Young Urge Climate Action: Sydney Morning Herald

Fire conditions in Australia are horrific, and the rest of the world questions a strategy that relies on a largely volunteer firefighting force and poor examples of leadership, allowing a massive fireworks display to welcome the New Year. More than 12 million acres have burned. Tens of thousands have evacuated, hundreds of homes destroyed, and roads are closed with infrastructure under threat. Young members of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s center-right party in New South Wales voted unanimously to demand an overhaul of government policy on climate change. “Morrison has rejected calls to change the government's climate policy despite the ongoing bushfire emergency, maintaining Australia is pulling its weight in terms of lowering emissions,” reports Alexandra Smith for the Sydney Morning Herald. “Key changes they propose include a taxation policy with green asset write-offs, a national household solar panel program and a ‘market signalling scheme to promote certainty in the energy sector.’” The New South Wales Young Liberals, insisting climate change action is not a matter for left or right, suggest that refusal to embrace renewable energies will imperil economic prospects. – YaleGlobal