Walking thunder down under

Australians recently took to the streets of their native land, showing up en mass in capital cities and country towns to draw attention to the climate crisis.

Held in about 50 places around the country, the Walk Against Warming rallies targeted political parties, urging them to take action in the war on global warming. According to Reuters, the Nature Conservation Council estimated 150,000 people participated in the rallies. In Melbourne alone, a crowd of 20,000 to 30,000 reportedly gathered.

Among the chief complaints of the protesters is the failure of political leaders to commit to stringent cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions. Australia, like the United States, refuses to adopt the targets outlined by the Kyoto Protocol.