Fight for Planet A by Craig Reucassel [6/10]

Gifted comedian and provocateur Craig Reucassel came out swinging in the sustainability/environmental space with his entertaining, spot-on series War on Waste. Now his four-part “Fight for Planet A: Our Climate Challenge” takes on a bigger challenge, the most fraught of them all. Employing his trademark mix of interviews, consumer challenges, politician bail-ups, and voice-over narration, Reucassel quickly drives into the heart of Australia’s shameful inaction on global warming. He sets an eclectic panel of ordinary Aussies the challenge of reducing carbon emissions from the various sectors that count. He chases politicians in Canberra and even on the beach. He employs the “black balloon” device to illustrate the relative dimensions of emissions. By its nature, Fight for Planet A is a polemic for the times, and it doesn’t pretend to be more than an intelligent tilt at the issues, but after an initial episode that seemed timid, the show picks up pace and culminates in a powerful plea for political sanity, community action, and a way forward that lines up with the science. Especially moving is a trip and interview with Charlie Veron, possibly the world’s foremost experts on coral reefs, who now despairs of reef survivals as the sea warms. Perhaps for Australians only, but recommended as a reminder of sanity and a call for action.