Eco warrior Greta Thunberg lashes Australian politicians amid bushfire crisis   

December 22, 2019
Perth Now

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has weighed into the bushfire emergencies across Australia.

The Swedish eco warrior took to Twitter where she had our politicians in her sights.

“Not even catastrophes like these seem to bring any political action. How is this possible?" tweeted the 16-year-old, recently named Time's Person of the Year for 2019.

"Because we still fail to make the connection between the climate crisis and increased extreme weather events and nature disasters like the #AustraliaFires

"That's what has to change. Now."

Scott Morrison has defended his government's response to the bushfire crisis and says "reckless" moves like ending coal exports and setting a stricter emissions target will have no "meaningful impact" on the global climate.

The prime minister has faced criticism over his government's climate change policies during a devastating bushfire season.

In an op-ed in The Daily Telegraph, he conceded there was need for "real action on climate change" across all levels.

"There is no disagreement and there has not been any denial of this critical factor, either by the federal government or any state or territory government," Mr Morrison wrote.

"But to suggest that increasing Australia's climate targets would have prevented these fires or extreme weather events, in Australia or anywhere else, is simply false."

Scott Morrison says "reckless" moves like ending coal exports and setting a stricter emissions target will have no "meaningful impact" on the global climate.

Mr Morrison pushed back against more stringent action, including calls to end coal exports and set an emissions target.

"We won't embrace reckless targets and abandon our traditional industries that would risk Australian jobs while having no meaningful impact on the global climate," he said.

The prime minister took to breakfast television on Monday - days after returning early from a controversial family holiday to Hawaii - to defend his judgement and the government's climate change policies.

He was asked on Nine's Today Show if he was "embarrassed" at how Australia, and his leadership, was being seen globally.

"People from outside Australia will make whatever comments they want," Mr Morrison said.

"I'll set Australia's policies consistent with what I took to the last election and what I believe and my government believes is Australia's national interest."

Asked on Seven's Sunrise if he thought the community's feelings on climate change had changed since the election, the PM said: “The plans that we have are as important now as they were then. We will beat our Kyoto targets ... we will meet out Paris targets and I intend to beat those as well.”

"I made a promise to the Australian people to take action on climate change and I am.

OK then, lets see if we can sort this out.

What % can we blame climate change for this current drought and fire season. Now I'm all on board with the climate scientists, yet nothing I've seen from reputable science can categorically blame AGW for these fires as they say it's a trend and no one of incident can be singled out.

Lets be REALLY generous and say these fires are 10% due to AGW.

Australia produces about 1% of greenhouse gasses. If from the first day ScoMo cut our emissions to zero, globally there'd be 1% less emissions.

I'll hand the next bit over to the maths brains among us. How much would a 1% worldwide emissions cut have on the 10% figure?

lee wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 7:15pm:


I reckon a lot of increased fire activity would have something to do with the growing population densities in fire prone areas.

Australia's overall top temperature ever was topped at least twice last week.

Several Australian regions had temperatures approaching 50 degrees on multiple days.

In my life time there has never been dense smoke across many regions for an entire month (so far), possible never happened before, I have seen one or two days ?

Yes I know it's only the weather, right?  100 year weather events every 3 months is normal ? Right ?

Bobby. wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 7:34pm:



80%


THAT"S anthropocentric catastrophic fire events.  Nuffin' to do with your Holden.

John Smith wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 7:55pm:


No she's not. But definitely smarter than you.

Dnarever wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 7:50pm:



Marvellous what BoM can do with ACORN-2.

Dnarever wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 7:50pm:



And? Windsor Observatory 122F in 1939. I will let you do the maths.

Dnarever wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 7:50pm:



You don't understand 100 year events. in the first year 1% of happening, year 2-1!%, year 3 - 1% and so on. you really should try harder.

lee wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2019 at 8:28pm:



and again you come second