Some optimism on climate

Marian Wilkinson finds that a network of the coal industry, federal politicians – especially Nationals and their Institute of Public Affairs supporters – and coalminers want to continue with coal. So the climate change crisis is still unsolved, and much as Wilkinson found it in her book The Carbon Club. Meantime, climate science and the United Nations are demanding ever more urgent climate action. They warn greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 in order to try to keep the

1.5 degrees Celsius limit. So here the change must happen in the next government’s term. Several developments may help, including the New South Wales Coalition’s push for renewable energy zones and Mike Cannonbrookes becoming an anti-coal shareholder in AGL. Plus the election, in which the new government may well have a solid body of climate-determined MPS. Stay tuned...

– Barbara Fraser, Burwood, Vic