Currently — May 25th, 2022

May 24, 2022

The weather, currently.

What you need to know, currently.

 Climate took center stage in this weekend’s election in Australia.

“Australians have shown that we want action and certainty on climate policy, in line with what the science says is needed to stave off substantial climate changes.” @SafariPenguinhttps://t.co/EV2YNXNtHU— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) May 24, 2022 

Today we published an op-ed, by climate scientist Ailie Gallant about Australia’s Federal election. For the first time in over ten years, there is a “clear mandate” to significantly reduce Australia’s carbon emissions, centering climate change in conversations of policy and practice in the Australian electorate.

This moment in time is particularly significant because independents and other minor parties made up almost one-third of the votes, which is the largest amount of votes that non-major parties have had in Australian political history.

“This sets a precedent in 2022,” Gallant wrote. “We have shown that, collectively, we will vote outside the major two-party system for issues, like climate change, that are important to us.”

Gallant is confident that Australia will now play a larger role in ending the climate crisis.

“As a climate scientist, I am more hopeful now than I have ever been, that Australia will step up to the global table and play its part to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, per the Paris Agreement,” Gallant wrote. These cuts must be achieved if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change.”