Australia should be heavily criticised for its lack of environmental improvement

[REDHERO]

So why does Australia get away with being so bad.
Ranked worst of 57 countries. A rich country that could afford to do mire.
Come on Australia do your bit.
Aibu

Sorry typos. Hopefully readable

Lol. Sorry for taking over the thread! I'm just so angry.

Someone has to be ranked last

Maybe more concerned about the impact will pressurise the Australian leaders to act as other countries are doing.
More awareness, more pressure to improve?

I think many people in Australia care about climate change at an individual level. If anyone wants to know more about the situation over there (and if you don't mind a fuckload of swearing ) thejuicemedia channel on YouTube has some very informative and hilarious videos.

@Weesiewoo

Lol. Sorry for taking over the thread! I'm just so angry.

I wish more people were like you. It would make a massive difference.

@megletthesecond

Are they not very good? I'm shocked. I assumed they would be aa they have to deal with those awful fires.

Popular opinion is driven by the Murdoch press, which likes to tell people that the fires are the "result of poor forest management". People actually swallow that!

@MythicalBiologicalFennel

I think many people in Australia care about climate change at an individual level. If anyone wants to know more about the situation over there (and if you don't mind a fuckload of swearing ) thejuicemedia channel on YouTube has some very informative and hilarious videos.

Thank you, I will take a look.

I think you are right individuals do but the leaders listen to the rich business leaders who don't appear to give a damm.

@REDHERO
Hopefully that will be the case. The more people who know, the more people will demand action.
Dare I say it, the Australian government needs to be shamed into action.

Australia is interesting because in some ways it’s more comparable to (eg) Brazil than it is to the U.K., because we’re a large primary producer (mining), and also have a huge agricultural industry, and most countries that have those two industries are not first world countries, and yet we are also a rich western nation.
Our leaders have been very much controlled by the regional areas (because of our voting system) which gives a great deal of power to those industries as well, because they’re all in the regions.
But I simply don’t understand why we haven’t embraced renewables. We pretty much invented solar panels and then just sold all the technology to China.
Generally the population is very positive towards eco friendly things - loads have solar panels, water tanks, we automatically conserve water. Not sure about electric cars (because of the distances we drive), but loads of people have them in the city where I live.
So it’s definitely a political issue more about balancing the jobs for the regions rather than a dislike of eco friendly ideas.

@Bringonthepjs

They stand to suffer so much too with drought and bush fires, honestly baffled here

Good point

I was ignorant to environment damage but I am learning fast and changing my own impact daily.

I feel its a combined effort spread around the world for the future of our children/grandchildren etc

@Ozgirl75

Australia is interesting because in some ways it’s more comparable to (eg) Brazil than it is to the U.K., because we’re a large primary producer (mining), and also have a huge agricultural industry, and most countries that have those two industries are not first world countries, and yet we are also a rich western nation. Our leaders have been very much controlled by the regional areas (because of our voting system) which gives a great deal of power to those industries as well, because they’re all in the regions. But I simply don’t understand why we haven’t embraced renewables. We pretty much invented solar panels and then just sold all the technology to China. Generally the population is very positive towards eco friendly things - loads have solar panels, water tanks, we automatically conserve water. Not sure about electric cars (because of the distances we drive), but loads of people have them in the city where I live. So it’s definitely a political issue more about balancing the jobs for the regions rather than a dislike of eco friendly ideas.

Thank you , that's really interesting.

Politics need to change. It is possible if enough people care and come together.

It has a lot to do with the political system here. Australia is a federation and the federal government and states are often working at cross purposes.

The current federal government, the LNP, is a coalition between the Liberal party and the Nationals...I suppose an equivalent of the Conservatives in the UK and the Nationals represent the rural population traditionally. So it's a weird base to try and appease, wealthy metro business owners and farmers and miners. ScoMo is there as the least worst leadership option at the time of the last leadership vote for the Liberals ( if you think a talented woman is worse than Scotty from marketing or Lord Voldemort aka Peter Dutton...who is probably drinking unicorn blood to keep him alive so it could have been worse?)

Many states are just forging ahead without federal government direction as we it doesn't have one apart from the 'this is fine' meme when half the place was on fire.

Really Australia would be much better off to throw itself 100 per cent behind anything that combats climate change but many people don't get it and think it's all an over reaction.

[quote Weesiewoo]@REDHERO
Hopefully that will be the case. The more people who know, the more people will demand action.
Dare I say it, the Australian government needs to be shamed into action.[/quote]
It needs spreading, shame the Australian government and eventually they might listen.

@Laserbird16

It has a lot to do with the political system here. Australia is a federation and the federal government and states are often working at cross purposes.

The current federal government, the LNP, is a coalition between the Liberal party and the Nationals...I suppose an equivalent of the Conservatives in the UK and the Nationals represent the rural population traditionally. So it's a weird base to try and appease, wealthy metro business owners and farmers and miners. ScoMo is there as the least worst leadership option at the time of the last leadership vote for the Liberals ( if you think a talented woman is worse than Scotty from marketing or Lord Voldemort aka Peter Dutton...who is probably drinking unicorn blood to keep him alive so it could have been worse?)

Many states are just forging ahead without federal government direction as we it doesn't have one apart from the 'this is fine' meme when half the place was on fire.

Really Australia would be much better off to throw itself 100 per cent behind anything that combats climate change but many people don't get it and think it's all an over reaction.

Again thanks. I don't understand the political system there and that helps explain a bit why they are where they are. Let's hope things change for the good of Australia, the population and the planet. Its a global effort and Australia has opted out long enough.

There is Australia that’s doing nothing. But here is an example of another country that engages in rank hypocrisy - Norway. With the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world at $1.3tn all coming from its oil industry. Honestly you cannot make this shit up. Let’s all ride bikes at home while living largesse on the back of an oil industry that pollutes the rest of the world.

In Europe children's groups and other groups have taken companies and others to court to improve.
Maybe Australian children might do the same, it's citizens stand up to do the same if the government doesn't act?

As an Aussie I agree. We are shamefully behind when it comes to climate action. I think as others have said, it comes down to our large mining industries and the fact that the government are essentially in bed with them. We are also geographically large and spread out and rely heavily on trucks and planes to transport goods.

At an individual level I think most people I know care. As mentioned above, it is very automatic for us to conserve water. Those who don't have rain tanks tend to reuse water from the shower or laundry on gardens. We keep our showers short and use eco cycles on dishwashers etc. Our recycling bins are twice the size of our general waste bins and many local councils now have green waste bins as well. Very few people I know even own a clothes dryer. There's been some government rebates offered to switch to solar power, improve insulation and change lightbulbs etc.

I just don't think the actions of individuals do much to compensate for the problematic industries.

@sst1234

There is Australia that’s doing nothing. But here is an example of another country that engages in rank hypocrisy - Norway. With the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world at $1.3tn all coming from its oil industry. Honestly you cannot make this shit up. Let’s all ride bikes at home while living largesse on the back of an oil industry that pollutes the rest of the world.

I focused on one country that is particularly bad since often nothing is done because people say what about, what about, what about and then the bad country in this case Australia are let off and do nothing.

Perhaps tackle and shame countries one at a time separately. Make Australia known for being very poor for environmental damage and shame their government into action?

I have to go out but thank you for contributions.

It isn't as simple as 'let's invest more into solar power'. South Australia has an extensive wind farm capable of fuelling the entire state; however, it is fragile and susceptible to storm damage. It does, apparently, supply about 60% of the state's power though. Other fossil fuel companies are primary employers - near where I live is the busiest coal port in the world, and mining is the biggest industry here. That said, on a micro level, our own port has changed dramatically in just 20 years - the huge 'dirty' industrial complexes have gone and the air is clean. I think this approach is occurring on a macro level, albeit at a slower pace and with more thought on a political level. (As this is always a quite political issue.)

@whereislittleroo

As an Aussie I agree. We are shamefully behind when it comes to climate action. I think as others have said, it comes down to our large mining industries and the fact that the government are essentially in bed with them. We are also geographically large and spread out and rely heavily on trucks and planes to transport goods.

At an individual level I think most people I know care. As mentioned above, it is very automatic for us to conserve water. Those who don't have rain tanks tend to reuse water from the shower or laundry on gardens. We keep our showers short and use eco cycles on dishwashers etc. Our recycling bins are twice the size of our general waste bins and many local councils now have green waste bins as well. Very few people I know even own a clothes dryer. There's been some government rebates offered to switch to solar power, improve insulation and change lightbulbs etc.

I just don't think the actions of individuals do much to compensate for the problematic industries.

Very true.

[quote Weesiewoo]@REDHERO
Hopefully that will be the case. The more people who know, the more people will demand action.
Dare I say it, the Australian government needs to be shamed into action.[/quote]
True.

Speak up, shout and demand action Australian people from your own leaders.

Thing is, I do understand where the Nationals are coming from - their support base is miners and farmers and the people they employ, they can’t just throw them under the bus with no other jobs to do, what are they gonna do out in the literal frickin middle of nowhere, pivot to working in what other job?
But what the govt should have done is significantly invest in other industries to replace the jobs in these regions. But mining is SERIOUSLY, insanely huge money (and therefore ginormous tax receipts) so I guess they thought “what for?”, especially with the political pressure that these companies presumably exert.

I am Australian. I couldn’t give a shit what China are doing- it’s not about them. It’s about us doing every single thing we can to help stop climate change. But the government are arseholes and care more about their pockets and giving money to their mates than anything else in the world. They would rather watch their country burn and their children become climate refugees than make a change.

I am so saddened by their hideous corrupt rapey ways and they do not represent most of Australia