In reality the conference pointed out the present impacts of climate change, such as dying coral reefs, are already a threat to humanity and life on Earth.

Speakers advocated expanding the climate emergency movement to a global level and decarbonizing all sectors of the economy. That includes drawing down carbon from the air through reforestation, stopping deforestation, and regenerative farming.

So McCormack is wrong to claim it was based only on climate models and limited to just the Australian electricity sector.

The rest of his talking points have been previously refuted a thousand times, but I’ll briefly refute them again.

Read more: Need to address climate emergency

Renewable energy is increasingly the cheapest energy and getting cheaper as technology improves. It is fossil fuels that will get ever more expensive as they become more difficult to cheaply extract, and as we suffer the climate impacts of burning them.

Although climate has changed greatly over the Earth’s history, it has varied less than a degree throughout the history of human civilization. The current warming of one degree has already exceeded that range, including the medieval warm period.

The global warming trend has been observed by both rural and urban weather stations as well as satellite measurements, so cannot be an artifact of the urban heat-island effect.

It was discovered 200 years ago that CO2 is a heat-trapping greenhouse gas.

It’s true that CO2 can also rise after global warming, but that is a reason to be even more concerned. It suggests nature will amplify the warming we’re causing – another reason Darebin has declared a climate emergency.

Some interesting analysis has come out of this bombshell sacking of ABC boss Michelle Guthrie.

Our Government does not have direct control over the ABC, but the board appoints the CEO, the Government appoints the board, so if it so desires, it can stack the board with right wing members. They may even recruit the MD from the Murdoch stable, then cut funding every time the news in question does not fit the Murdoch criteria, a sure way of diluting your opponent.

Also, just a suggestion, Eric Abetz or Tony Abbott, for ABC Chairman, anyone? No, didn't think so.

Eric can’t speak fast enough on a time limit,  and the only thing Tony has run is an iron man event.

Eight five per cent of Australians still want OUR ABC –  not the Murdoch version, so interfering with Aunty is fraught with political danger.

But will they try.

Read more: ABC Board under pressure over Milne

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