Who Will Save The Planet?

For too long, the climate-crisis discussion has been dominated by stale, pale, male voices. But now, a new chorus is speaking up, demanding change and leading the fight for our future. Alley Pascoe meets the women rallying for climate justice

- Alley Pascoe

We are standing on the edge of a precipice. It’s not a line drawn in the sand, it’s a gaping chasm that’s growing wider by the day. The climate crisis has become epitomised by a number of tipping points that we are perilously close to crossing – points beyond which the environment will be irrevocably damaged and the cascading impacts on society will be existential. This is the point of no return.

If that sounds dramatic, that’s because it is. The climate crisis is no longer a problem for tomorrow, it needs to be addressed now. According to a new report by the Climate Targets Panel, Australia needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least half before 2030 to help limit global heating to 2°C; a 74 per cent reduction would be better, as it would reduce heating to 1.5°C. Climate activists have been promoting the mantra “1.5 to Stay Alive” for years. This isn’t a hypothetical situation – it’s life and death.