Scott Morrison Really Wants The Kids To Pipe Down About The Fact The Planet’s Dying

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned against creating “needless anxiety” in children about climate change, a matter of hours after teen activist Greta Thunberg dressed down the United Nations for the planet’s inaction on reducing carbon emissions.

Just days after thousands of students clogged Australian streets to demand new emission reduction measures, The Sydney Morning Herald reports Morrison told reporters in New York City that young Australians shouldn’t be fearful for the fate of the planet.

“You know, I want children growing up in Australia that feel positive about their future,” Morrison said.

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The PM underlined the importance of giving kids “confidence that they will not only have a wonderful country and pristine environment to live in, but they’ll also have an economy that they can live in as well.”

Discussing his own young daughters, Morrison expressed the need for “context and perspective” on the issue of civilisation-altering climate change, adding “I like them to make their own mind.”

His statement comes at a pivotal moment for the climate, and for rhetoric about climate action.

While yesterday’s landmark United Nations Climate Action Summit featured UN Secretary-General António Guterres, calling for more “concrete plans, more ambition from more countries and more businesses,” the world’s eyes were on 16-year-old student Thunberg, who said world leaders “have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words”.

Morrison, who did not attend yesterday’s landmark United Nations Climate Action Summit, voiced his belief “there’s a lot of disinformation out there about, frankly, what Australia is doing.”

Of course, data released by the Australian government itself reveals greenhouse emissions are actually rising, not falling in accordance with recommended UN guidelines.

But no, don’t let the kids get worried about it now. They’ll figure it out later.

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