From NSW parliament to Tamworth and Bulli to Kew, ACM's special coverage of the climate future of young Australians has struck a chord.
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The 10-day series, produced by 13 young journalists living in regional Australia, is a deep dive into the hopes and fears of a generation disrupted by climate change.
Readers across the nation commended the reporters' work, including in Tamworth, NSW.
"Kudos to the young reporters in the ACM network for standing brave and strong together on the need for serious and rapid climate action in our regions," Helen Cameron wrote.
"What stands out is the raw acknowledgement of the impacts of extreme weather changes, a deep connection to the nature they live in and a sense of 'active hope' that we can all work together to make a difference."
Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams was also impressed.
"The series has received positive feedback from the public and people involved in speaking out about climate change. It's also been praised for raising these issues," she told NSW parliament on November 9.
Amy Hiller, from Kew in Victoria, said the series stood in contrast to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's absence from the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, in Egypt.
"Mr Albanese should recognise, as our young people do, that climate change is an existential threat that is increasingly inflicting devastation on our communities and wildlife," she wrote.
A selection of letters from readers
The Young & Regional: Our Climate Future series in your newspaper giving voice to young Australians is timely and commendable. Their first stories are positive and hopeful, truly uplifting. The series should be sent to every politician's inbox.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria
This is awesome. I'm so distressed by successive flooding events on our property and it's great to see others' stories from the regions.
Arielle, Warrabah, NSW
We are particularly pleased to see the emphasis being given to young people, regional areas, and positive stories of education and innovation.
These are all essential elements in an ever growing movement of people who are working hard to ensure the future of our world is one of justice, hope, and sustainability.
Alison Weeks, Throsby, ACT
As a baby boomer I am conscious of my generation's contribution to climate change and in particular the rise of plastic in our lives. It is easy to despair about the size of the problem and the impacts that it has had but reading the stories and putting the future into a context that we can now see is manageable is very heartening. It is fantastic to see young people writing about it and telling the story in a way that helps us realise there can be a plan and we should all be better informed to help take it on. The story starts with recognition that we are behind the 8 ball due to past inaction by governments and so it is even more important for all of us to be led by younger people who understand the urgency and can help lay out the actions that we need to take and help define the plan for the future - and to report that there is actually a plan!
Linda Bunclark, Bulli, NSW
