia TV show – the ABC streaming website, IVIEW, holds many editions of the production.

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) – Green Infrastructure Strategy (2025) and Greening Toowoomba information page

 Wollongong City Council – Greening your Suburb initiative and urban greening strategy(2017-2037)

BOOKS AND ARTICLES

 Hannah Lewis, (2022). Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Sarah Barnes, Scott Hawken, Grey Coupland, Kazuo Asahiro (Oct 2025) Miyawaki forests-in-the-making: Enlivening values of human–nature care and gathering through the cultivation of Miyawaki forests

About Akira Miyawaki  

* You can now send a VOICE MESSAGE to the show via the SpeakPipe app.

Let us know if you are okay with your anonymous comments being used in future audience feedback episodes and podcast research

GUEST:  Elizabeth Addie, President of  Friends of the Escarpment Parks Inc.

In this episode we are going to focus on the exciting prospects for extending future Microforest plantings as one important element in repairing and restoring some of the huge damage done to native plant and animal species in this part of urban Australia, and in other urban settlements across the continent.

 And joining me in this imaginative exploration of microforests and their wonderful future regenerative potential for our region is my inspiring guest today, Elizabeth Addie, President of  Friends of the Escarpment Parks (FEP) based in the city of Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia.

Elizabeth has a professional background in applied psychology, guidance and counselling. She has also pursued a long term interest in natural environments which has developed into a passion for native plant and bushland protection.

FEP has a future vision that eventually all of Toowoomba’s bushland parks will be regenerated with local native plant species and be free of weeds. Within the last few years, and in alignment with that vision, Elizabeth and her FEP colleagues have championed the establishment of the first Microforest in Toowoomba and S. E. Queensland.

INTERVIEWTALKING POINT SEGMENTS FOR EACH GUEST  – time elapsed in minutes.

GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00  GUEST FORESHADOW - 0.30   

EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.04       

GUEST INTRO TO WORK IN 2025 AND AHEAD – 6.45

HOW TO PLANT A MICROFOREST – 8.45    

IMAG EXER 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 - 11.15

IMAG EXER 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE IN 2025 – 19.23

IMAG EXER 3 – TAKING BOLD ACTIONS IN 2025 – 27.49 

GUEST CLOSING WORDS - 33.36  

HOST TAKEAWAYS – 36.24    

AUDIENCE INVITATION – 38.27 

END OF EPISODE – 40.55

RESOURCES - * due to space constraints please go to the show notes resource listing for Episode 10 to find links to examples of Australian and International Miyawaki forest projects

Prior to undertaking the microforest project, Elizabeth and her FEP colleague Bev Yates undertook research into how to create a microforest and investigated many examples. Links below are on “how to” and best practice examples.

Introductory talk by Shubhendu Sharma explaining the microforest concept.

Open Source video tutorials from Afforest - teaching the entire process of microforest creation

Handbook of Tiny Forest Planting Methods  -microforest creation focussed on the northern hemisphere.

Miyawaki in Australia (and see Ep 10)

The story of the microforest created by Friends of the Escarpment Parks in Toowoomba – local community group partnering with the broader community. Funded by grants.

INITIATIVES AND ORGANISATIONS - and also see Episode 10 show notes listings for more information.

Microforest creation has a unique place in regenerating lost and degraded ecosystems, within a broader scope of the environmental conservation of natural ecosystems and nature based solutions for urban areas. A key component of all of these endeavours is understanding ecosystems and creating habitat to promote biodiversity.

Community Bushcare regeneration groups play a vital part in this work identifying plants, sourcing seed, growing local species, removing invasive weeds, campaigning for bushland protection.

Community Bushcare groups:

 Friends of the Escarpment Parks Toowoomba Inc (FEP) NFP organisation based in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland. FEP has published two guidebooks describing local plant species in the Toowoomba region’s bushland parks.

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

GUEST: Elizabeth Addie- President of  Friends of the Escarpment Parks Toowoomba Inc (FEP)

E: [email protected] Web: Facebook: Instagram

AUSPICE PARTNER: Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment:  T: 07 4639 2135 E:  WEB:  Facebook:  Instagram: or leave a VOICE MAIL via SpeakPipe app.

PRODUCTION:

Produced for HOPE Inc. Australia by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 2nd December 2025  Music: James Nicholson.

GUESTS: Scot McPhie

My guest in this episode, Scot McPhie, trained in anthropology, ornithology and creative arts and over time has occupied many roles as an environmental protection advocate, bird enthusiast, writer, filmmaker, performer and podcaster.

One of Scot’s main nature protection advocacy actions in recent years in this region has been to support calls to local government to take a more assertive stand in managing infrastructure development proposals. So as to achieve a better balance between the closely linked needs of our human and more than human, natural world communities.

So, what if we could achieve a better development balance in the years ahead? And what might it take to reach that goal?

INTERVIEW TALKING POINT SEGMENTS  – approximate time elapsed in minutes..

GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00 

GUEST FORESHADOW COMMENTS – 0.30

EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.02

GUEST SELF INTRODUCTION AND WORK IN 2025 – 3.27

IMAGINE EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 – 15.00

IMAGINE EXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE – 23.37

IMAGINE EXERCISE 3 - THREE-POINT ACTION PLAN 2025 – 32.25    

GUEST CLOSING COMMENTS – 36.48

HOST TAKEAWAY IDEAS – 43.36

HOST AUDIENCE INVITATION TO IMAGINE – 45.09

END OF EPISODE – 47.41

SELECTED RESOURCES

AUSTRALIA

A recent scientific report (2025) on the serious environmental impacts of continued native vegetation destruction in Queensland, Australia.

Tree removal public concern linked to infrastructure development in the Toowoomba region of S.E. Queensland and public protest in response (2025)

Wellbeing based Economies 

The Next Economy - a visionary capacity building organisation with a mission to work 'to accelerate the transition to a climate-safe, regenerative and socially just Australian economy.’ Their recent report paper The Economy we Could Have (October 2025) sets out how Australia could transform to ‘embed a wellbeing economy – one that puts dignity, fairness, connection and ecological care at its centre.’ 

INTERNATIONAL

The Limits to Growth report (1972). Research has continued to confirm the validity of the report’s initial findings on possible 21st century earth system level collapses - if damaging forms of economic growth were pursued.

The associated Earth4All initiative linked to the Club of Rome group reports on possible failing and flourishing future development scenarios and how we could develop in ways which stay within nature determined planetary boundaries.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – Living Planet Report (2024) –notes a 73% decline in wildlife between 1970 and 2020

CONCEPTS

Birds – the important cultural history of birds as representatives of nature and linked spiritual meaning

Box ticking and tokenism versus genuine public participation in government and institutional decision making – some recent ideas on how far we may have come.

Citizen juries and assemblies – short article on the use of citizen juries (2023) and a recent (2024) vox pop on what Irish citizens think about greater citizen participation in government decision making.

Dunbar’s number - a theoretical measure of the influential extent of social networks

Nature Connectedness – ideas on the mutual health and wellbeing benefits of creating closer ties between nature and humans From the University of Derby, UK (2025)

Utopias and Dystopias – short read article on the differences between the two worldviews and their relevance to the exercise of imagination (2024).

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Scot McPhie  WEB:   Facebook:   LinkedIn.

AUSPICE PARTNER:

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment - HOPE Inc.(Australia):

T: 07 4639 2135 E: [email protected]   WEB:Facebook:  Instagram:

VOICE MAIL

PRODUCTION:

Produced for HOPE Inc. (Australia) by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 27th November 2025  Music: James Nicholson.

GUEST: Mr Ahri Tallon - Coordinator of the Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) based in Toowoomba S.E. Queensland.

DDEC amplifies community voices for nature protection and sustainability across inland Southern Queensland. Ahri has a background in youth work, community organising and development. His own future professional vision centres on helping create a more connected, thriving and sustainable world.

EPISODE OUTLINE

Australia has no shortage of impressive sounding nature protection regulations, at least on paper. Yet, despite this seeming abundance– on the ground itself, it can be a different story. Too often our unique natural areas are not receiving adequate protection or being regenerated and expanded. Native vegetation and species in this part of the world continue to decline as they have been for many years.

To reverse those trends; and to provide a proper, respected and protected place for nature here and elsewhere in the country, we need genuine reforms of our laws and regulatory protocols, not cosmetic tinkering around the edges. Business-as-usual approaches to looking after our natural areas are clearly not fit for purpose. Without a well-protected, well-connected, and community-stewarded place for nature going forward, both the natural world and the human health and wellbeing that relies upon it—will continue to deteriorate.

So, what if we could organise a better way forward on nature protection by 2040 and beyond? And what if we could encourage new, genuinely bold, imaginative thinking about the ways to do that -  within our wider communities?

• GENERIC INTRODUCTION – 0.00

• GUEST FORESHADOWING COMMENTS – 0.30

• EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.01

• GUEST SELF INTRODUCTION AND WORK IN 2025 – 4.12

• GUEST STARTING TO LOOK FORWARD – 9.20

• IMAGINE EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 – 16.12

• IMAGINEEXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE – 27.38

• CLOSING COMMENTS/AUDIENCE INVITATION – 31.09

• END OF EPISODE – 39.08

SELECTED RESOURCES LINKED TO EPISODE COMMENTS

Australia

Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) – based in Toowoomba S.E. Queensland, Australia

Gummingurru - is an Aboriginal Bora, or ceremonial, site. Thus Gummingurru is a very special place. Before Europeans arrived it was where First Nations people would meet their friends, have ceremonies, dance and sing. It was also an import site along the routes that First Nations people followed to the traditional Bunya Mountains gatherings before these were disrupted by colonial settlement.

International

Film: An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - significantly raised public awareness of climate change, influencing public opinion, increasing knowledge and concern, and inspiring action like the founding of The Climate Reality Project.

BOOKS AND ARTCLES

Book by Geoff Mulgan: Another World Is Possible: How to Reignite Social and Political Imagination (2022). Mulgan is one of the foremost thinkers on the value of increasing the exercise of public imagination.

CONCEPTS AND IDEAS

Citizen led decision making to help protect nature

Research on the ways to improve public involvement in development decision making.

Citizen science as one way for the public to get directly involved in nature protection.

Achieving better future democracy via citizen juries and assemblies

A good New Zealand public service resource showcasing national and international examples of citizen participatory democracy in action.

CONTACT DETAILS:

GUEST:

Mr. Ahri Tallon - coordinator of  the Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) T: 0455 619 454  E: [email protected]

 AUSPICE PARTNER:

 Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment - HOPE Inc.(Australia)

E:  WEB:  Facebook: X  Instagram   LinkedIn T: +61746392135 VOICE MAIL

PRODUCTION:

Produced for HOPE Inc. Australia by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on  4th November2025   Music: James Nicholson.

GUEST:  Dr. Michelle Maloney - national convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA).  

Michelle trained in political science, history and law. See Michelle’s AELA and professional web page links for more details.

Nature-based governance and bioregionalism are two visionary, system-level approaches to ecological land management explored in this episode.

TALKING POINT SEGMENTS FOR EACH GUEST  – time elapsed in minutes.

GUEST FORESHADOWING COMMENTS – 0.00

HOST EPISODE INTRODUCTION – 1.04

GUEST INTRODUCTION AND WORK IN 2025 – 04.30

IMAGINE EXERCISE 1 - TIME TRAVEL TO 2040 - 19.00

IMAGINE EXERCISE 2 - SIGNALS OF THE FUTURE – 26.45

IMAGINE EXERCISE 3 - THREE BOLD ACTIONS - 39.58

GUEST CLOSING COMMENTS AND AUDIENCE INVITATION – 54.22

END OF EPISODE DISCUSSION – 59.02

SELECTED RESOURCES RE INTERVIEW COMMENTS

ORGANISATIONS WESITES AND INITIATIVES

Australia

The Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) this website is a rich information resource on the subject of Earth based governance.

Michelle Maloney’s website – holds a marvellous selection of resources on Michelle’s writings research and thinking on Earth based governance.

Michelle’s cited book chapter on Imagining Ecocentric Bioregional Law in Australia (2024)

The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) Works across a ‘broad range of projects with Traditional Owners, remote communities and land and sea management practitioners through collaborative and scientific partnerships across north Australia.’

The Yarra River (Victoria) recognised as a living entity. An article outlining the story behind the Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarungmurron) Act 2017. From The Conversation (September 2017)

BOOKS AND ARTCLES

Rob Hopkins: From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want (2020) Google Books overview.

Miller, R. (2018). Transforming the future:Anticipation in the 21st century. Free UNESCO book resource on Futures Literacy and Foresight.

Geoff Mulgan: Another World Is Possible: How to Reignite Social and Political Imagination (2022).Mulgan is one of the foremost thinkers on increasing the exercise of public imagination.

CONCEPTS

Governance – a definition and framing from an Australian indigenous perspective (2025)

Kinship –article explaining this concept as an imaginative and protective framing of the human-nature relationship (2019)

Nature based governance and bioregional approaches to land management –information from the Australian Earth Laws Centre section of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) website (2025).

Indigenous ethics and the relationist ethos  –  some ideas from Dr. Mary Graham

Rights of Nature – a snapshot of the evolution and application of the concept in Australia. From an article in The Conversation (2023)

Utopia and dystopia – short read article on the differences between the two worldviews and their relevance to the exercise of imagination (2024).

OTHER PODCASTS LINKED TO THE FUTURE VISION IMAGINATION SPACE

The From What if to What Next podcast series (UK)– hosted by visionary thinker Rob Hopkins.

The If I ruled the World podcast series (UK) - hosted by former UK wildlife presenter and natural history broadcaster Gillian Burke.

The Accidental Gods podcast series (UK). Is a podcast ‘where we believe that another world is still possible, and together, we can create a future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us.'

GUESTS AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Dr. Michelle Maloney – convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance. E: [email protected]  WEB:  Facebook: Twitter:

AUSPICE PARTNER:

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment. HOPE Inc. (Australia)

T: 07 4639 2135 E: [email protected] VOICE MAIL

PRODUCTION:

Produced for HOPE Inc. (Australia) by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 16th October 2025.

MUSIC: James Nicholson