Activist Naomi Klein Says Australia Is "Raising Middle Finger To The World" On Climate Change

Social activist and author Naomi Klein has slammed the Australian Government for its climate change policy on live television.

Klein joined the panel on the ABC's Q&A program last night, alongside other guests including: Liberal senator James Paterson, shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese, author Don Watson and the Institute of Public Affairs' Georgina Downer.

Paterson was asked whether the Government would "accept once and for all the energy system has to change," after the the closure of the Hazelwood power station.

Defending the use of coal, he argued that it's the cheapest source of energy. "We can't just turn it off... if we did just turn it off straightaway, we would have a massive spike in electricity prices and that would hurt businesses," he answered.

He said that if Australia were to transition to cleaner energy, it would have to be done in a way that is mindful of how it will affect people.

Klein was quick to remind panelists that not acting on renewable energies is already affecting people. She said there was "overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real".

"Among wealthy industrialised countries, Australia now stands alone raising the middle finger to the world," she said.

"[Australia is] saying that we're not going to act, and we will build massive new coal mines... opening up vast fracking fields".

"There's debate about the details. But there is overwhelming scientific consensus, 98 per cent of climate scientists agree that humans are causing this."

On Monday, One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts labelled climate change as "ridiculous lies" and a "NASA conspiracy," Nine News reports.

He unleashed a 42-page report called On Climate, CSIRO Lacks Empirical Proof, in which he puts climate scientists on blast. Apparently, their research has been insufficient in proving carbon dioxide (caused by human activity) is having an effect on the climate.

Photo: ABC