Climate advocates devastated after Woodside North West Shelf project approved until 2070

ABC - Phoebe Pin  Michelle Stanley

The life of Woodside's Karratha Gas Plant will be extended after the project
gained approval from the federal government. (Supplied: Woodside)

Climate advocates have been left devastated by the federal government's decision to sign off on an extension of Australia's largest oil and gas project until 2070, describing it as a "dark day".

Federal environment minister Murray Watt has
approved the decision to extend Woodside's
North West Shelf project.
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Newly minted Environment Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday approved Woodside's proposal to extend the life of its North West Shelf gas project, after it sat on ice for six years.

Approval was granted under strict conditions, which the gas giant has 10 days to review and accept.

A swathe of scientists have raised concerns about the project, including the impact of emissions on the environment and ancient Aboriginal rock art at the nearby Murujuga Cultural Landscape.

UN recommendation

Ms Rollins is concerned about
the climate change ramifications.
(ABC News: Courtney Withers)

Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Piper Rollins said there were no conditions that could be imposed to address those concerns.

"We know that this approval is going to be responsible for billions of tonnes of carbon emissions emitted into our atmosphere," she said.

 "This state is going to suffer the most and this project is going to disproportionately drive climate change and make it even worse."

Senator Watt's announcement came just hours after a bid to have the petroglyphs at Murujuga added to the World Heritage list stalled over concerns about the effect emissions were having on the priceless rock art.

The UN recommended the government inform it of the intention to authorise major projects which may affect the "outstanding universal value" of the Murujuga site.

And a leading scientist expressed "grave concern" about "unacceptable interference" in a study of the potential impacts of emissions on the rock carvings.

Greens MP Sophie McNeill says
the decision left her 'speechless'. 
(ABC News: Courtney Withers)

Greens Upper House MP Sophie McNeill said the timing of Senator Watt's announcement was concerning.

"The UN World Heritage listing of Murujuga's rock art is under threat from Woodside industrial emissions," she said.

"That's the breaking news that came out from UNESCO just this morning, and what we've seen is federal Labour rush to get this decision out before the news about UNESCO does the rounds.

"This is a devastating, dark day and I know there will be many parents like myself tonight having to tell my kids what happened today.

"We're just so devastated by this news, we're kind of speechless."

The Environment Minister Murray Watt has given Woodside the green light
to extend the life of the Karratha Gas Plant. 
(ABC News: Charlie Mclean)

'See you in court'

Ms Cooper opposes the approval.
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Mardathoonera woman Raelene Cooper, a former chair of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, expressed her intention to continue fight the decision, after she launched a last-minute legal bid last week to stop it in the Federal Court.

Her court application had argued Woodside's industrial developments on the Burrup Peninsula pose a threat to thousands of Aboriginal petroglyphs.

"See you in court," she said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I'm not on my own, I'm bringing warriors from this ngurra [home] with me."

Kaylene Daniel campaigned against an extension to
the North West Shelf gas project on the Burrup
Peninsula, and said she wouldn't give up the fight.
(ABC News: Charlie Mclean)

Ngarluma Yindjibarndi woman Kaylene Daniel said the decision "saddened" her.

"Because all through those years that me, my family and others out there have talked about this place, protected this place Murujuga," she said.

"Murujuga meant so much to us."

Ms Daniel described Murujuga as "like a library" full of First Nations stories, songlines and rock art and said she would not give up fighting to protect her country.

"I can't give up, it's not for me to give up, my family didn't give up," she said.

"I'm still going to speak out for this country, because this country is important, it's sacred and it's been passed on to me.

A crowd of protesters gathered outside Woodside Energy's annual general meeting in Perth earlier this month.
(ABC News: Keane Bourke)

Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility analyst Alex Hillman worked as Woodside's climate change advisor for five years.

He said there were merits to using gas as a transitional fossil fuel on the path to greater renewable use, but said the world already had enough of it for this purpose.

"We don't need any more gas to be developed," he said.

Mr Hillman also questioned if the project was in the best interests of Woodside shareholders.

"We don't see a compelling business case for Woodside to invest in any of the gas that would feed North West Shelf," he said.

Woodside reviewing approval

Ms O'Neill says Woodside was working closely
with the government to understand the impact
of its emissions.
(ABC News: Elizabeth Pickering)

Woodside chief executive Meg O'Neill said the gas giant was currently reviewing the conditions of the approval.

"The conditions relate to heritage and air quality, so our team is working through with the department to understand what the conditions mean, and we will respond and work with the department in coming days," she said.

Addressing concerns around potential emissions damage to cultural heritage sites, Ms O'Neill said Woodside believed "industry and heritage can coexist".

"We've worked very closely with the government over many years to understand what sort of emissions might cause an impact," she said.

Publican relieved

Mr Bond feels common sense has prevailed.
(ABC News: Charlie Mclean)

Dampier publican Nick Bond said the decision brought "a sense of relief and optimism".

"It's going to give security and financial backing to the country for a long, long time to come," he said.

"It gives us the security we need to be able to invest in new accommodation, new infrastructure and make our asset better for the community.

"The whole country's going to benefit from this decision."

Karratha local Elise Murray took a different view.

"I've lived there, I've grown up there, it's a beautiful place to be," the 18-year-old said.

"To put it at risk by focusing on the money that it will bring in — obviously it's amazing that it'll build so many jobs for local people, but if you're ruining the environment in the first place, you're not going to have enough people that want to live there by the end of it."

"It's really important that we look after the area and focus on a more renewable energy source."

Links

• Pilbara Traditional Owner launches Federal Court bid to block North West Shelf approval – ABC News article on Raelene Cooper's legal challenge.
• Woodside Energy Annual General Meeting draws protest – Coverage of protests during the AGM in Perth.
• North West Shelf Project Extension Approved Until 2070 – Announcement of the project’s federal environmental approval.
• Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill: Industry and Heritage Can Coexist – Statement on emissions and Indigenous heritage impacts.
• Alex Hillman Criticizes Gas Expansion Plans – Commentary by former Woodside climate advisor on the project’s economics.

Fire Country: Aboriginal Land Management and Climate Resilience - Lethal Heating Editor BDA

Australia’s oldest land managers may hold the key to surviving its hottest future. Across the continent, Indigenous fire knowledge is making a comeback—and it’s reshaping how we think about bushfires, biodiversity, and resilience.

🔍 In Brief Cultural burning: A low-intensity practice used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years to reduce fuel loads and support ecosystems. Climate buffer: Helps prevent catastrophic fires, protect biodiversity, and rejuvenate native species post-burn. Community-led programs: Firesticks Alliance and Indigenous ranger groups are scaling cultural fire practices. Science alignment: Modern fire science increasingly supports Indigenous approaches as effective and sustainable. Policy lag: Bureaucratic barriers and fragmented land tenures are slowing integration into national fire strategies. Carbon potential: Cool burns may aid in carbon storage and reduce methane release from high-intensity wildfires. Land justice link: Fire knowledge is tied to cultural identity, sovereignty, and long-term stewardship.

🔥 Fire, the Oldest Tool

Long before hazard reduction burns became policy, Aboriginal communities were using fire as a tool, not just for survival, but for care. 

Known as “cultural burning”, these low, cool burns were designed to clear undergrowth, protect trees, and invite regrowth of food plants and medicinal species.

“Our fires speak the language of Country,” says Victor Steffensen, a Tagalaka fire practitioner. “When done properly, fire doesn’t destroy—it heals.”

After decades of suppression policies, this ancient knowledge is finally gaining ground again, especially as Australia faces hotter, longer bushfire seasons.

🌡️ Fire and a Warming Climate

Australia’s climate is becoming more fire-prone. The CSIRO warns that extreme fire weather days have increased since the 1970s, and fire seasons are starting earlier and ending later.

This puts more pressure on conventional hazard reduction methods. High winds, dry fuel loads, and erratic rain patterns make broadscale burning riskier. 

But cultural burns, done at the right time and scale, offer a safer alternative.

Studies show these methods reduce catastrophic fire risk and even enhance biodiversity—especially in savannas and woodlands.

🌾 Reviving Knowledge, Rebuilding Country

Organizations like the Firesticks Alliance are working to train Indigenous rangers and landholders in cultural fire practices. In Arnhem Land and parts of Queensland, these burns are already being used to manage over 17 million hectares.

“This is about more than land—it’s about culture, ceremony, and healing,” says Walgett elder Narelle Long. “Fire knowledge connects us to our ancestors.”

But scaling these efforts faces roadblocks. 

Land tenure issues, regulatory red tape, and lack of sustained government support make it hard to integrate traditional knowledge into national bushfire plans.

🌍 Carbon, Co-Benefits, and the Future

Beyond fire risk reduction, cultural burning offers climate co-benefits. 

According to a 2021 study by the Climate Council, early-season cool burns can lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to late-season wildfires, which release more methane and nitrous oxide.

There’s also growing interest in the carbon market: Indigenous land managers may earn carbon credits for emissions avoided through cultural burning, providing economic incentives for climate-smart land care.

But to unlock these opportunities, Australia must commit to Indigenous-led fire programs—not just as a cultural gesture, but as core climate policy.

🧭 The Path Forward

Australia’s future will burn.

It’s a matter of how, when, and why. 

If done right, fire can be an ally against ecological collapse. 

But that means listening to those who’ve managed this land for 65,000 years.

“Cultural burning isn’t just about fire,” says Steffensen. “It’s about responsibility. It’s about reading Country. And it’s about time we put it at the centre of our resilience planning.”

Links

• 🔗 Firesticks Alliance – Cultural fire knowledge and training
• 🔗 Climate Change in Australia – CSIRO
• 🔗 Indigenous Fire Management in a Changing Climate – Climate Council
• 🔗 What Is Cultural Burning? – The Conversation
• 🔗 IPCC AR6 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
• 🔗 Victor Steffensen – Indigenous fire practitioner and author

The Future of Farming in a Warming Australia - Lethal Heating Editor BDA

Australia’s farmers are no strangers to adversity. But as the nation warms faster than the global average, the agricultural landscape is reaching a tipping point, one defined by drought, flood, and the urgent need to adapt.

🔍 In Brief Shifting zones: Warmer conditions are pushing crop and livestock zones southward and upslope, making some regions less viable. Adaptation limits: Many farmers are adapting, but rising costs and speed of change risk outpacing capacity, especially in dryland regions. Regenerative potential: It's promising but still niche scaling requires financial incentives, education, and policy reform. Indigenous knowledge: Integration is growing, especially in land management, but needs greater institutional support. Water policy impact: Current frameworks are fragmented and contested—reform is urgently needed to balance competing interests. Mental health toll: Climate stress is contributing to higher anxiety, depression, and suicide risk in rural areas. Support remains patchy. Tech barriers: High costs and poor connectivity limit uptake of smart farming tools in many regions. Export vs. emissions: Tension exists. Emissions from agriculture must fall to meet climate targets, requiring innovation and accountability. Insurance outlook: Insurers are beginning to price in climate risk. Some regions may become uninsurable within decades. Vision gap: No unified long-term strategy exists. The future is being shaped piecemeal by a mix of actors with differing priorities.

🔥 Climate Pressure on the Paddock

Australia's climate is shifting, and it’s hitting farmers first. 

According to the CSIRO, temperatures in Australia have risen by 1.5°C since 1910, with longer dry spells and more frequent extreme weather events becoming the new norm. 

This means crops are failing more often, livestock are under increasing heat stress, and water sources are drying up or becoming salinised.

“Farming has always been about resilience,” says Dr. Rachel Whitmore, a climate agronomist based in Wagga Wagga. “But we’re now dealing with nonlinear shifts. Entire growing seasons are disappearing.”

💧 Water, the New Gold

Access to water is now the most critical variable in Australian farming. 

In the Murray–Darling Basin, mismanagement, over-extraction, and prolonged drought have created a hydrological nightmare. 

Irrigation-dependent crops like cotton and almonds are under scrutiny, while farmers growing wheat and barley are turning to drought-tolerant varieties or abandoning their fields altogether.

Meanwhile, rainfall deficits in eastern Australia are exposing how fragmented water governance fails both farmers and ecosystems.

🌱 Regenerative Agriculture: Trend
      or Transformation?

Out of crisis comes innovation. 

Across the country, a growing number of producers are turning to regenerative agriculture, which focuses on building soil health, storing carbon, and reducing chemical inputs. 

In Central Victoria, some farms have cut emissions by up to 60% while improving yields—even during dry years.

But critics warn that without government support, regenerative methods will remain a niche practice. “It’s not enough to be climate smart,” says sustainability consultant Maya Chen. “We need national-scale reform in subsidies, land use, and water rights.”

🚜 The Role of Tech and Policy

Smart farming tools, like AI-assisted irrigation, drone crop monitoring, and carbon accounting platforms, A are spreading fast. 

Yet rural broadband gaps and high equipment costs are major barriers. 

The Department of Agriculture is promoting innovation hubs, but critics say it’s too little, too late.

In March 2025, a Climate Council report warned that without an integrated national adaptation strategy, many of Australia’s food-growing regions will become economically unviable within 20 years.

🌍 The Big Picture

The future of farming in Australia isn’t just a rural issue. 

It’s about food prices, export revenues, carbon emissions, and national resilience. 

As the climate crisis deepens, farmers will either lead the transformation, or become its earliest casualties.
 

📚Links

• 🔗 Climate Change in Australia – CSIRO
• 🔗 Australian Farmers Facing Climate Change: What Lies Ahead? – ABC News
• 🔗 Murray–Darling Basin Plan – Murray–Darling Basin Authority
• 🔗 Regenerative Agriculture: Growing Solutions to Climate Change – Soils For Life
• 🔗 Climate Change 2023: The Physical Science Basis – IPCC
• 🔗 Climate Change and Agriculture in Australia – Climate Council
• 🔗 Heat Stress in Livestock – Meat & Livestock Australia
• 🔗 Australian Agricultural Innovation Hubs – Department of Agriculture

Climate Change Books: Fact and Fiction

🌍 Climate Fiction (Cli-Fi) Novels
	The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018) Theme: Interconnectedness of humans and trees; ecological activism. Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Why Read: A deeply moving novel about people brought together by environmental catastrophe and forest conservation.
	Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson (2020) Theme: Climate policy, geoengineering, global governance. Scope: Realistic and sweeping in scale; near-future speculative fiction. Why Read: Possibly the most comprehensive fictional take on humanity's response to global warming.
	Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver (2012) Theme: Shifting ecosystems and climate denial in rural America. Setting: Appalachian Mountains. Why Read: A poetic and personal exploration of how climate affects both nature and community.
	New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson (2017) Theme: Sea level rise, economic inequality. Setting: A partially submerged New York City. Why Read: A vivid and well-researched vision of urban life post-climate collapse.
	The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard (1962) Theme: Post-apocalyptic world of melting ice caps and flooded cities. Legacy: One of the earliest works of climate-oriented science fiction. Why Read: A surreal, psychological take on climate catastrophe.
	American War by Omar El Akkad (2017) Theme: Climate-induced civil war and displacement. Setting: Future America devastated by rising seas and oil bans. Why Read: A gripping, brutal allegory for the geopolitical impacts of climate change.
🌀 Young Adult & Dystopian Fiction
	Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993) Theme: Societal collapse due to climate change and inequality. Why Read: Visionary and prophetic, Butler explores resilience in the face of environmental and social collapse
	Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman (2018) Theme: Water scarcity in suburban California. Why Read: A gripping young adult novel about survival and community in crisis.
📚 Non-Fiction Books About Climate Change
	This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein (2014) Focus: Economic systems as drivers of climate crisis. Why Read: A foundational text in environmental justice and climate policy.
	The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells (2019) Focus: Worst-case scenarios of unchecked climate change. Why Read: Vivid, shocking, and meticulously reported.
	The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (2014) Focus: Biodiversity loss as a result of human activity. Awards: Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. Why Read: A sobering examination of humanity's impact on life on Earth.

 Links

📘 Recent Academic Studies on Climate Change

1. A Bibliometric Analysis on the Research Trends of Global Climate Change
   This study examines current directions in climate change research, highlighting areas such as human health risks, societal inequalities, and policy regulations.
2. Critical Environmental Justice in Contemporary Scholarship and Activism
   This paper explores the complex constructions of environmental justice (EJ) in both academic and activist spheres, aiming to map contemporary EJ discourse and identify opportunities for cooperation and real-world change.
3. Climate Smart Agriculture Strategies for Enhanced Agricultural Sustainability
   This research discusses the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, aiming to boost resilience in the agricultural sector.
4. Heads, Hearts, and Hands: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies on Climate Change Education
   This systematic review analyzes empirical studies on climate change education, emphasizing pedagogical approaches that support learners in processing their emotions and taking action.
5. Climate Challenges for Event Management: A Research Agenda
   This study addresses the impacts of human-induced climate change on event management, proposing a research agenda to tackle the challenges posed by more frequent and intense extreme events.
6. Climate-Change-Driven Conflict: Insights from North Wollo, Northeast Ethiopia
   This research investigates the link between climate change and conflict in Northeast Ethiopia, providing insights into how climate-induced stressors can exacerbate existing tensions.
7. Negotiating Climate Change in Public Discourse: Insights from Critical Discourse Analysis
   This paper examines how climate change is communicated in the media, highlighting the importance of discursive constructions in raising public awareness and mobilizing action.
8. A Systematic Review of Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts in the Transport Sector
   This review assesses adaptation strategies to climate change impacts within the transport sector, identifying gaps and proposing future research directions.

📚 Foundational Reports and Resources

• IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) – Synthesis Report (2023)
  An integrated view of climate change, summarizing the latest scientific findings.
• IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) – Ongoing Work
  The IPCC is currently in its seventh assessment cycle, with new reports in development.
• UNSW Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC) – 2024 Annual Report
  Highlights recent research activities and collaborations focused on climate dynamics and extreme weather.

The floods and droughts devastating Australia are fingerprints of a warming planet

The Guardian - Kimberley Reid

It is undoubtedly clear that continuing to burn or export fossil fuels will increase climate change and the risk of extreme weather.

As NSW faces flooding again, Victorian towns enter stage 2 water restrictions. A woman and her dogs pictured paddling past an SES flooding sign on Friday. Photograph: Renee Moore/AAP

Author Dr Kimberley Reid is a postdoctoral research fellow in atmospheric sciences at the University of Melbourne

As New South Wales once again faces heavy rainfall and flooding, the Victorian towns of Euroa and Violet Town will enter stage 2 water restrictions next Wednesday.

The weather pattern bringing heavy rainfall to NSW is a common wet-weather scenario for the coast. A high-pressure system in the Tasman Sea has stalled, and the anticlockwise airflow around the high is pushing moist air from the ocean over land. At the same time, about three kilometres above the surface, a low-pressure system is lifting the moist ocean air up. As moist air rises, it forms clouds, storms, and finally rain.

While this weather pattern itself isn’t unusual, the duration of the pattern is. Typically, high pressure in the Tasman may hang around for one to two days. But the current high has been there for the past four days, bringing unrelenting rainfall to NSW. The rain is falling on already sodden ground, increasing the likelihood of flooding.

This is reminiscent of what we saw during the March 2021 floods. Unfortunately, the forecast for the next few days is also reminiscent of March 2021. After the rain from the east finally moves away, another strong band of rain is forecast to cross NSW from the west on Monday.

Scientists are actively researching how climate change is shaping Australia’s weather systems. We are not sure if weather systems will stall more often or not, mostly because we don’t yet have the computing power to run high-definition climate models needed to study them.

However, climate modelling capability is growing every year. Just last week, Australian climate scientists took part in a global hackathon to analyse data produced by models with about 50 times higher resolution than a typical one.

Earlier studies using lower definition models suggest we may see a decrease in stalled high pressure in the Tasman Sea, and low-pressure systems may also occur less often but produce more intense rainfall when they do happen.

While future high- and low-pressure systems are uncertain, atmospheric moisture is likely to increase in a warmer world.

"Australia’s climate targets are only as good as the action behind them. We need to aim higher Amanda McKenzie Read more

The March 2021 floods prompted my colleagues and me to assess how often Sydney may experience persistently high amounts of atmospheric moisture over the region.

High atmospheric moisture is a key ingredient in heavy rainfall. When it lingers, persistent rainfall and flooding become more likely.

We found that by 2080–2100, the chance of these high moisture events may increase by about 80% under both moderate and high emissions scenarios. With more moisture in the atmosphere, low-pressure systems could trigger more intense rain due to global heating.

As NSW sandbags, Adelaide is ramping up its desalination plant to secure the city’s water supply. Parts of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia have received very much below average rainfall over summer and autumn.

One to five days of heavy rainfall per year can determine whether drought occurs in Australia, where drought is largely driven by a lack of these events.

Climate patterns in the Indian and Pacific Oceans — which influence year-to-year rainfall variability — have been in neutral or dry phases. Neither El Niño nor La Niña has appeared since autumn 2024. La Niña tried to emerge over summer but didn’t develop.

The visually spectacular northwest cloudband — capable of delivering rain from Broome to Hobart — has been absent this year. Instead, slow-moving high-pressure systems have brought persistently dry conditions to southern Australia.

NSW flooding: PM delivers climate crisis warning as flood-hit region braces for strong winds and fifth body found. Read more

Like flooding, drought frequency in a warming climate remains a leading area of research. Because droughts are rare, identifying trends is more difficult than for more regular indicators like maximum temperature.

The “tinderbox drought” of 2017–2019 was the first in Australia where the severity would not have been possible without global heating. 

In addition, southwest Australia has experienced a robust rainfall decline since the 1970s — a trend projected to continue.

Droughts and floods have long marked Australia’s psyche. But increasingly, the fingerprints of a warming planet are showing in more intense rainfall and more severe drought. 

Continuing to burn or export fossil fuels will only intensify the risk of extreme weather devastating Australia.

Links

• Climate change is supercharging rainfall and floods in Australia – Climate Council
• State of the Climate 2022 – CSIRO & Bureau of Meteorology
• Australia’s black summer of fire was not normal – and we can prove it – The Conversation
• Droughts in Australia will become more severe with climate change, scientists say – ABC News
• Human influence on the 2019–2020 “Black Summer” extreme fire weather in eastern Australia – Geophysical Research Letters
• Explainer: Climate change and extreme weather in Australia – Climate Council
• Australia's climate targets are only as good as the action behind them – we need to aim higher 
  

The 89% Climate Solution

Substack — Stephen Leahy

A majority of people know climate change is a serious threat to our health. Time to act and vote accordingly.

Need-to-Know

The vast majority of the human population — 80 to 89% — want governments to do more about climate change.

That’s based on numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies.

However, most people are unaware of this because it hasn’t been widely reported in the media. 

In other words, the global climate majority does not realize it is the majority by far.

Loud, shouty people on digital forums give the impression that climate is a minor, even fringe concern, despite the overwhelming evidence of harm. 

Persistent and widespread disinformation is being pushed by vested interests in the fossil fuel industry and their extremist supporters to deny and delay efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions.

They also want to discourage people from insisting that the majority of people want more climate action by governments and industry.

And we want action now, not 2050!

Need-to-Know

75% of Americans understand climate change harms health, and the health risk is increasing.

In a brand new survey of Americans, 75% of registered voters want federal agencies to maintain or increase their efforts to protect people from the health harms of global warming.

The survey was conducted in December 2024—after the presidential election, but before the Trump administration took office. 

It is the latest Climate Change in the American Mind survey by George Mason University.

Many Americans understand that climate change harms health, and an increasing percentage believe climate-related health harms will become more common in their community over the next 10 years.

Americans who want federal agencies to increase their efforts to protect people outnumber those who want fewer efforts by more than 3 to 1.

Need-to-Know

Only a tiny minority of Americans want to see less climate action.

Some other results of the survey:

• 55% of registered voters said federal agencies should do more than they are currently doing to protect people from the health harms of global warming.

• 20% said agencies should continue to do the same amount, and only 15% said they should decrease their efforts.

Taken together, 75% of registered voters want federal agencies to maintain or increase their efforts to protect people from the health harms of global warming. (See NtK: Harmful Air Pollution is Getting Worse: Pollutants from Road Transportation and Wildfires on the Rise)  

Across the political spectrum, most registered voters want federal agencies to maintain or increase their efforts to protect people from the health harms of global warming.

Even more evidence

Last June, I wrote about the largest-ever global survey, which included over 73,000 people speaking 87 languages across 77 countries. 

It yielded similar results. 

For example, 86% of people want their countries to set aside geopolitical differences and collaborate on climate change. (See NtK: You are not alone. Most people in 77 countries want stronger, faster climate action.)

What can you do?

1. Share the fact that 80 to 89% of people around the world want more action on climate to protect our health and the health of our children.
   For example: “Did you know that the vast majority of people want their governments to reduce CO₂ emissions to protect their families’ health?”

2. Share this post on your social media.

3. Be confident that you are in the majority and are doing the right thing for your family and our shared home.

4. Vote for and support candidates who represent the climate majority.

Links

• A silent majority of the world’s people wants stronger climate action. It’s time to wake up
• Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action
• A majority of registered voters want federal agencies to increase their efforts to protect people from the health harms of global warming
• Climate Change in the American Mind: Public Perceptions of the Health Harms of Global Warming, Fall 2024
• Harmful Air Pollution is Getting Worse
• You are not alone. Most people in 77 countries want stronger, faster climate action
• 100% Renewable Energy for the World: Possible and It's Happening
  

Drowning in the Deluge: New South Wales Confronts a Flood Crisis Amidst Climate Change - Lethal Heating Editor BDA

New South Wales is reeling under one of its most destructive floods in decades.

Torrential rains have turned highways into rivers and townships into islands.

Entire communities, especially across the Hunter and Mid North Coast, have been cut off, emergency services stretched, and residents forced into evacuation centres.

Emergency services have performed more than 600 rescues. 

Four lives have been lost, and dozens remain unaccounted. 

Residents numbering in the tens of thousands are isolated, and critical infrastructure, from roads to power lines, lies in ruins.

The scale of destruction is immense, affecting humans, livestock, and the broader environment. 

Sydney’s Warragamba Dam, a crucial reservoir, is at 97% capacity, stoking fears of overflow and additional downstream flooding.

Is Climate Change to Blame?

Experts widely agree: yes.

The pattern of intensifying floods mirrors what climatologists have predicted for decades. 

Climate change is fueling more intense rainfall events by loading the atmosphere with moisture.

“This isn’t an act of nature alone—it’s a human-influenced catastrophe,” said one climate policy analyst. 

NSW’s own reconstruction authority warns that without adaptation, extreme weather events like these will only worsen.

NSW Floods May 2025

• Lives lost: 4 confirmed, several missing
• Communities affected: Over 50,000 residents cut off
• Livestock losses: Thousands, exact figures pending
• Estimated economic impact: Hundreds of millions (growing)
• Cause: Extreme rainfall exacerbated by climate change

Who Pays the Price?

The economic fallout is only beginning to be tallied. Insurance claims have surged beyond 1,600. 

Flood damage in NSW alone historically costs $250 million per year—but this event will far surpass that.

Farmers face wiped-out crops and drowned livestock. Businesses are shuttered. And public services—from hospitals to transit systems—are overwhelmed by both demand and damage.

Government Action: Swift but Sufficient?

Federal and state governments have triggered disaster recovery payments. 

Evacuation orders continue, especially in at-risk areas like Chipping Norton and the Hawkesbury region. 

But many residents feel these are band-aid solutions over long-term negligence.

There are also growing calls to accelerate infrastructure upgrades—levees, better drainage, and early-warning systems—to protect against worsening floods. 

The Insurance Council of Australia is urging a $30 billion investment to future-proof the nation’s flood defenses over the next decade.

Cleanup and the Road Ahead

The cleanup is just beginning and expected to take months. 

Roads are cracked and washed away. Coastal towns like Bellingen face landslides, power outages, and contaminated water. 

Public health warnings over pests and disease-carrying mosquitoes have already been issued.

The scale of environmental damage is harder to quantify—but equally devastating. Estuaries are polluted. Marine life is washing up dead. 

The stress on ecosystems may last for years.

Preventing the Next Disaster

Long-term resilience must be the new policy imperative. 

The NSW State Disaster Mitigation Plan (SDMP) is a step in that direction, aiming to unify disaster risk reduction efforts across government agencies.

But planning documents are only as good as the action they inspire. 

With rainfall intensifying and populations growing in flood-prone regions, the time to act is now—not after the next disaster.

Summary

The 2025 NSW floods are a tragic case study in the cost of climate inaction. 

While emergency responses are vital, building lasting resilience will require political will, public investment, and cultural readiness to confront a future shaped by climate extremes.

Links

• Death toll in Australia floods rises to four
• Floodwaters isolate towns in NSW
• Live updates: NSW flood emergency
• NSW Government: Climate adaptation planning
• NSW flood impact and climate
• Insurers call for $30B flood defense fund