| We cannot blame any single event on global | | | | summit next year. This all sound great but is it? It |
| warming but we can expect to experience an | | | | is only demanding a 5% target moving up to 15%. |
| increase in both the number and severity of | | | | The rest of the world is going for 20% and we |
| extreme weather events. So what have we | | | | really need 40% moving up to 80% reduction by |
| coped with in the first part of 2009? | | | | 2050. |
| - Queensland started the year with a stronger | | | | Australians emit more greenhouse gases per head |
| than usual monsoonal trough which has flooded | | | | than anyone else on the planet The two that |
| more than half the state. Much of it is still flooded. | | | | come near us are USA and Canada. The main |
| Some towns were flooded twice and had just | | | | reason for this high level of emissions is our huge |
| cleaned up when the second flood came. | | | | coal industry which is used for much of our |
| - South Australia and Victoria had record breaking | | | | electricity and is a major export industry. Under |
| heatwaves. Adelaide, where I live, had 2 weeks | | | | the draft legislation, the coal industry will be |
| over the old century and a lot of it was way | | | | compensated for the emission trading scheme but |
| over. I can cope with 35C but 45.6C is definitely | | | | not exempted. Thank heavens for that! It is hard |
| excessive. It was like living in an oven and totally | | | | to see how we can reduce our emissions if there |
| debilitating. It also had two negative effects on | | | | is no incentive to the coal industry to do so. |
| global warming - power consumption went | | | | When it comes to coal there is a wide range of |
| through the roof as people struggled to keep cool | | | | opinion ranging from those who don't believe |
| and air conditioners barely coped and much | | | | there is a problem through to those who |
| worse, many trees that were already suffering | | | | vigorously campaign about coal as the enemy. I |
| from drought and water restrictions gave up and | | | | sit somewhere in the middle. I cannot see how |
| died. Quite a lot of people died too. | | | | closing an industry of that size is in anyway |
| - Then Victoria had the most appalling bushfires | | | | possible without major economic chaos. And the |
| totally destroying towns bushland and thousands | | | | result would be that China would simply burn |
| of animals both domestic and native. | | | | dirtier coal from worse managed mine sites so |
| - Queensland has just been super lucky with | | | | that the total environmental effect would be |
| Cyclone Hamish a category 5, same as hurricane | | | | worse than now. I would like to see the coal |
| Katrina in the USA. Thankfully Hamish skirted | | | | industry compulsorily contributing to a clean coal |
| along the coast and did not come ashore but it | | | | research fund themselves instead of expecting |
| did wreck a trawler with 2 crew still missing and | | | | the Government to fund it. This would free up |
| damage a container ship leaving a large oil spill | | | | more government research funding for soil carbon |
| along a long area of pristine beaches. | | | | research and the support of clean energy |
| - This week Cummins on Eyre Peninsular had a | | | | production. I would like to see our coal sold with |
| tornado. While we do get Willie willies and always | | | | the clean coal technology going along with it to |
| have, they are very seldom tornado size. | | | | help developing countries use it sustainably |
| It has been a lot to cope with in a short time. If | | | | The aim of the ETS should be as an incentive for |
| the predictions are right and heaven knows I | | | | high emitters to reduce their impact and to |
| would love them not to be, we can expect much | | | | encourage clean energy research and |
| more of this. And we can expect more drought. | | | | development so that there is a level playing field |
| At the same time our usually beautiful Murray | | | | instead of coal energy being so much cheaper. |
| River is in serious trouble due to long term | | | | So as Australians we have a problem. We are the |
| drought and over exploitable by irrigators. This is | | | | worst affected continent and the biggest per |
| very much complicated by interstate rivalries | | | | head emissions of greenhouse gases. Our climatic |
| about who "owns" the water but the bottom line | | | | and weather extremes are likely to get worse. |
| is that the lower Murray is shallow mess with | | | | We have an urgent need to ALL start to reducing |
| rapidly increasing acid sulphate soil problems. Who | | | | our carbon footprint both at home and at work. |
| is to blame is not as relevant as the lack of | | | | This includes both pulling major business emitters |
| water. | | | | into line with financial incentives that they can't |
| This plus the global economic crisis and increasing | | | | just be exempted from and also by helping the |
| job losses sets the framework for the emission | | | | small businesses and individual households to |
| trading legislation being introduced this week. The | | | | understand how easy it can be to reduce waste |
| Government wants it to go though fast so that it | | | | and simply turn unnecessary things off. |
| can be bedded down before the Copenhagen | | | | |