From fires to floods

Australia is experiencing a new government and a new Prime Minister.

As predicted before the recent election, the Labor party won and its leader, Anthony Albanese, was duly elected PM. It is noticeable and a reason for thanksgiving that there was no dispute about the result and the former PM, Scott Morrison, handed over the reins of power before all the votes were counted!

Mr Albanese inherits a country where five of the seven states are Labor and where a significant number of ‘independents’, along with the Greens (largely middle-class climate-change activists, funded by some wealthy people) are expected to have a key influence. The increase in the Green vote is largely due to the young – who have been spoon-fed green doctrines ever since they entered the public education system.

The nearest thing to heresy in modern secular Australia is to deny that any extreme climate event is due to man-made global warming. A couple of years ago, during a period of drought and bush fires, we were solemnly told that it might not rain in New South Wales for another four years and we would have to urgently build new desalination plants before Sydney ran out of water. Now it seems as though it has barely stopped raining all year! The dams are full and Western Sydney has experienced severe flooding. This too is automatically blamed on climate change.

The only problem with this analysis is that Australia is a country that regularly experiences extreme climate events. I came across an old TV clip from 1956 which talked about 12 inches of rain falling in one day, homes being abandoned and widespread flooding. There were significant floods in 1831, 1925, 1974, 1986 and 2012 – to name but a few. The floods this year have largely been associated with the La Nina climate cycle which pushes warm water towards the Western side of the Pacific and usually results in much higher rainfall in the Eastern States.

None of this is to deny that man-made pollution has an effect upon the climate. The question rather is how much effect and more importantly, what can be done about it? If the Green doctrines are accepted then Australia – a resource-rich country – will find itself closing down coal and gas plants, whilst refusing to use nuclear (it has plenty of uranium) and continuing to export $100 billion worth of fossil fuels per year – thus making no overall difference to climate change. Energy bills will rocket, prices for basic commodities will go up and the poor will suffer the most.

This is undoubtedly a time of great shaking and confusion throughout the Western world. Australia is in one sense well equipped to handle the coming storms – but much will depend on the actions of the new government. They appear to have made a good start. We pray that the Lord will grant them wisdom, strength and humility – ‘that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and humility’ (1 Tim. 2:2).