The profits of doom*
Hot on the heels of the Hurricane Helene which flattened large tracts of North Carolina, and the devastating floods in Spain, the death toll from which has exceeded 200 people, the CSIRO last week released its State of the Climate Report for 2024. The report, compiled from global and Australian data and placed within a 100-year context to determine trends and outcomes, provides an outlook for our short to medium term expectations. And these expectations paint a worrisome picture. While globally, the hottest year on record was 2023, thanks to back-to-back La Niña systems since the Black Summer, our hottest year was 2019. However, the report warns that our land and oceans continue to warm: “Extreme fire weather is increasing. Sea levels are rising. Marine heatwaves are becoming more intense and frequent. And oceans are getting more acidic. All of these come with serious consequences for Australia’s environment and communities.” It’s not like this is a revelation. We’v...