Morrison Targets Australia Climate Groups: The Age

Australia is the world's top coal exporter and the country also endures severe consequences of climate change with wildfires, drought and rising seas, according to its own government reports. Yet the prime minister proposes a law to limit free speech and block climate protests. “Prime Minister Scott Morrison is being transparently political in targeting climate groups like Extinction Rebellion in the hope he can tap into a resentment against activists who disrupt everyday life,” explains David Crowe for the Age. “But he is yet to prove he can act on his tough talk when his own side of politics is supposed to stand for individual liberty.” Such blatant targeting could stir more Australians to study up on the coal business to boycott products and avoid any lenders that finance coal production – or global activists may even avoid Australian tourism or products. Crowe suggests that the refusal of far-right politicians to acknowledge the threat of fossil fuels in the light of so much evidence – more than 90 percent of climate scientists agree that human reliance on fossil fuels contributes to global warming – is fueling a culture war. The prime minister opposes this "new breed of radical activism” and successfully divided liberals to pass a similar law in September banning so-called "farm invasions," or activism that opposes cruel treatment for farm animals. – YaleGlobal