Aussies expect more droughts and floods
Eight in 10 Australians (81 per cent) are now concerned about climate change resulting in more droughts and flooding according to a new benchmark report released on Wednesday by the Australia Institute.
The annual Climate of the Nation benchmark report has tracked Australian attitudes on climate change for over a decade. This is the second Climate of the Nation report produced by The Australia Institute, after being produced for a decade by the Climate Institute.
The report found that:
- Eight in 10 (81 per cent) Australians are concerned that climate change will result in more droughts and flooding, up from 78 per cent in 2018
- Majority of Australians (68 per cent) agree that the Government should plan for an orderly phase-out of coal so that workers and communities can be prepared
- Majority of Australians (54 per cent) reject the idea that Australia should not act on climate change until other major emitters like US and China do so (25 per cent agree we should not act, 21 per cent neutral/don't know)
- Almost two thirds of Australians (64 per cent) think the country should have a national target for net-zero emissions by 2050, similar to the United Kingdom
- Most Australians blame increasing electricity prices on the excessive profit margins of electricity companies (57 per cent, up from 55 per cent) or the privatisation of electricity infrastructure (55 per cent, up from 52 per cent).
The report was launched by Zali Steggall, the federal member for Warringah.
“This latest report shows that Australians support far more ambitious climate and energy policies than the Federal Government is currently delivering,” Ms Steggall said.
“Australians are rightly concerned about more extreme heat waves, droughts and bushfires and they want the Morrison Government to show leadership on climate change and do more to prepare for the impacts that are already locked in.”
What do you think? Should Australia prepare for more natural disasters if climate change is not addressed?
Yeah, I'm in two minds on this one as well.
On the one hand, I'm impressed with the kids who choose to march. They seem to be so much more involved with the world around them than I was at their age. I guess we have the internet to thank (or blame, depending on your viewpoint) for that. Not to mention teachers who also have a much bigger impact on kids than they maybe once had. More often than not both parents need to work today just to keep a roof over their heads. Life lessons are more often than not learnt at school these days it seems.
That brings up another thing, some feel teachers have too much impact on the kids and should stick to the three Rs. That's not my view but I can see why people might feel that way. My overall impression of these kids is that they are genuinely concerned about the future and they give me hope tbh. After all, it is their future we are talking about, most of us will be long gone before the situation gets totally out of hand. They are the generation that will have to deal with it, and I have more faith in them than in the pollies of today.
On the other hand, I too have some concerns about the way this subject might be impacting on young minds. The fear of what the future holds is also real, especially for them. Youth suicide is a real problem. We hear about bullying of kids at school or on social media leading to suicide. Also, the pressure of exams has been mentioned. Do we really have to add one more thing for them to obsess over?
I can remember when we didn't report on suicides. The reasoning behind that back then was that reporting on it might lead to more of the same. There might be some merit in that idea. These days we tend to not only report on it but kind of hold up the poor deceased kids as some sort of hero, or martyr. Ok, I know I got a bit off track there, but while I really admire the kids, and am hopeful for the future because of them, I also worry about their wellbeing. And that's why I have trouble making up my mind on whether these marches are a good thing or a bad thing. I think I might just sit on the fence on this one. I've probably rattled on long enough anyway. :)