2024-05-02
By the Green Issue Editors
With the onset of climate change, highlighted by southern WA’s record long, hot, dry 2023-24 summer, we thought it appropriate that climate change be the theme for April Green Issue. This has prompted an avalanche of articles around this theme.
Climate change and its consequences is a rather complex topic, difficult to communicate to members of the public not so familiar with the underlying science. A challenge in climate advocacy is how best summarize and simplify the concepts involved so as to be intelligible to the lay person. We include an article where an attempt is made to do this in a one minute statement. The climate Crisis Working Group of The Greens (WA) has also been trying to more simply present the components and consequences of climate change by producing a series of Climate Explainers.
We include a report from a not-for profit WA organization, Sustainable Energy Now, that has advanced advocacy for climate action, modelled renewable options appropriate for WA and is now assisting government agencies in implementation of options found viable. Although effective government action is crucial to addressing climate change there is much that can be done at the domestic level. This is elaborated in an article on home electrification.
Another avenue to address climate change that can be taken at the personal level is ethical investment – to divest from organizations involved in or promoting fossil fuel use and invest in organizations pursuing a renewable energy transition and rapid emissions reduction.
Unfortunately, a reaction of some governments, including the WA government, to ongoing public protests against climate inaction is to increase penalties, and intimidation, for protesters. The Climate Crisis Working Group of Greens (WA) is presenting a petition demanding retention of the basic rights of citizen protest.
While the existential threat of climate change is slowly dawning on the public, another existential threat particularly relevant to the Perth metro area is slipping under the radar. This is the onset of AUKUS and all of the radioactivity threats it brings due to the intended increased docking of nuclear submarines at Garden Island.
To overcome climate change, a combined effort by all of humanity is required. It is also time for peace to replace war, which continues to devastate humanity. The words and songs of those who have gone before us should inspire us.
In reports from our MPs Senator Jordon Steele-John comments on anti-AUKUS issues, Palestine, NDIS reform and fair pay and conditions for teachers. Hon Brad Pettitt, MLC highlights the need for rental reform, Climate Positive Perth, the need to call out attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, and much more.
Header photo: Mean global annual temperatures over the last 175 years. Credit:
RCraig09 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
[Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not official policy of Greens WA]