Australia: The Coming Climate Hell?

Australia, one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, is also one of the most polluting. From fires and droughts to cyclones and floods, the country is no stranger to bearing the full brunt of global warming.

According to the Brown To Green Report – an annual review detailing G20 member countries’ performance in environmental matters – Australia is one of the worst performing members from the board on almost all counts: deforestation, coal mining, excessive water consumption, and carbon footprint. Despite this, the Australian government continues to encourage the production of coal, and it is one of the world’s leading exporters of this fossil fuel. Most elected officials in the country are climate skeptics. Green energy is not a priority. And the media fails to address the crisis.

Whilst exploring the Australian desert, we decided to meet the present-day cowboys of the Outback, who live on isolated ranches located hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest village. They spend most of their time searching for water. We also met the miners of Australia’s booming coal industry – who were keen to not only defend their field, but also the way of life it comes with.

However, there has recently been an increase awareness of the climate crisis and people have started to take action. Among them, Aboriginal communities who have always protected and reclaimed nature, as well as activists who do not hesitate to openly criticise polluting companies. But a number of Australian states have adopted strict laws that threaten the right to peaceful protests, leading to numerous protesters running the risk of being put behind bars for their fight against climate change.