Before we judge the protesters, ask what else they could have done

What would possess ordinary people – from a cement truck driver to a retired police chief – to think that blocking traffic with a pink fishing boat and nude marchers will stop climate change? It’s a question this week’s Extinction Rebellion protests are prompting many – from sympathetic supporters to salivating shock jocks – to ask.

A motorist is very unhappy at the Extinction Rebellion protesters in the city.

It’s a good question, but there are others we should ask ourselves first. Here’s one: how are existing approaches going? You know, assembling the facts, pleading the case with authorities, even marching on the streets. How is that tracking for solving a crisis that, based on the carefully collected evidence of thousands of scientists, poses a threat to civilisation as we know it?

It’s not just scientists saying we’re in grave danger either. It’s emergency responders, defence experts, doctors, agronomists: the very people whose job it is to protect us from disaster, war, pestilence and famine.

Read the opinion piece from The Age by Jono La Nauze - “Before we judge the protesters, ask what else they could have done.”

State braces for 'unpredictable' fires and authorities issue air quality warning as extreme heat descends on city

Victoria is set to swelter through the hottest day of the summer so far with extreme heat and strong, gusty winds expected to stir up dust prompting a health warning from authorities.

Melbourne is set to sweat through its hottest day in three years.

Emergency services are also bracing for "uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving" fires.

The state's Environment Protection Authority has warned Melbourne and Geelong residents that the conditions are likely to raise dust and reduce air quality.

EPA Air Quality Scientist Gavin Fisher said in areas in such as Brooklyn and South Geelong, the air quality would be poor and could increase the risk of health problems for those with  heart and respiratory conditions.

Read the story from The Age by Melissa Cunningham and Anna Prytz - “State braces for 'unpredictable' fires and authorities issue air quality warning as extreme heat descends on city.”

As e-biking grows, U.S. cities consider easing rules on where the machines may be used

A surge in the use of electric bicycles throughout the United States is prompting cities to revise regulations that restrict their use, including bans against riding them on sidewalks and trails.

JUMP, one of five dockless bike operators in the
District, brought its e-bikes to the city last fall,
and it has become one of the most popular
services, officials said.

The nation’s capital and other Washington-area jurisdictions are among those taking steps to modernize and streamline policies advocates say are outdated, set unrealistic restrictions and confuse riders of bikes that can be run on electric power as well as by pedalling.

“The number of bicyclists in the U.S. is growing, in part because of the rise of e-bikes, but it is difficult for people to know where they are allowed to ride them,” said Morgan Lommele, with the cycling advocacy group PeopleForBikes. “The laws are all over the place for electric bicycles.”

Read The Washington Post story by Luz Lazo - “As e-biking grows, U.S. cities consider easing rules on where the machines may be used.”