Storm Clouds over Simpson Desert

Storm Clouds over Simpson Desert

Image by Marj Kibby

I've been so interested in Aboriginal rights and history since moving here to Western Australia, and boy howdy, let me tell you...nobody is impacted by climate change the way indigenous communities are.  The Inuit are the first to suffer as the polar ice caps melt away, and the increasing drought brought about by higher all-round temperatures has left Australian Aboriginals once again in fear of losing yet more land to "agricultural development."

Australian farmers in the north of the country are desperate for water, and are considering reaching further and further afield to cultivate food crops for the rest of the country (and for export).  Aboriginals fear the long hand of the white man once again taking over some of their land -- "just to look, not to buy" -- and leaving them exploited and disadvantaged.

Public opinion is so varied on the Aboriginals within Australia that it's hard to tell if there would be any sympathy for indigenous Australians or not. But the impacts of climate change are much more than just a hole in the ozone layer...it interrupts our efforts at supporting a native culture to maintain and preserve their way of life.  By ignoring climate change, we are leading to a process that ultimately ends by slowly erasing cultures through ignorance and apathy.

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