Hot farmer anger as climate, drought trends ignored by politicians

Farmers are angry and perplexed by former Nationals federal leader Barnaby Joyce’s obsession with promoting coal-fired power stations and a deep-seated reluctance by some politicians to acknowledge Australia’s carbon emissions must be curtailed.

Farmers' anger over the Federal Government's inattention
 to climate change mitigation and so the present drought is
 equalled only by the Earth's rising temperatures.

As increasing climate variability threatens to cut our agricultural productivity 10 per cent in the next 20 years, farmers generally feel cheated and fed up with the political manoeuvring and denials of the need for practical policies on energy, climate change and drought says fast-growing national lobby group, Farmers for Climate Action (FCA).

While the rural sector was worried by soaring electricity prices, FCA argued most producers were just as fearful about by Canberra’s procrastinating and bitter internal conflicts over carbon pricing, emission issues and its indifference to renewable energy opportunities in regional Australia.

“I get calls every day from mainstream farmers outraged at how government has handled this issue,” said chief executive officer, Verity Morgan-Schmidt.

Read the story from Farmersonline by Andrew Marshall - “Hot farmer anger as climate, drought trends ignored by politicians.”

‘He will fail farmers': Morrison pressured to tackle climate change as part of drought pledge

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under pressure to acknowledge that climate change is a major driver of the drought gripping parts of regional Australia following his declaration that the big dry was his government’s number one priority.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says national drought action
 is a top priority, and critics say climate action should be a
 key part of the response.

Hours after his elevation to the top job on Friday, Mr Morrison cited the record-breaking drought as the nation’s “most urgent and pressing need right now”.

He underlined his commitment on Saturday, his first full day as prime minster, by meeting with national drought coordinator Stephen Day and Nationals leader Michael McCormack to discuss a national approach to the problem.

Read the story from The Age by Nicole Hasham - “‘He will fail farmers': Morrison pressured to tackle climate change as part of drought pledge.”