Farmer in Antarctica

Climate change is impacting Antarctica and that has global implications. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and driest continent on Earth. It is a vast continent that has challenged explorers, captivated scientists and inspired dreamers through the centuries.  It is a place of beauty and mystery, covered with ice kilometres deep and home to some of the world’s most incredible creatures – orcas, sealions, penguins and whales to name a few.

Anika Molesworth in Antarctica. 

Antarctica is also one of the regions of the world where the impacts of climate change are most apparent and pronounced. Temperatures here are rising double the rate of the global average. As oceans and air temperatures become warmer, the ice-covered land melts.This is raising sea levels, and 1m sea level rise displaces 100 million people.With huge global population numbers living along coastlines or in low lying inland regions, rising sea levels poses serious risk to people and ecosystems. Phytoplankton – the under recognized microscopic lungs of the earth that live underneath sea-ice – take up 50% of the CO2 we produce, and give us half the oxygen we breath. Small changes in Antarctica have big changes to the rest of the planet.

 Read the story from Climate Wise Agriculture - “Farmer in Antarctica.”

Reciminations and point scoring illustrate faults with our political system

(Climate change can only be resolved, or at least addressed with some success when all people, from wherever they sit on the political spectrum, cooperate, collaborate and work together to confront humanity’s worst-ever dilemma – Robert McLean.)

With a near dead heat in the race to form government, why does there have to be only one winner? Why can't we all be winners, drawing on the strengths of all our politicians, not just half of them?

The recriminations and point scoring that have erupted since election-day highlight everything that is wrong with the Australian political system.

Polling confirms that the factor alienating many Australian voters is that neither side has been willing to confront the really big challenges facing our society and our future. For example, climate change constitutes the biggest single threat to humanity in history, particularly to Australia as the driest continent on Earth. We know that Malcolm Turnbull would like to tackle it, but is constrained by the right wing of the LNP.

Read The Canberra Times comment piece from two directors of Australia21, Ian Dunlop and Bob Douglas - “Time to declare both sides of politics and the Australian people thewinners.”