Defending nature with Bob Brown
Protecting Australia’s incredible natural environment from bad policy, spurred on corporate interests and a hostile media, can sometimes feel like an impossible task. But sometimes, people power wins out.
On this episode of Follow the Money, former head of the Australian Greens Bob Brown joins Ebony Bennett to discuss the irreplaceable beauty of Australia’s natural environment, the current government’s efforts to change our nature laws, and his latest book, Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders.
This episode was recorded live on Friday 31 October as part of our Australia’s Biggest Book Club webinar series. Join the Book Club to find out about our upcoming webinars with authors.
Aiming Higher: Universities and Australia’s future by Professor George Williams is available now via Australia Institute Press.
Guest: Bob Brown, environmentalist, author and former head of the Australian Greens
Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director, the Australia Institute // @ebonybennett
Show notes:
Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders by Bob Brown, Black Inc. (September 2025)
This shocking deal is a gross betrayal of millions of voters by Ebony Bennett, The Canberra Times (October 2025)
The fight to save Murujuga, the Australia Institute (June 2025)
North West Shelf final approval a climate, economic and energy security disaster, the Australia Institute (September 2025)
Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.
Between the Lines Newsletter
The biggest stories and the best analysis from the team at the Australia Institute, delivered to your inbox every fortnight.
You might also like
Can you put a price on nature? | Bob Brown
Nature is priceless. It’s Monty Pythonesque to think that pricing nature will stop extinctions or protect the planet.
Gas exporters pay no tax (again) | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Hayden Starr For the last five years I’ve worked behind the scenes, helping communicate the Australia Institute’s research online and on social media, including writing and editing this newsletter. As my time with the Australia Institute comes to an end, it’s my pleasure to write The Wrap for my last newsletter with
In Trump we trust? | Between the Lines
The Wrap with Bill Browne Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returns from a meeting with the mercurial US President Donald Trump, a great diplomatic success by the usual measures. Trump said without hedging that Australia would get nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact and inked a critical minerals deal to “unlock” private investment. The media lapped