The obvious is not always so obvious to many people

An obvious fact is that to mitigate climate change and avoid a catastrophic outcome, we need to change how we think.

Along with a structural change to our thinking and equal changes to our behaviour, how we live and what resources we draw upon.

This morning, Chris Uhlmann presented AM on Radio National’s RN Breakfast and during that, interviewed Shelagh Whitley of the Overseas Development Institute, who lamented the massive government support given to fossil fuel industries.

She pointed to the grants and tax breaks, amounting to billions of dollars just in Australia for production and exploration.

Ms Whitley pointed that if the world is to avoid catastrophic climate change, then two thirds of the fossil fuels we already know exist must stay in the ground.

The implication of what she was saying is that further exploration is pointless and to subsidise it, or provide generous tax breaks with public money is foolhardy and so risks humanity’s future.

An extensive report compiled by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) through Oil Change International looks at depth at the complexities.