Climate change poses a ‘direct threat’ to Australia’s national security. It must be a political priority

It is evident from Australia’s increasingly severe droughts and record-breaking heatwaves that time is running out to take action on climate change.

Climate change is expected to increase the severity of natural disasters in the
Asia-Pacific region, straining Australia’s ability to respond through humanitarian
 missions and fuelling more climate migration. 

And we aren’t just facing an environmental threat alone in Australia – there are significant implications for our national security and defence capabilities that we haven’t fully reckoned with either.

This point was made abundantly clear in a speech prepared for Defence Force Chief Angus Campbell at an event in June, excerpts of which have been recently published by the media. It noted that Australia is in:

the most natural disaster-prone region in the world … [and] climate change is predicted to make disasters more extreme and more common.

If the predictions are correct, [climate change] will have serious ramifications for global security and serious ramifications for the ADF [Australian Defence Force].

Read the story from The Conversation by an Honorary Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre from the  Australian National University, Chris Barrie -   “Climate change poses a ‘direct threat’ to Australia’s national security. It must be a political priority.”

‘The invisible minister': Melissa Price accused of going missing on the environment.

She is being called the “invisible minister”, the cabinet member responsible for the environment who is accused of “disinterest” during Australia’s summer of natural disasters and record-breaking heatwaves.

 Three of Australia’s biggest environment groups say
they have not been able to meet with Melissa Price
since she was appointed minister last year.

Melissa Price has been criticised by three of the country’s biggest environment groups who say they have been unable to meet with her since her appointment last year. A fourth is accusing her office of being in breach of its responsibilities on threatened species.

The criticism comes during a summer that has brought numerous environmental catastrophes, including the mass fish kill in Menindee in far-west New South Wales, fires in Tasmania’s world heritage area, a record-breaking January heatwave, and floods in Townsville that Queensland’s premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described as unprecedented.

While the prime minister Scott Morrison and other senior members of the government including Michael McCormack and David Littleproud have made public appearances in towns affected by the disasters, Price has been absent.

Read the story from The Guardian by Lisa Cox - “‘The invisible minister': Melissa Price accused of going missing on the environment.”