Introduction to Australia, China, USA

Most recently when the Paris-based Secretariat of UNESCO proposed to place the Great Barrier Reef on the World Heritage in Danger list based largely on the reports of Australian scientists, the first response of the Government was to blame the Chinese chair of the World Heritage Committee. High prices for iron ore have masked a decline of 40% in exports of wine, coal, barley and crustations, as China refuses entry to or imposes high tariffs on these goods (Doran 2021). Trump, seeking to stem the decline in US manufacturing and to undermine China's 'technology driven ambitions,' placed tariffs on Chinese imports (Bartholomeusz 2021) and introduced measures to stem alleged Chinese industrial espionage. Chinese officials responded strongly accusing the US of using its military power and financial hegemony to exert extraterritorial power and suppress other countries, of using 'national security' as an excuse to obstruct trade and hoping the US would improve its human rights given the US history of discrimination against Black Americans (Haigh 2021).

Climate Emergency, COVID-19: Introduction to 'Global Emergency'

Australia, though still clinging to fossil fuel, joined the Paris Agreement, but with a very limited target of 2628% reduction of its 2005 greenhouse gas emissions levels by 2030. Evidence was given to the Royal Commission that the cataclysmic bushfires of 2019 and 2020 were predictable, were related to climate warming in Australia and the bushfire season had extended by several months per year (see Braganzas evidence 2020;Joshi 2020) Despite this, Energy Minister Angus Taylors recently released roadmap Harnessing new technology to grow jobs and the economy and lower emissions does not evoke confidence with its focus on unproven technological solutions (including discredited carbon capture and storage) rather than cheaper and proven clean energy (Taylor 2020;OMalley and Foley 2020). The hottest temperatures in recorded history, the warming, acidification and rising of sea levels, the inundation of coastlines and river deltas, more extreme weather events and devastating bushfires. Climate change effects have begun to materialise and will become worse as projected climate change is expected to alter the geographic range and burden of a variety of climatesensitive health outcomes and to affect the functioning of public health and health care systems (Haines and Ebi 2019: 263).