More hazard-reduction burns not the answer, experts warn

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to see more action on land clearing and hazard-reduction burns, but experts warn burns are ineffective against extreme fires such as the destructive blazes seen this summer.

National Parks and Wildlife Service staff burning containment
 lines ahead of the fire front at Burrill Lake on Sunday.

They also say Australia is carrying out more prescribed burning than in previous decades and to do much more would lead to heavy smoke affecting communities throughout winter.

Speaking at the weekend about the need to reduce fuel loads in forests, Mr Morrison said there was time before the next scheduled meeting of the Council of Australian Governments "to bring forward some immediate steps and for those to be considered by premiers before moving to broader-scale reviews".

"You've got to deal with hazard management in national parks ... this, of course, will be one of the things that we will consider when premiers come together after they've been dealing with the fires," he said.

Read the story from The Age by Mike Foley - “More hazard-reduction burns not the answer, experts warn.”

Climate change spurs Shannon Loughnane's 700km cross-country protest hike

A university student is walking hundreds of kilometres from Melbourne to Canberra to call for more action from Australian leaders on climate change.

Shannon Loughnane wants more action
from political leaders on climate change.

Shannon Loughnane left his home in Coburg two days ago with a plan to trek along major highways, country roads and mountainous areas to deliver his message to Canberra.

He said he hoped his 700km trek would form part of a wider wave of protests aimed at pressuring leaders who he believed were not doing enough to address the issue.

Four months ago, the Melbourne University student made a New Year's resolution to read more about climate change.

Read the ABC News story by Rhiannon Tuffield - “Climate change spurs Shannon Loughnane's 700km cross-country protest hike.”

Environmental activists frustrated COP24 deal not strong enough

Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna and environmental activists are emphasizing that more action is needed to combat climate change despite Saturday's deal reached by countries at a UN climate summit.

Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change
 Catherine McKenna said more work remains over the
 coming year after negotiators in Katowice failed to reach
 an agreement on emission trading.

In addition, some green groups and certain countries expressed frustration that more ambitious climate goals were not achieved during intense negotiations that ran into the weekend.  

Nearly 200 nations at COP24 agreed upon universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming and enable countries to put into action the commitments they made in the 2015 Paris climate accord.

Read the CBC story - “Environmental activists frustrated COP24 deal not strong enough.”