Climate change already affects the Torres Strait
Elaine Kelly writes in The Conversation (27.11.14) that ‘for communities in the Torres Strait, climate change is not a matter for political debate, but a reality. Around 7,000 people call the Strait home, and they are already exposed to the impacts of climate variability. There are king tides, flooding, and unpredictable weather patterns that impede their everyday lives. In 2012, extreme weather damaged the local graveyard on Saibai island. This raises important ethical and political issues for Australia. As a nation we must engage with the harmful cultural implications of climate damage.’