Call for better climate action

Australian shoppers and farmers will need to band together to protect the country’s food supply, according to the newly appointed Australian Farmers for Climate Action chief executive officer.

"When it comes to understanding how growers are
affected by extreme weather events, climate change
offers the perfect talking point."

Verity Morgan-Schmidt said climate change presented an opportunity for farmers to better connect with consumers who bought and enjoyed Australian-grown produce.

‘‘Climate change could serve as a huge wake-up call for consumers in understanding the entire paddock to plate process,’’ Mrs Morgan-Schmidt said.

‘‘When it comes to understanding how growers are affected by extreme weather events, climate change offers the perfect talking point.

‘‘I’d love it if all mums and dads, when picking up their groceries, understood what’s going on out on our farms so that when there’s a drought in the Wimmera, for example, shoppers in the supermarket know that’s the reason why their bread is a bit more expensive this month.’’

She warned politicians of all stripes that the time for delay on the issue of climate change was over.

Read the Country News story - “Call for better climate action.”

Can’t sleep? Maybe global warming is to blame?

It's no surprise that a change in our planet's climate would affect our coastlines, our weather patterns and our food supply. But here's something you may not have considered before: Global warming might also affect how well we sleep at night.

Sleeplessness equates with global warming.

In a paper published in Science Advances, researchers show that when local temperatures get unusually high people don't sleep as well as they usually do. And if climate trends continue, we can expect to have more frequent heat waves that also last longer.

Read Deborah Netburn’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Can’t sleep? Maybe global warming is to blame?”