I’m currently at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, where world leaders are facing the greatest challenge of this century. With three days of negotiations to go and world leaders arriving for 60 hours of negotiations, the voices of those being heavily impacted by climate change are being ignored.
A failed agreement will have devastating implications for rural Australians. Climate change will bring extreme weather events, changed rainfall patterns and disturb the natural systems that industries such as agriculture and tourism heavily rely on.
The climate debate in rural and regional areas such as the Albury/Wodonga region is holding Australia back from committing to unified, serious action on a problem that will obliterate famer’s livelihoods and Australia’s economy.
It seems incredibly ambiguous to me that the National Party, who represent Australian farmers, are blocking strong action on climate change when the problem will have catastrophic consequences for farmers and rural Australians across our nation.
Over the past week, I’ve been speaking to our neighbours in the Pacific Island region who are having their crops destroyed from groundwater salinity caused by rising sea levels. These people lose more than income. They lose their culture, their reputation in society and their homes.
Back in Australia, our own properties and forests are being incinerated by fires that are becoming more intense and regular as global temperatures increase. We only have to look at the fires that have devastated our local region to recognise this.
The devastating drought that south-eastern Australia has experienced for the past ten years is being enhanced by changing rainfall patterns, a decreasing snow season in the Alps and extreme heat weather events. The evidence of this is found in the Murray Darling basin, which is in a state of environmental catastrophe that is likely to be irreversible.
Furthermore, the short sighted mindset of some rural Australians illustrates a stark contradiction. It is one thing to disagree with appropriate and necessary action on climate change, but it becomes outright hypocrisy to turn around, highlight extreme weather that contributes to the drought and demand assistance from our federal government. The best way to solve a problem is to deal with the cause, rather than spending millions of tax payer’s money on dealing with the effects.
As a young person who has had the widely informative experience of seeing dry land salinity caused by poor land managing, a dying water system due to over extraction and the loss of biodiversity from land clearing, it is disheartening to know that many farmers in rural Australia disregard my future. I’d have hoped that leaving a legacy of environmental and economic destruction, due to self interest and greed would be unacceptable for most Australians.
It’s time to ensure social, economic and environmental stability for future generations of people who will live in Australia. The major political parties in Australia are halting a transition to sustainable industries that reflect the decency and compassion that many Australians value in society. They represent greed, corporatisation and self interest through putting the lives of millions of Australians at risk through their disregard and inaction.
If we are ever to deal with the climate and environmental crisis that Australia faces, we need to show unity, compassion and concern for those who are facing the adverse effects of climate change in rural Australia and set ambitious targets for action.
Sam Millar, 18, is one of 21 young Australians that comprise the Australian Youth Delegation currently at the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen.
