7am Burnt mansions: Why the next election is a fork in the road
Jan 23, 2025
Joëlle Gergis, a climate scientist and contributor to The Saturday Paper, tackles the urgent climate crisis, sparked by wildfires in wealthy neighborhoods. She criticizes the disproportionate sympathy for affluent communities while neglecting the struggles of marginalized groups. Gergis emphasizes the upcoming Australian election as a critical moment for climate action. She highlights the need for a shift to renewable energy and challenges listeners to confront their complicity in climate issues.
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California and Australian Wildfires
- The 2019-2020 Australian bushfires destroyed a quarter of temperate forests and impacted koala populations.
- The California wildfires, fueled by drought and heat, burned to the coastline, mirroring these extreme conditions.
Record Temperatures and Methane
- Earth's warmest years have all occurred since 2015, with 2024 exceeding 1.5 degrees warming.
- Rising methane levels, driven by fossil fuels, worry scientists due to their potential to trigger abrupt climate change.
Media Bias in Climate Coverage
- Western media focuses on wealthy individuals affected by climate change, neglecting the disproportionate impact on poorer communities.
- While Californian fires gained attention, millions are displaced globally due to climate disasters without similar coverage.