You may have noticed a few more instances of climate change emerging. This week, we chat to Tom Webster, one of the litigants in a world-first case - Sharma v Environment Minister.

Then we’re joined by Dr Faith Gordon, who shares her expertise on the importance of climate litigation and what some of the recent developments mean for us.

Find us on Instagram @silentmajoritypod

Explore more here:

https://home.crin.org/readlistenwatch/stories/recent-developments-on-childrens-rights-and-climate-litigationhttps://issuu.com/unswlawsociety/docs/court_of_conscience_-_issue_18_2024/60

In this episode, part 2 of our two-part series on anti-protest laws, we are joined by Hannah Thomas, a lawyer, activist and writer, who was punched in the face by a police officer at a Palestine protest she attended.

Thomas talks to us about her experience and recovery, the importance of protest and the impact of anti-protest laws.

Resources:

Human Rights Law Centre - ⁠The Protest in Peril report ⁠

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/10/uk-police-arrested-522-people-at-palestine-action-protests-in-london

In this episode, we are discussing the rise of anti-protest laws from the suppression of Palestine protests in the UK to Australia's own increasing arrests at climate protests.

We are joined by Rob Watts, Professor of Social Policy at RMIT University, who has expertise in protest rights, and Violet CoCo, a frontline activist and organiser who works across the movement, specialising in direct action for peace, justice, and a liveable planet.

Resources:

Human Rights Law Centre - The Protest in Peril report

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/10/uk-police-arrested-522-people-at-palestine-action-protests-in-london

In this episode, we discuss the nuances of the polycrisis where we see the intersection between climate change and housing, student debt and several other issues disproportionately affecting young people.

We are joined by Judith Bessant, Distinguished Professor in Social Policy at RMIT University, talks us through the intersection of issues affecting young people and what meaningful policy looks like.

Hannah Vardy, Duty of Care Campaigner and Senator David Pocock’s Senate running mate in the 2025 election, talks about her experience using campaigns and institutional politics to make change.

Shownotes

Duty of care campaign: https://www.dutyofcare.org.au/

https://adutyofcare.davidpocock.com.au/

Young people and the polycrisis

Australia just elected it's youngest ever Senator...

In this episode, we are joined by Nina Gbor, the founder of Eco Styles and Director of the Circular Economy and Waste Program at The Australia Institute.

Gbor is a sustainable fashion educator, international speaker, researcher, clothes swap maven and eco stylist.

We talk about Meg O'Neil's comments about young people's carbon footprint and the role of the fashion industry and government policy in shaping what sustainability is.

Links

Learn more about EcoStyles

The Australia Institute

The Australia Institute petition - https://australiainstitute.org.au/initiatives/type/petitions/

https://missingperspectives.com/posts/climate-crisis-young-people/

https://x.com/market_forces/status/1927542149739917427

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLnCmIXMi1B/?igsh=cnY4bmoxNWl3MzNh

https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/reject_north_west_shelfhttps://shirtloadsofscience.libsyn.com/rethinking-laundry-for-the-planet-with-dr-holly-kaye-smith-430https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/s1537-46612023004/full/html

Last week, the long awaited North West Shelf project received approval. Why did this happen? Where to from here?

We are joined by Rob Watts a Professor in Social Policy and Marle Baquiran, the co-founder of Climate Writers.

Resources:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/woodside-gas-approved-north-west-shelf-2070-watt/105347520https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/01/north-west-shelf-gas-extension-australia-lng-woodside-project-little-rent-tax

https://www.climatewriters.community/

https://www.instagram.com/climatewriters/?hl=en

How to write to an MP

https://climatewriters.notion.site/How-to-write-to-an-MP-on-climate-change-a9097181bc784bc28bc532d60de62e99

 Watts, R., Bessant, J., Catanzaro, M., Collin, P., Jackson, S., (2024) The Political in the Anthropocene: Reflections on a Ministerial Veto, 2021. Australian Journal of Environmental Education. 2024:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2023.37.

This is a specific climate writers event: ⁠https://lu.ma/23b1hqd8?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadeNxHJYROQQgdJnWz0nNZ7xCzS4K_EsM0DI0N5h9Xbp8Rwu4AdmeQD2QoQXw_aem_Hyu_EaXmoSdIRkfX6BZ6tw

In this episode we discuss the election outcome, the role young people played in and canvas some of the big issues which young people need this Parliament to tackle. We also reflect on where the election result leaves young people and climate change and how they might be addressed in the new Parliament. 

We are joined by Jane Body from Think Forward who helps us understand how the lens of intergenerational equity can help open up new and exciting possibilities for tackling the big issues - for young people and the wider electorate. 

Resources:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WZR-oAea2RoYYeZDUo19NidyWnWk18jz/view

https://www.thinkforward.org.au/taxwealthnotwork

https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal-election-2025https://theconversation.com/australia-has-elected-its-youngest-senator-with-gen-z-wielding-more-political-power-is-it-a-sign-of-things-to-come-257711

https://www.thinkforward.org.au/think-forward-fya/posts/2025-election-scorecard

https://www.thinkforward.org.au/taxwealthnotwork

https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2025/results?sortBy=latest&filter=all&selectedRegion=all&selectedParty=all&partyWonBy=all&partyHeldBy=all

Centre for development policy

https://cpd.org.au/work/budgeting-for-natural-disasters/

We are two sleeps away from the election, and the big words "preferential voting", "hung parliament" are at play! What do they mean? How do I know the best candidate for me?

Well, we're here to walk you through it!

Varsha chats to Michelle Catanzaro, a Senior Research Fellow at the Young and Resilient Strategic Research Centre at Western Sydney University

They both chat to Tegan Lerm from Build a Ballot, an election tool designed to help you sort out your how to vote for election day!

Find us on Instagram

 Resources

Essential report⁠

https://www.buildaballot.org.au/

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/young-and-resilient

https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/

 Email your queries and thoughts to

[email protected]

The Cost of living is the biggest election issue. Amongst the talk about people struggling to pay their bills or put food on the table, we’re also grappling with climate change. 

The 2025 Federal Election is weeks away and this time we want to talk about how your vote can make a difference and how a vote for the climate is a vote for all the issues you care about. We sit down for a chat with Grace Vegasana, the director of the youth climate justice org, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and Phillips Collin, Professor at Western Sydney University and the co-director of the Young and Resilient Research Centre Professor to talk about exactly how climate change intersects with the issues we’re concerned about. 

Hosted by Varsha Yajman

Polling data referred to by Grace Vegasana https://www.solutionsforaustralia.net/news/young-voters-demand-policies-that-tackle-cost-of-living-crisis-and-climate-together

Learn about the Australian Youth Climate Coalition at https://www.aycc.org.au/ 

What matters to young people? Read about the insights from a longitudinal study:  https://westernsydney.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/2062126/What_Matters_to_Young_Australians_Through_Turbulent_Times_.pdf 

Read more about the role of youth climate activism and advocacy in shaping democracy: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/young-and-resilient/projects/current_projects/New_Possibilities_Young_People_and_Democratic_Renewa