The planet is heating up while politicians ignore the threat

WWelcome back Your. This week online commentators and letter writers expressed concern for the future as the gap widens between the seriousness of the climate change threat and Australia’s paltry response.

This is the only planet we have. It’s time to act

• This month is set to be the hottest July the Earth has seen in about 120,000 years, wrote climate editor Nick O’Malley and science reporter Angus Dalton.

Tim bans all donors I don’t want to be a scientist who gets yelled at all the time and then, on civilization’s last gasp, crucified for not getting the mob to believe me in time.

keasty Unfortunately, there are too many ostriches in power with their heads in the sand. When will we even try to help ourselves?

Dave H The change we need will take some effort and broad-based grassroots activism.

Ozhowes (Vic) The conservatives, right-wing extremists and climate change deniers have resisted any meaningful change for decades and continue to be elected to government in many countries around the world. listen folks You are now paying the price yourself for decades of delay by voting for those who have promised not to do anything.

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Concerned Voter This is the only planet we have. Unless there is an extraordinary change in policy and action globally – including latecomer Australia – the world is on track to achieve 2.6 to 2.9 degrees of warming by 2100. The gap between the seriousness and urgency of the climate change threat and Australia’s paltry response continues to grow exponentially.

Mork from Orc Climate change = extremes in temperature and precipitation. This is the perfect storm. It’s gonna get worse.

If we don’t wake up, will the planet go broke?

• Columnist Sean Kelly urged readers to consider the words our eyes often skip when we read about the climate catastrophe already taking place, and then consider the cost of doing nothing.

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i love melbourne Many no longer read the news because it is too confrontational and depressing; Facts are not wanted. It’s like going through some kind of grief cycle – denial, anger, haggling, depression, until we reach acceptance.

The obese possum What else can you say about the climate? The world is addicted to fossil fuels and capitalism, and polls and corporations are addicted to greenwashing.

JustJoe When it comes to climate change, the “boiling frog” analogy resonates; People just don’t see the immediate cause and effect of inaction.

Bonnieboo Unfortunately, we found that the use of the term “global warming” originally allowed deniers to claim there was no problem, since extreme cold events were still occurring. Climate change is probably a better term as it implies extreme weather events.

Mrs. Smith Climate change deniers only rant about waking up instead of realizing that the planet will go broke if we don’t wake up.

Do our children have a depressing future ahead of them?

• A key climate system that helps regulate weather in Europe and North America could collapse due to greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2025, much sooner than United Nations scientists had predicted, climate editor Nick O’Malley reported.

Paige Turner When climate scientists first rang the alarm bell, they were talking about just that. They also said Australia would ultimately be hardest hit by climate change. No doubt that’s on the way (a bit of karma comes into play). The only thing that’s new is that scientists say everything is happening faster than they thought.

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Alephnull I have known the science of climate change for over 30 years and have watched in awe as the world marched towards catastrophe. It’s ironic that despite all our wonderful new toys, the prospects for humanity have never been less attractive. Our children have a terribly depressing future ahead of them.

No And yet this week I heard on the radio an Australian politician shrouding plans to rapidly decarbonize the country. The denial of reality is terrifying.

Brenda Loots The notion that we should move from attempts to correct human-caused climate change to a focus on adaptation is driven solely by corporate interests aimed at keeping the party going until the current leaders, who lead us so comprehensively abandoned, all enjoyed their wealth and made off the planet. Future generations will be damned.

data driven Governments still hesitate and refuse to take urgent, decisive action to wean their economies off fossil fuels. It is ridiculous to say that action would cost too much, but consider what inaction costs!

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