When you look with despair at the state of climate science in America, take comfort: Australia hates the planet just as much as the U.S. does!
Though we are headed into the next four years with a president who believes climate change was invented by the Chinese, at least we can know that we are not the only developed nation to say “no thanks,” to saving the world.
On Monday, Australia approved the nation’s largest coal mine, a massive rail line and camp which will cost $21.8 billion. The Carmichael mine project flies in the face of many other advanced nations that have plans in place to end all coal mining and coal-powered factories in the next decade.
Australia even has a clearly recognizable sign of the effects of climate change in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of the continent. That reef is dying a slow, climate-fueled death as fossil fuels pollute the atmosphere and raise global temperatures.
Scientists confirmed that mass die-offs in the reef this year were caused by climate change, but officials did not deem this massive environmental disaster as evidence enough to stop the mine.
Despite this, Australia is intent to look for short-term solutions rather than seeking permanent, alternative energy sources. If you ask Australian officials, they will claim that they govern a green nation, focused on environmental issues. Apparently the dying reef and the massive coal mine that will accelerate global warming are excluded from that environmental mission.
