Climate change is here despite denial

For a brief time in Australia we seemed to be heeding the warnings.

In 2007 Kevin Rudd was elected on a promise to tackle the "greatest moral challenge of our generation" - climate change - saying that "we should be at a stage now in this country where climate change is beyond politics." But by 2013 the electorate seemed to go cold on action to avert climate catastrophe despite increased warming. This was aided and abetted by an unscrupulous campaign by big mining interests and the coalition and Rupert Murdoch's media. Abbott gained government by flogging doubt, especially regarding the carbon tax.

Now Australia is in the clutches of arch climate denier, Tony "climate change is absolute crap" Abbott. Just when we need strong global action to at least have a chance to mitigate climate change and its impact, the issue has become as politicized as the stop the boats mantra-driven war against refugees. Instead of a war against our true foe (if we continue with this militaristic metaphor) we are battling demons created in our minds by propaganda, not the real dangers. In a year (2013) that has been Australia's hottest on record we now have elected a government that will take us backwards in tackling the problem of climate change.

Prince Charles has described climate sceptics and deniers as "the headless chicken brigade".We know that Abbott loves the monarchy but it seems the heir to the British throne is just not that in to you Tony.

Dear fellow Australians, it seems our prime minister is a headless chook!

The Abbott Government is not just passively asleep at the wheel. It is driving us dangerously headlong into an inferno. Despite fire, storms and drought Abbott and Environment Minister Greg Hunt, have moved relentlessly forward in their back to front policies that increase emissions. These are in train and include:

1. Approval of extensive mining and coal and huge ports
2. Approval of dredging and dumping on the Great Barrier Reef
3. Moves to strip world heritage listing from Tasmanian forests
4. Exemption of laws protecting threatened species to enable great white shark cull in Western Australia
5. Bills to repeal carbon tax and mining tax
6. Scrapping of climate change advice agencies
7. Appointment of avowed climate denier Maurice Newman to chair the government business advisory council.

Breaking news: Barnaby Joyce climate change denier and Federal Agriculture Minister is touring drought stricken Queensland and has said "the drought is getting worse and worse ..something has to be done " - pardon me while I scoff.

Old News: Declaring himself a non-believer - as though comprehension of scientific reality was akin to religious zeal - South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi declared, in 2009."we have rain we have crops, the earth is not melting" while former leader of the opposition in the Senate, Nick Minchin, objected to policies "that frankly terrify 12-year-old children, by saying the planet is going to melt".

With friends like these, who needs a science minister?

Gay Alcorn Fairfax columnist asks what do you do when a democratically elected government is doing the wrong thing? Is waiting (and hoping) for the next election enough?

Meanwhile there are: