The IPCC recently released its fifth assessment report on the scientific basis of climate change.
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The report said “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia...” The IPCC report also said “It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.”
The Federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt , said on September 28 that the government accepts the IPCC findings.
Mr Hunt said that there were a range of scenarios for temperature rise in the 20th century. What he did not say was that whether the temperature rise is closer to one degree or six degrees depends largely on what the world does to cut greenhouse emissions. If the world continues its inadequate response then the average temperature rise will be over four degrees for Australia.
Statistically, a small increase in average temperature causes a large increase in the number of unusually hot days. In Western Sydney and the lower Blue Mountains a four degree increase means approximately 30 days extra in summer with maximum temperatures above 35 degrees. The OECD, World Bank and IMF have stressed the need for carbon pricing to address climate change. With carbon pricing, the private sector decides the most efficient changes to make and finances them. Our government is planning to ignore this advice and focus only on taxpayer or debt - financed government organised “direct action”. They have abandoned their commitment to achieve a five per cent emissions reduction by 2020 and have grossly underfunded the “direct action” needed to achieve even this inadequate reduction - allocating an average of only $500 million per annum to direct action for the first three years. This is less than 10 per cent of the $6 billion we spend per annum on overseas air travel. Australia has its priorities wrong.
During the last election campaign, the Liberal party and the media persuaded people that climate change was not a serious problem for Australia. We cannot afford to continue with this national self-deception.
Rowan Huxtable is a member of Illawarra Sunrise Rotary club, co-founder of Wollongong Climate Action Network and is on the Wollongong City Council environment reference group.
