WEBVTT - Burnt mansions: Why the next election is a fork in the road

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<v Speaker 1>From Schwartz Media. I'm Ruby Jones. This is seven AM.

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<v Speaker 1>As wildfires tore through some of LA's most affluent neighborhoods,

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<v Speaker 1>burning down mansions owned by celebrities, some wondered if it

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<v Speaker 1>might be a turning point in how seriously we take

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<v Speaker 1>the climate crisis, but climate scientist Joel Gergis wasn't sharing

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<v Speaker 1>that hope. Instead, what she saw made her angry that

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<v Speaker 1>we seem more interested in the heartache of the wealthy

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<v Speaker 1>while the effects of climate change continue to disproportionately affect

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<v Speaker 1>the poor, and that as Californians lose their homes and

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<v Speaker 1>their lives, a climate deny it has entered the White House.

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<v Speaker 1>Now she's turning her attention to the next election here

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<v Speaker 1>in Australia, where she says we have a choice to

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<v Speaker 1>make about how comfortable we are being complicit today. Climate

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<v Speaker 1>scientist and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Joel Gergis on

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<v Speaker 1>why the next election is a fork in the road

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<v Speaker 1>for our climate. It's Friday, January twenty fourth, So Joel,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought we could start by talking about the wildfires

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<v Speaker 1>that we saw in California recently, as you watched them unfold,

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<v Speaker 1>as you watched the suburbs of La Burn and saw

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<v Speaker 1>people and animals dying.

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<v Speaker 2>What were you thinking, Well, so many things were running

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<v Speaker 2>through my mind, I guess as an Australian, my mind

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<v Speaker 2>went immediately back to the memories of that horrendous black

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<v Speaker 2>summer bushfire season of twenty nineteen twenty twenty, and that

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<v Speaker 2>was when we saw close to a quarter of our

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<v Speaker 2>temperate forest burn in a single bushfire season.

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<v Speaker 3>We were warned of catastrophic conditions and right now there

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<v Speaker 3>are seven fires burning at emergency level. A powerful Southerly

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<v Speaker 3>is currently moving through, making can additions for firefighters even

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<v Speaker 3>more chaotic.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, over half of our ancient rainforests we incinerated

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<v Speaker 2>during this event and over three million.

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<v Speaker 4>Animals were killed or displaced.

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<v Speaker 2>And even during that event, the choler was listed as

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<v Speaker 2>an endangered species in New South Wales. And so it

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<v Speaker 2>was one of those things that that was a real

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<v Speaker 2>pivotal moment for me where I realized that what used

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<v Speaker 2>to be considered an extreme outline in today's climate will

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<v Speaker 2>become average conditions in the future. And so it's been

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<v Speaker 2>a real wake up call to me as a scientist

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<v Speaker 2>that I need to be doing more to warn the

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<v Speaker 2>public about the threats we're facing, not only here in

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<v Speaker 2>Australia but also around the world. In terms of the

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<v Speaker 2>Californian wildfires. Really it's a textbook example of what we

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<v Speaker 2>can expect with a warming planet.

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<v Speaker 4>So California experience.

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<v Speaker 2>It's hot, a summer on record, and a severe drought

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<v Speaker 2>that saw just four millimeters of rainfall since October last year,

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<v Speaker 2>and so basically the landscape just burnt because everything.

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<v Speaker 4>Had dried out, and it burned all the way to.

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<v Speaker 2>The coastline, which is pretty phenomenal if you stop and

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<v Speaker 2>you think about and during winter.

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<v Speaker 5>Of course, all tens of thousands are still under evacuation

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<v Speaker 5>orders tonight, with just some residents allowed back just now

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<v Speaker 5>seeing the devastation firsthand, and the fight is far from over,

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<v Speaker 5>Sirius Santa Anna. Winds are forecast and for tomorrow bringing

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<v Speaker 5>risk of large fire growth.

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<v Speaker 2>It's really just a sign of an overheating planet. It's

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<v Speaker 2>also a sign of what we can expect. But it

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<v Speaker 2>does give me chills as an Australian scientist watching these

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<v Speaker 2>events unfolding, because I know what it means for us

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<v Speaker 2>here at home.

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<v Speaker 1>And as that crisis was unfolding in California News broke

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<v Speaker 1>that we've just experienced Earth's warmest year on record twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty four, So, I mean, that's obviously related to the fires.

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<v Speaker 1>Can you tell me about why it is that we're

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<v Speaker 1>seeing fires on this scale right now?

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<v Speaker 2>So basically just comes back down to humanity's relentless burning

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<v Speaker 2>of fossil fuels. So that's the burning of coal, oil,

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<v Speaker 2>and gas that will continue to drive up temperatures until.

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<v Speaker 4>We reach net zero emissions.

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<v Speaker 2>So really, until we do that, there's going to be

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<v Speaker 2>no letup of this warming trend. And in fact, as

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<v Speaker 2>you said, while these fires were burning, leading scientific organizations

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<v Speaker 2>around the world had confirmed that twenty twenty four was

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<v Speaker 2>the year's warmest year on record. And also another interesting

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<v Speaker 2>fact in there was that the top ten warmest years

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<v Speaker 2>have all occurred since twenty fifteen, so really the last

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<v Speaker 2>decade has been the warmest in our planet's history. And

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<v Speaker 2>in fact, twenty twenty four was the first year that

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<v Speaker 2>global temperatures have exceeded the Paris Agreements goal of one

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<v Speaker 2>point five degrees. And the real problem with this is

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<v Speaker 2>that global greenhouse gas concentrations reached record highs last year,

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<v Speaker 2>so there's no clear decline in sight, and in fact, methane,

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<v Speaker 2>which is a really powerful heat trapping gas that's around

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<v Speaker 2>eighty times more potent than carbon dioxide, has risen really sharply,

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<v Speaker 2>and it's got a lot of scientists worried because of

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<v Speaker 2>its role in triggering periods of abrupt climate change in

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<v Speaker 2>the Earth history. And the other issue here is that

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<v Speaker 2>many countries, including Australia, are currently promoting methane or natural

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<v Speaker 2>gas as a transition fuel, with no scientifically credible plan

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<v Speaker 2>to transition away from any time before twenty fifty. So

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<v Speaker 2>until we get serious about turning the fossil fuel tap off,

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<v Speaker 2>the planet is just going to continue to warm, and

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<v Speaker 2>so it's going to get ugly.

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<v Speaker 1>And the wildfires while they were burning, they dominated the

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<v Speaker 1>news cycle, and that was, of course because of the

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<v Speaker 1>scale of them, but it was also because of the

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<v Speaker 1>people who were affected, the celebrities who are losing their homes.

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<v Speaker 1>And I just wonder what you made of the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that this attracted the attention it did compared to other

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<v Speaker 1>climate related crises that have happened in other parts of

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<v Speaker 1>the world on a regular basis.

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<v Speaker 2>I started to find myself getting a little bit angry.

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<v Speaker 2>Actually when I was watching the media, because I guess

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<v Speaker 2>this uncomfortable reality we need to face is that Western

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<v Speaker 2>media is more interested in covering the losses and the

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<v Speaker 2>heartache of white, rich people rather than those of dark skinned,

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<v Speaker 2>poorer people.

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<v Speaker 4>Celebrities are speaking out as devastating wildfires spread through southern California.

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<v Speaker 4>The fast moving.

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<v Speaker 2>Fires Lucy neighborhoods its home to the likes of Reese Witherspoon.

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<v Speaker 1>Ban Affleck Toma Haggs all were evacuated.

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<v Speaker 6>We're getting word, you know, as the hours go by,

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<v Speaker 6>of more celebrities who have, yes, actually not just been

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<v Speaker 6>threat of losing their property, but have actually lost homes.

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<v Speaker 2>The Californian wildfires attracted a lot of attention because of

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<v Speaker 2>the fact that I guess you know, some of the

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<v Speaker 2>most iconic areas of America were being impacted by the fires.

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<v Speaker 4>And the Western meat is also really obsessed with Hollywood culture.

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<v Speaker 2>So as we've seen in the recent coverage, journalists have

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<v Speaker 2>this inane fixation on reporting news of Burt mansions of

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<v Speaker 2>Hollywood celebrities like Billy Crystal or Mel Gibson or Paris Hilton,

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<v Speaker 2>instead of making that connection between how fossil fuels are

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<v Speaker 2>driving climate change and how that's destabilizing our world in

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<v Speaker 2>the form of these really extreme events. And around about

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred and fifty thousand people in LA were ordered

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<v Speaker 2>to evacuate, but there was no mention made of the

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<v Speaker 2>over twenty million people that were internally displaced because of

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<v Speaker 2>weather disasters in twenty twenty three. So that's the year

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<v Speaker 2>where we have the latest figures, and so I'm pretty

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<v Speaker 2>sure most of those people did not have the luxury

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<v Speaker 2>of paying private firefighters to save their homes. And it

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<v Speaker 2>really highlights the inequalities entrenched in this issue and how

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<v Speaker 2>surreal this whole situation has become.

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<v Speaker 1>And there was this sentiment that I heard from some

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<v Speaker 1>people that perhaps this crisis in California, because of all

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<v Speaker 1>the attention that it's receiving, would actually end up somehow

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<v Speaker 1>changing the course of our response to the climate crisis,

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<v Speaker 1>that it might raise enough attention somehow for people I

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<v Speaker 1>suppose to take it more seriously. Is that naive?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>I saw that too on social media, and I would

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<v Speaker 2>say it's probably a case of just wishful thinking. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>as a climate scientist, it's really hard not to feel

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<v Speaker 2>cynical when people say that perhaps an event like the

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<v Speaker 2>la fires are going to be the moment where the

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<v Speaker 2>world finally wakes up to the reality of climate change.

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<v Speaker 2>And the truth is that this is just another event

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<v Speaker 2>that people will eventually tire of and the media circus

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<v Speaker 2>will move on. And the reality also here is that

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<v Speaker 2>the climate change denier Donald Trump was sworn into the

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<v Speaker 2>White House this week and a time where the world

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<v Speaker 2>is facing just an unprecedented confluence of global disasters.

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<v Speaker 4>The new US.

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<v Speaker 2>President is expected to pull the world's second largest greenhouse

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<v Speaker 2>gasimit out of the Paris Agreement, and he's been bragging

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<v Speaker 2>about his pro fossil fuel use in terms of his policy.

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<v Speaker 4>Of drill, baby drill, He's not the only one.

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<v Speaker 6>Well.

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<v Speaker 2>Governments still plan to produce more than double the amount

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<v Speaker 2>of fossil fuels in twenty thirty that is consistent with

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<v Speaker 2>limiting warming to one point five degrees. So coal production

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<v Speaker 2>is expected to continue until then, with oil and gas

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<v Speaker 2>extending out to at least twenty fifty. So in my life,

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<v Speaker 2>I view things that are going to get a lot

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<v Speaker 2>worse before they get better. And really it's a case

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<v Speaker 2>of our political leaders and our business leaders having the

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<v Speaker 2>courage to put a price on carbon and remove the

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<v Speaker 2>fossil fuel subsidies that are blocking the renewable energy transition.

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<v Speaker 2>And until then, we're just going to see these worsening

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<v Speaker 2>weather extremes that are going to upend our lives and

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<v Speaker 2>reconfigure life on the planet.

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<v Speaker 1>After the break, what will it take for Australian leaders

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<v Speaker 1>to turn off the fossil fuel tap? Joelle, let's talk

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<v Speaker 1>a little more about our political leaders here in Australia,

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<v Speaker 1>because we are of course getting close to another federal election.

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<v Speaker 1>So what do you make of the debate that we're

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<v Speaker 1>hearing around climate at the moment and whether it's urgent enough.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I think that the climates is still alive

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<v Speaker 2>in Australia, but we have come a long way and

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<v Speaker 2>I do think that the next federal election is a

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<v Speaker 2>really fateful fork in the road for our nation. So

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<v Speaker 2>we really have a clear choice between leaders who are

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<v Speaker 2>trying to keep the country on track to decarbonize our

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<v Speaker 2>economy and those who want to lead us down our

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<v Speaker 2>nuclear power dead end. So the fact of the matter

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<v Speaker 2>is is that renewables are the cheapest and the cleanest

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<v Speaker 2>form of energy and it can be deployed really, really quickly.

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<v Speaker 2>We don't have to wait until the twenty forties or

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<v Speaker 2>twenty fifties for nuclear power, because Australia actually is the

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<v Speaker 2>sunniest consonant on the planet, and yet only eighteen percent

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<v Speaker 2>of our electricity is generated by solar, so that is

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<v Speaker 2>an enormous economic advantage that we're currently squandering. And while

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<v Speaker 2>the Labor government has made some good progress on renewables,

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<v Speaker 2>so currently there's nearly forty percent of Australia's electricity is

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<v Speaker 2>now powered by clean energy sources. But the government runs

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<v Speaker 2>the risk of undoing all of this good work by

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<v Speaker 2>continuing to support fossil fuel production.

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<v Speaker 1>And so do you think that there are areas or

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<v Speaker 1>ways of responding to the climate crisis that are still untapped,

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<v Speaker 1>things that we could or should be doing that would

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<v Speaker 1>provide a roadmap FRAWD and some hope in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>combating what's ahead.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, yeah, I mean there's a range of scientific agencies

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<v Speaker 2>that have shown that it's possible to reduce global emissions

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<v Speaker 2>between fifty and eighty percent by twenty thirty using technologies

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<v Speaker 2>that are available right now. And even the CSO has

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<v Speaker 2>shown that the fossil fuel intensive nation like Australia could

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<v Speaker 2>Harvard's emissions by twenty thirty using existing technology. So in

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<v Speaker 2>that report they identify the decarbonization of the electricity sector

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<v Speaker 2>as the way to unlock Australia's clean energy transition in

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<v Speaker 2>other areas like green manufacturing and electrified.

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<v Speaker 4>Transport and things like that.

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<v Speaker 2>So really we just need this new generation of leaders

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<v Speaker 2>to foster that political, social, and economic environment. We need

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<v Speaker 2>to incentivize the clean energy transition and really, once the

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<v Speaker 2>benefits of the green economy start to be realized, we

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<v Speaker 2>won't look back.

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<v Speaker 4>Our only regret will be that we didn't start any sooner.

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<v Speaker 1>And as you say, though the current Labor government is

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<v Speaker 1>still committed to mining fossil fuels, that doesn't seem likely

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<v Speaker 1>to change. How do you envision a way of I

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<v Speaker 1>suppose putting pressure on that.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, this is where I feel that how we vote

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<v Speaker 2>really really matters, and that Australia's next federal election is

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<v Speaker 2>a really faithful fork in the road for our nation.

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<v Speaker 2>And the more that we understand that as voters we

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<v Speaker 2>can influence our political leadership into doing better. So if

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<v Speaker 2>the electorate really wants to see real climate action, because

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<v Speaker 2>you know, sometimes there's a lot of hollow words when

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<v Speaker 2>we talk about climate change, in climate action being this

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<v Speaker 2>in citious phraser that I don't love actually, but I

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<v Speaker 2>think it comes down to people being really aware of

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<v Speaker 2>the connection between the burning of fossil fuels. So whether

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<v Speaker 2>those fossil fuels are burned here within Australia's borders or

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<v Speaker 2>overseas with our trading partners, the atmosphere doesn't really care

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<v Speaker 2>where those fossil fuels originated.

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<v Speaker 4>The fact is is they pollute the environment.

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<v Speaker 2>They're driving up temperatures and the concentration of greenhouse gases

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<v Speaker 2>in the atmosphere is leading to more and more extreme weather.

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<v Speaker 2>And so you know, this is the time to not

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<v Speaker 2>stand on the sidelines. We really have to engage in

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<v Speaker 2>our political conversation and what we do as australiager really matters.

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<v Speaker 2>As the third largest exporter of fossil fuels, what we

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<v Speaker 2>do in terms of our ethical.

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<v Speaker 4>Stance and our moral stance on this really matters. Joelle,

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<v Speaker 4>Thank you for your time, Oh pleasure, Ruby, thanks a lot.

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<v Speaker 1>Also in the news today, one of Australia's biggest music festivals,

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<v Speaker 1>Splendor in the Grass, has been canceled for the second

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<v Speaker 1>year in a row. The festival previously announced it would

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<v Speaker 1>be canceling the twenty twenty four event, just weeks after

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<v Speaker 1>it announced its lineup with Kylie Minogue as the headliner

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<v Speaker 1>on social media. Splendor in the Grass organizers have now

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<v Speaker 1>posted twenty twenty five won't be going ahead either, but

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<v Speaker 1>we'll be back when the time is right. And a

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<v Speaker 1>huge foul smelling flower has bloomed in Sydney and will

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<v Speaker 1>emit its stench for twenty four hours only. The rare

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<v Speaker 1>and endangered flower, known as the corpse flower and nicknamed Patricia,

0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:15.600
<v Speaker 1>is on display at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Corpse flowers

0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:18.160
<v Speaker 1>are usually found in the West Sumatran rainforests and there

0:14:18.200 --> 0:14:21.240
<v Speaker 1>are estimates that there are only one thousand specimens left

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<v Speaker 1>in the wild. Seven Am is a daily show from

0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:28.600
<v Speaker 1>Schwartz Media and The Saturday Paper. It's made by Atticus Basto,

0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:32.800
<v Speaker 1>Shane Anderson, Chris Engate, Daniel James, Eric Jensen, Ruby Jones,

0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:36.680
<v Speaker 1>Sarah McVie, Travis Evans and Zolnfetcho. Our theme music is

0:14:36.720 --> 0:14:39.840
<v Speaker 1>by Ned Beckley and Josh Hogan of envelop Portio. See

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<v Speaker 1>you next week.