Climate crisis: it's real and it's now an existential threat

Ian Dunlop isn't everyone's idea of a militant grass roots environmental activist. And that's why he's so impressive. He's an engineer by training. He worked at senior levels for Royal Dutch Shell for over 30 years, in oil and gas exploration. He was Chair of the Australian Coal Association, and the CEO of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He's a member of several other professional and business associations, and he's currently a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (UNSW), and a member of the Club of Rome.

Even with all those credentials, he finds it hard to get anything through to many of our politicians, who are still working very hard to avoid knowing much about the climate crisis we're now in.

"Climate change is an immediate risk requiring emergency action" he says.

I was privileged to sit through his presentation in Hornsby today. The gathering was convened by Greens local councillor Emma Heyde, who is leading the push to have Hornsby Council declare a climate emergency. There's a worldwide push going on for local council leadership in this regard, given that national and state governments (especially in Australia) have been so sadly lacking.

He tells it like it is. Things are extremely grim. We've wasted a decade and a half doing very little, and we're now at the point where we can afford to release approximately zero more carbon emissions ever, if we're to retain a liveable planet and a functioning civilisation.

More here:  Guardian article
and here: SMH article