Youth Climate Justice Advocate in Australia:

My chosen climate justice advocate, Bella Burgemeister created her own book, Bella’s Challenge, to spread more awareness about climate change, the age demographic being youth. “You don’t have to be an adult to do something positive, so I decided to write a book that would help kids my age to understand the importance of these issues… getting my head around things like economic growth and responsible consumption… I think it’s so important we understand these issues because they impact us as well. We’re not immune to these challenges just because we’re kids, so that was a huge motivator for me. My book – Bella’s Challenge – was published in 2017 and now all the schools in the South West region of WA have a copy! But there’s so much more to be done.” She wrote in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald (Burgemeister, 2019).  

USA, China, and Canada are the main countries often said to benefit the most from fossil fuels (from a variety of different answers research gave me). Although they’re not the countries that will be most impacted by climate change, developed countries will find it way easier to deal with climate change in comparison to poverty stricken countries. Scientists have long warned that they will face it harder and earlier. Analysis of the U.N.’s latest population forecasts showcases, that countries experiencing the world’s most rapid population growth over the coming decades will also be on the front lines of climate change (Nugent, 2019).

Everyone has a moral obligation to reduce our emissions, not a certain country, region or organisation, EVERYONE. The actions taken to reduce them vary- but they’ll all be the same results either way. Most of Australia’s energy relies on fossil fuels. Coal and gas account for about 79% of electricity generation. Produced from burning black and brown coal at large power stations. Natural gas is the third highest energy source in Australia (after oil and coal). Our country as a whole should do what Victoria did as a whole- permanently ban unconventional gas and steadily proceed more into renewable resources in the future. As Bella states, “Are we really that greedy that we can’t see the bigger, global picture? Young people… are the ones who will live with the consequences of inaction on climate change. So, when I see our Prime Minister tossing around a lump of coal in the Parliament, I know I have to fight back. When I hear both future potential future prime ministers say they support the Adani coal mine, I know I have to fight back.” (Burgemeister, 2019).

References

Burgemeister, B. (2019, May 4). 'I want my childhood back': young climate activist's letter to Australia. Retrieved from The Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-want-my-childhood-back-young-climate-activist-s-letter-to-australia-20190504-p51k2i.html

Nugent, C. (2019, July 11). The 10 Countries Most Vulnerable to Climate Change Will Experience Population Booms in the Coming Decades. Retrieved from TIME: https://time.com/5621885/climate-change-population-growth/

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