8. Imagining community empowered protection and stewardship of nature in Southern Queensland by 2040

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 Earth4Allinitiative 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