One composer’s response to environmental issues is to send a musical as well as a political message.

The attempts by our current government to de-list so much of the currently World Heritage Listed Tasmanian forests is beyond awful. How they think they can blithely ignore the advisory bodies to UNESCO is beyond my comprehension. Even Terry Edwards, the head honcho of the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, has been quoted as saying “We don’t support any or all exceptions to the world heritage area”. Clearly, nobody wants this.

And so I wrote some songs. That’s the skill I have to offer the world, a political statement of support in the form of an artwork. How is this helping? For me, art provokes thought and discussion, it both entertains and enlightens, it allows us a space to react emotionally to things we feel strongly about and perhaps then make the decision to act upon those feelings by exercising our democratic right to disagree publicly with the powers that be. Some people write subversive and witty signs and post photos on the internet of themselves marching the streets with them. I write songs instead.

It’s not only the political message I...