12 Climate Actions To Make An Impact

Climate Council

The devastating losses our nation has endured throughout the catastrophic bushfire season in Australia,  have helped illustrate the scale, speed and intensity of the climate crisis.


But if anything, this has only galvanised public support for action on climate change.
Even the Federal Government is starting to feel the heat, and is showing possible signs of movement – Scott Morrison even said the words ‘climate action now’.
But we need to make sure his words are matched with real action.
So how do we do that? What are the next steps? And how can you help us transform this social tipping point into real policies and tangible change?
We’re glad you asked.
Here’s how you can use your time, money and resources to effectively fight for climate action in Australia.

STEP 1 – Grow awareness of the urgency of the problem and educate people on the solutions  
One of the major roadblocks to climate action in Australia is that people still don’t connect the issue to their daily lives. Most Australians are genuinely concerned about climate change, but too many see it as a future or faraway threat – only affecting polar bears and low-lying islands in the Pacific.
So the first step in combating the climate change problem is to help people understand it. We need to grow awareness of what climate change is, why it’s happening, and how it affects us – personally, as well as it’s larger impacts on society, the economy and our environment.
And critically, we need to educate people on how we can fix it.
You see, stating that climate change will cause catastrophic extreme weather or mass extinction often scares people into ignoring the problem, and has the opposite effect on motivating people to act. Understanding the urgency of the problem is important, but we also need to communicate the path forward. We need people to know that, as scary and daunting as climate change seems, it is solvable.
And to do that, we need to work together.

What can I do?

• Share our content –   The Climate Council creates blockbuster research reports, web articles, fact sheets, videos and social media content for exactly this purpose – getting accurate, scientific information to as many people as possible. We decode and decipher key facts and figures, explode myths and aim to ensure anyone and everyone can make informed decisions when it comes to climate change. Click here to find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

• Have conversations – In addition to sharing content and resources digitally, one of the best ways to raise awareness and educate others, is by having face-to-face conversations. Talking to people let’s you find common ground and understand where their perspective might stem from. And ideally, they’ll begin to understand why you think the way you do too. Check out our range of conversation guides here to help you spread the word.

• Join, or invite people to join our mailing list – The Climate Council regularly updates our community on the amazing solutions that local communities, businesses, and local and state/territory governments are up to. Like the fact that Australia *technically* has a net zero emissions reduction target (because all the States and Territories do!) or that through the Cities Power Partnership program, more than 120 local councils across Australia are implementing solutions like large-scale renewable energy projects. Join now!

Why does this help?
Every conversation, real or virtual, that you have about climate change and climate science is strengthening our movement – because it brings diverse ideas, opinions and perspectives on board. We must create a chorus of different communities, united in asking for urgent action.
Through a platform like Facebook, the Climate Council can communicate climate change information, solutions and the need for action, to several million people a month – people we would otherwise be unable to reach.
This is critical, because some people haven’t seen much information on climate change before, or very rarely talk about it. If people don’t know enough about the issue, they can often feel locked out of the conversation, or be confused by false or misleading information.
Through our regular email updates, we empower you with the facts and connect you with the resources to help you communicate the science in your day-to-day life.
We often mobilise our community to share ideas and solutions, and regularly ask for your help with spreading our fact-checking guides and myth-busting articles. This is critical when it comes to pushing back against misinformation.
So whether it’s in the pub, supermarket, classroom, newsfeed or overcrowded train,  keep sharing and talking about the science!
Let’s educate people on the solutions, and the urgency with which we need to act and build a stronger, more powerful and united consensus around the push for climate action in Australia.
Why not invite 5 of your friends to follow our social media or sign up to our mailing list today?
Just remember, it’s not about telling people that they are wrong. It’s about growing awareness, and making climate science accessible to everyone.

STEP 2 – Make sustainable choices in your personal lives about things like diet, transport and money.
Below are some simple swaps you can start implementing today to help reduce your own carbon footprint.

• Divest your super – Have you checked whether or not your super contributions are actively funding the fossil fuel industry? What about your bank? Click here to check! Some financial institutions essentially use your money to bankroll fossil fuel projects, but some are making a conscious effort to avoid them. You have power over where your money goes, and can choose to put it into ethical banks and super funds that will take your dollars out of the fossil fuel industry and invest them in renewable energy projects instead. Super!

• Travel sustainably – Travelling uses energy and that energy has to come from somewhere, but transport produces around 19% of our annual national greenhouse gas emissions, (the equal-second-largest source of greenhouse gas pollution after electricity – in year to June 2019). By making smart travel choices where you can (like using public transport, walking, cycling or carpooling), or switching to an electric vehicle, you can significantly reduce the amount of energy you use to get around.

• Eat less meat, shop locally, reduce waste – Did you know that if the greenhouse gases emitted from livestock were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter? Everyone has different dietary and cultural needs and we recognise that a plant-based diet isn’t for everyone. But even small actions can have a big impact, like incorporating just a bit more plant-based foods and less meat into your diet, or shopping locally to reduce food transport emissions.

• Invest in solar panels – The biggest solution to the climate crisis is to meet our energy needs with renewable energy. You can contribute to this by either purchasing accredited green-power, or by investing in solar panels on your roof. Already, 2 million Australian households are powered by the sun, and this number is expected to continue going up. Not only do solar panels slash your carbon footprint, they’ll also slash your electricity bill – with some houses generating more energy than they consume. It’s a win-win.

What difference can one person make? 
You’re more powerful than you think. Your voice, and the opinions you share, can carry real influence.
Greta Thunberg  is the perfect example of the power of one. She started striking alone on the steps of the Swedish Parliament, and in less than 12 months, up to 7 million people took to the streets in more than 150 countries, as part of the global climate strike movement.

While the individual choices you make daily add up to make a big difference, we also desperately need strong, national climate policy reform. But you can help influence this.

STEP 3 – exert political and social pressure everywhere you can. 

• Email your MP – We’ve got the solutions we need to address climate change. But in many areas, the political will is missing. Contacting your local, state and federal representatives about the importance of climate action is one of the best ways to force their hand. After all, we voted them in, and they have a duty to represent their constituents, so make sure your voice is heard. 

• Vote – We know sometimes it’s hard to see through the political spin, and that there are lots of other factors that can determine how you vote. But more than ever, we need strong political leadership, with the guts and determination to make the policy changes required. Under the Federal Coalition Government, Australia’s action on climate change has gone backwards, and wIthin its ranks, climate deniers still hold power. The next time you get a chance, exercise your democratic right with the climate and future generations in mind.

• Attend rallies and marches – We need to harness our collective power and show our leaders in Government that there is a strong consensus for climate action. The more people who attend, the stronger the message – inaction is not an option.

How does emailing a politician or voting achieve climate action?
Our MPs are there to listen to the views of the public, understand your perspective, and represent you in Parliament. As one of their constituents, your opinion holds a lot of weight, because based on your vote, they could win or lose elections. The more people who contact their local MP on a given topic (e.g. climate change), the more likely they are to raise this matter in the Parliament and their party room.
Politicians also respond to public pressure, so getting involved with your local climate action group is a great way to use your voice and make sure your opinions are heard.
Use this tool to send our pre-written email to your local Federal MP right now, or click here to download our Climate Action Toolkit for more tips on writing your own letter to your MP.
 
STEP 4 – Help us unite your efforts and scale them up to a national level. We need our community alongside us.
Tackling the climate crisis requires leadership, strong advocacy and strategic intervention. The Climate Council is Australia’s leading climate change communications organisation. Raising awareness, educating the public, exerting political pressure – we achieve this day in, day out, but on a national scale.
We’ve been working to foster a political, economic and cultural shift in the way Australia views and acts on climate change, but there’s so much more to do.

• Become a regular giver to the Climate Council – Through our team of researchers and climate scientists, media experts and communications specialists – we keep the public informed and our governments under pressure. We had a big impact connecting climate change and the bushfire crisis, through the work of Greg Mullins and the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action.
  But our work is powered by our community, and less time fundraising means more time putting climate change at the top of the national conversation.
  With your regular support, we can:

• Empower key groups and voices, like the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, to lead, act and advocate for the urgent emissions reductions.

• Support replicable solutions that can be scaled up quickly to demonstrate that a clean, renewable-powered future is not only possible, but already underway.
  

• Shape the national conversation and ensure more evidence-based information in the media.

• Fact check myths and misleading information.

• Communicate accurate information to the public and make climate science accessible to everyone.

• Fundraise for us. If you can’t make a financial contribution on your own, why not try and crowdsource a donation from your friends and family? You can host bake sales, compete in fun runs or marathons, or set yourself a unique challenge (one person cycled across Australia!) to fundraise on behalf of the Climate Council. By getting involved, you can help us raise both money and awareness about climate change impacts and solutions amongst your friends, family and colleagues – as well as inspire them to get involved themselves! We’ve put together a range of resources to get you started, including a Fundraising Toolkit, and a Social Media Pack.

Tackling the climate crisis requires leadership, strong advocacy and strategic intervention. The Climate Council is Australia’s leading climate change communications organisation. Raising awareness, educating the public, exerting political pressure – we achieve this day in, day out, but on a national scale.
We’ve been working to foster a political, economic and cultural shift in the way Australia views and acts on climate change, but there’s so much more to do.
But our work is powered by our community, and less time fundraising means more time putting climate change at the top of the national conversation.

Links

• 10 Things You Can Do About Climate Change, According To The Shepherds Of The Paris Agreement
• The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis
• The 2020s are the most important decade humanity has ever faced
• Former UN Climate Chief Calls For Civil Disobedience
• Why art has a part to play in tackling climate change
• 2040: Hope And Action In The Climate Crisis
• Early lessons emerge from bushfires as disaster review season begins
• The outlook for humans is dire without urgent action: 81 laureates' letter to Australia
• 'Dire outlook': Researchers call for urgent Australian climate action
• Quiet Australians Decide It Is Time To Speak Up On Climate Change Action
• Emergency Leaders for Climate Action

10 Things You Can Do About Climate Change, According To The Shepherds Of The Paris Agreement

Forbes - Jeff McMahon

Former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres at the U.N Climate Conference in Le Bourget, outside Paris, France in 2015. AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani

Christiana Figueres once credited the Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh with helping her shepherd 192 countries from blaming to collaborating, from paralysis to empowerment in the Paris Agreement.
Now Figueres and her strategic advisor, former Buddhist monk Tom Rivett-Carnac, have penned a book that shepherds climate activism from changing mental states to changing the world.
“Throughout our lives we have found that what we do and how we do it is largely determined by how we think,” Figueres told me via email. “While there is never a guarantee of success at any challenge, the chances of success are predicated on our attitude toward that very challenge....
“It is a lesson we learned as we prepared the Paris Agreement, and is a valuable guide for the urgent challenge we are facing this decade."
In “The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis,” published today by Alfred A. Knopf, the authors recommend a mindset for climate activism that rests on three attitudes: radical optimism, endless abundance and radical regeneration.

Radical optimism echoes an organization the authors formed, Global Optimism, to combat pessimism and denialism. Endless abundance is the sense that there are resources enough for all, to combat competitiveness and tribalism. Radical regeneration means caring for both nature and oneself, to combat exploitation and burnout.
Then the authors get to action.
“We have discussed the mindset everyone needs to cultivate in order to meet the global challenge of the climate crisis, but on its own, this is not enough,” they write. “For change to become transformational, our change in mindset must manifest in our actions.”
Many of the recommended actions also occur in the mind, at least initially, constituting a transformation in priorities. In a chapter titled “Doing What Is Necessary,” Figueres and Rivett-Carnac propose these ten actions:

1 Let Go Of The Old World
First, the authors propose that we honor the past—for example, it’s okay to acknowledge that fossil fuels have improved quality of life, for some—and then let the past go. Let the change come that is necessary to transform the world. That means not only pragmatic change like allowing offshore wind development but, they say, psychological change like resisting the urge to engage in tribalism and the illusion of certainty.

2 Face Your Grief...
but hold a vision of the future. The world under climate change will not resemble the world many us knew in our youth. “We cannot hide from the grief that flows from the loss of biodiversity and the impoverished lives of future generations,” the authors write. They advise readers to face this grief, rather than turn away from it—an approach that borrows from their Buddhist influences—and then to embrace an optimist vision of the future. “A compelling vision is like a hook in the future. It connects you to the pockets of possibility that are emerging and helps you pull them into the present.”

3 Defend The Truth
Here the authors defend objective science and warn readers not to give in to pseudoscience. But they also urge readers not to vilify those who embrace denialism. “If you reach them, it will be because you sincerely listened to them and strove to understand their concerns. By giving care, love, and attention to every individual, we can counter the forces pulling us apart.”

4 See Yourself As A Citizen...
not as a consumer. Here the authors depart from the usual approach of urging people to stop buying stuff. Instead, they focus on the psychology behind consumption. “Much of what we buy,” they say, “is designed to enhance our sense of identity.” Instead, they say, envision a good life that does not depend on material goods.

5 Move Beyond Fossil Fuels
As pragmatic as this action sounds, the authors depict fossil-fuel reliance as an attachment—an attachment to the past. “Only when this mindset is challenged can we migrate our thinking, finances, and infrastructure to the new energies.”

6 Reforest The Earth
Here the authors urge the most pragmatic actions: plant trees, let natural areas go wild, eat less meat and dairy, boycott products that contribute to deforestation. They mention palm oil in an example but not pork, beef or chicken—major products that drive deforestation. Instead they stay positive, emphasizing the benefits of a plant-based diet. “The future we must choose will require us to pay more attention to our bond with nature.”

7 Invest In A Clean Economy
Here the authors mean much more than putting money into wind and solar. They mean moving beyond a model of economic growth that rewards extraction and pollution, toward “a clean economy that operates in harmony with nature, repurposes used resources as much as possible, minimizes waste, and actively replenishes depleted resources.”

8 Use Technology Responsibly
Artificial intelligence has the potential to solve problems that have so far remained intractable, the authors argue, such as any attempt to shift from an extractive economy to a circular one. But that will happen only—they say—if AI is used responsibly. “If we make it through the climate crisis and arrive on the other side with humanity and the planet intact, it will be largely because we have learned to live well with technology.”

9 Build Gender Equality
When women lead, good things happen, the authors say, citing a wealth of studies. “Women often have a leadership style that makes them more open and sensitive to a wide range of views, and they are better at working collaboratively, with a longer-term perspective. These traits are essential to responding to the climate crisis.”

10 Engage In Politics
The authors are not just talking about voting. Mentioning Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela, Figuera and Rivett-Carnac urge civil disobedience.
“Civil disobedience is not only a moral choice, it is also the most powerful way of shaping world politics.”

Former UN Climate Chief Calls For Civil Disobedience 

Tom Rivett-Carnac and Christiana Figueres. Photo by Henry Dallal

Links

• The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis
• The 2020s are the most important decade humanity has ever faced
• 12 Climate Actions To Make An Impact
• Former UN Climate Chief Calls For Civil Disobedience
• Why art has a part to play in tackling climate change
• 2040: Hope And Action In The Climate Crisis
• Early lessons emerge from bushfires as disaster review season begins
• The outlook for humans is dire without urgent action: 81 laureates' letter to Australia
• 'Dire outlook': Researchers call for urgent Australian climate action
• Quiet Australians Decide It Is Time To Speak Up On Climate Change Action
• Emergency Leaders for Climate Action

Revealed: Quarter Of All Tweets About Climate Crisis Produced By Bots

The Guardian - Oliver Milman

Draft of Brown study says findings suggest ‘substantial impact of mechanized bots in amplifying denialist messages’

The researchers examined 6.5m tweets posted in the days leading up to and the month after Trump announced the US exit from the Paris accords on 1 June 2017. Photograph: Oliver Berg/AFP/Getty Images

The social media conversation over the climate crisis is being reshaped by an army of automated Twitter bots, with a new analysis finding that a quarter of all tweets about climate on an average day are produced by bots, the Guardian can reveal.

The stunning levels of Twitter bot activity on topics related to global heating and the climate crisis is distorting the online discourse to include far more climate science denialism than it would otherwise.
An analysis of millions of tweets from around the period when Donald Trump announced the US would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement found that bots tended to applaud the president for his actions and spread misinformation about the science.

The study of Twitter bots and climate was undertaken by Brown University and has yet to be published. Bots are a type of software that can be directed to autonomously tweet, retweet, like or direct message on Twitter, under the guise of a human-fronted account.
“These findings suggest a substantial impact of mechanized bots in amplifying denialist messages about climate change, including support for Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement,” states the draft study, seen by the Guardian.
On an average day during the period studied, 25% of all tweets about the climate crisis came from bots. This proportion was higher in certain topics – bots were responsible for 38% of tweets about “fake science” and 28% of all tweets about the petroleum giant Exxon.
Conversely, tweets that could be categorized as online activism to support action on the climate crisis featured very few bots, at about 5% prevalence. The findings “suggest that bots are not just prevalent, but disproportionately so in topics that were supportive of Trump’s announcement or skeptical of climate science and action”, the analysis states.
Thomas Marlow, a PhD candidate at Brown who led the study, said the research came about as he and his colleagues are “always kind of wondering why there’s persistent levels of denial about something that the science is more or less settled on”.
The researchers examined 6.5m tweets posted in the days leading up to and the month after Trump announced the US exit from the Paris accords on 1 June 2017. The tweets were sorted into topic category, with an Indiana University tool called Botometer used to estimate the probability the user behind the tweet is a bot.

In terms of influence, I personally am convinced that they do make a difference, although this can be hard to quantifyStephen Lewandowsky

Marlow said he was surprised that bots were responsible for a quarter of climate tweets on an average day. “I was like, ‘Wow that seems really high,’” he said.
The consistent drumbeat of bot activity around climate topics is highlighted by the day of Trump’s announcement, when a huge spike in general interest in the topic saw the bot proportion drop by about half to 13%. Tweets by suspected bots did increase from hundreds a day to more than 25,000 a day during the days around the announcement but it wasn’t enough to prevent a fall in proportional share.
Trump has consistently spread misinformation about the climate crisis, most famously calling it “bullshit” and a “hoax”, although more recently the US president has said he accepts the science that the world is heating up. Nevertheless, his administration has dismantled any major policy aimed at cutting planet-warming gases, including car emissions standards and restrictions on coal-fired power plants.
The Brown University study wasn’t able to identify any individuals or groups behind the battalion of Twitter bots, nor ascertain the level of influence they have had around the often fraught climate debate.
However, a number of suspected bots that have consistently disparaged climate science and activists have large numbers of followers on Twitter. One that ranks highly on the Botometer score, @sh_irredeemable, wrote “Get lost Greta!” in December, in reference to the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
This was followed by a tweet that doubted the world will reach a 9-billion population due to “#climatechange lunacy stopping progress”. The account has nearly 16,000 followers.
Another suspected bot, @petefrt, has nearly 52,000 followers and has repeatedly rejected climate science. “Get real, CNN: ‘Climate Change’ dogma is religion, not science,” the account posted in August. Another tweet from November called for the Paris agreement to be ditched in order to “reject a future built by globalists and European eco-mandarins”.
Twitter accounts spreading falsehoods about the climate crisis are also able to use the promoted tweets option available to those willing to pay for extra visibility. Twitter bans a number of things from its promoted tweets, including political content and tobacco advertising, but allows any sort of content, true or otherwise, on the climate crisis.
Research on internet blogs published last year found that climate misinformation is often spread due to readers’ perception of how widely this opinion is shared by other readers.
Stephan Lewandowsky, an academic at the University of Bristol who co-authored the research, said he was “not at all surprised” at the Brown University study due to his own interactions with climate-related messages on Twitter.
“More often than not, they turn out to have all the fingerprints of bots,” he said. “The more denialist trolls are out there, the more likely people will think that there is a diversity of opinion and hence will weaken their support for climate science.
“In terms of influence, I personally am convinced that they do make a difference, although this can be hard to quantify.”
John Cook, an Australian cognitive scientist and co-author with Lewandowsky, said that bots are “dangerous and potentially influential”, with evidence showing that when people are exposed to facts and misinformation they are often left misled.
“This is one of the most insidious and dangerous elements of misinformation spread by bots – not just that misinformation is convincing to people but that just the mere existence of misinformation in social networks can cause people to trust accurate information less or disengage from the facts,” Cook said.
Although Twitter bots didn’t ramp up significantly around the Paris withdrawal announcement, some advocates of action to tackle the climate crisis are wary of a spike in activity around the US presidential election later this year.
“Even though we don’t know who they are, or their exact motives, it seems self-evident that Trump thrives on the positive reinforcement he receives from these bots and their makers,” said Ed Maibach, an expert in climate communication at George Mason University.
“It is terrifying to ponder the possibility that the Potus was cajoled by bots into committing an atrocity against humanity.”

Links

• 25 Percent of the Twitter Tweets about Climate Change Are Posted by Bots
• Using Twitter Volume as Scientific Measure of “Climate Change” Is a Very, Very, Bad Idea
• 'Currently chilling': Greta Thunberg ridicules Trump's angry tweets
• Revealed: Google made large contributions to climate change deniers
• UN secretary general hails 'turning point' in climate crisis fight
• Hundreds of young people join Greta Thunberg in climate protest outside UN
• Experts warn about security after Donald Trump's Twitter account briefly deleted
• Rose McGowan suspended from Twitter after Ben Affleck tweets
• Planet has just 5% chance of reaching Paris climate goal, study says
• Ivanka from Brighton's message for Trump: 'Please pay attention to climate change'

(AU) 'Extraordinary' Fires Burnt At Historical Size, Beyond Climate Projections

Sydney Morning Herald - Peter Hannam

Australia's bushfires were not only "extraordinary" in scale but also exposed deficiencies in the climate models that are struggling to identify changes in rainfall and fire weather trends.
In a series of papers in Nature Climate Change published on Tuesday, scientists found the size of fires in NSW and Victoria were larger than any recorded since European settlement in Australia.

This season's bushfires were not only unprecedented in their size, they were also not well captured by climate models, scientists said. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

They were also far bigger than similar forest fires elsewhere globally in at least the past two decades.
"In terms of the mid-latitude forests, this was a phenomenal event," said Ross Bradstock, head of the University of Wollongong's Centre of Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, and an author of one of the papers.
Two fires - the Gospers Mountain and Currowan fires - each burnt more than half a million hectares, a "quite extraordinary" outcome for blazes caused by a single ignition point, Professor Bradstock said.
The paper estimated that 21 per cent of Australia's so-called temperate broadleaf and mixed forests had been burnt. That proportion was most likely an under-estimation because the tally only counted losses to the end of January and excluded those in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.
By contrast, average annual burnt areas for other continental forests were "well below 5 per cent" over the past 20 years. Taking Asian and African tropical and sub-tropical dry broadleaf forests alone, median annual losses were 8-9 per cent and the largest event about 13 per cent - well short of Australia's big event.
However, identifying the link between climate change and Australia's fires remains complicated, other papers showed.
Andrew King, a climate researcher at Melbourne University and lead author of one of the reports, said the dry conditions that preceded the fires were unusual and not well captured by climate models.
His team found the unusually long period since the last wet year was "the primary reason for the long-lasting dry conditions".

The Prime Minister has announced a royal commission into the bushfires in a bid to improve government response at all levels.

The 3½-year absence of rain-favouring La Nina events in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean equivalent - the negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole - was crucial for the dry set-up going into this season.
"Climate models have issues just simulating what's going on in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean to a slightly less degree," Dr King told the Herald. "How much can we trust them? We can't say much with any strong conviction."
While the science was clear that a warming world is ramping up temperatures almost everywhere - including in the region hard-hit by this season's blazes - it is less settled about how rainfall patterns have changed and what's to come.
"We don't currently have the capacity to make robust statements about what will happen in the future," Dr King said.
That knowledge gap could leave Australia under-prepared should drought become worse in the future, he said, adding, "It's holding us back in terms of adaptation."
A third paper, led by Benjamin Sanderson from France's CERFACS institute, argued climate models were failing to keep pace with improved fire models that were better at capturing "the evolution of fire risk".
"For NSW (the Australian state in which the fire extent is the most unprecedented), the scale of the fires is unmatched" in the latest generation of climate models, Dr Sanderson's paper said.
For instance, the sixth generation of so-called Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) only simulated similar fire extents at 4 degrees of warming, the paper found. (Warming since pre-industrial times is slightly more than 1 degree.)
"The fact that Australia has experienced damages that go beyond what is currently simulated highlights that current syntheses may be missing major risks," it said.

Links

• Transformative change requires resisting a new normal
• Unprecedented burn area of Australian mega forest fires
• A fiery wake-up call for climate science
• Knitting while Australia burns
• Early lessons emerge from bushfires as disaster review season begins
• 'Best job on the planet': Wildlife carers go from rescue to recovery
• The anti-Greta: US conservative think tank takes on the global phenomenon
• Antarctic heatwave melted 20 per cent of an island's snow cover in days
• 'Extraordinary' fires burnt at historical size, beyond climate projections
• Coalition must follow Albanese on target of net zero by 2050

(AU) Government Urged To Set 'More Aggressive And Ambitious' Climate Goals

Sydney Morning Herald - Mike Foley

The Morrison government has been urged to up its climate goals to protect the country's international reputation and for global humanitarian reasons.
Kylie Porter, the executive director of United Nations affiliate Global Compact Network Australia, said the federal government must set "more aggressive and ambitious" climate targets before the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November.

Save the Children chief executive Paul Ronalds, who returned from Bangladesh this week, said "thousands and thousands" of climate refugees were pouring into the capital, Dhaka. Credit: AP

"If we don't come up with some pretty strong policy before the next international climate change conference ... it's highly likely that Australia's reputation will get worse," Ms Porter said.
Australia drew international criticism at last year's UN climate talks when it avoided tougher emissions reduction targets by banding together with a small group of nations to oppose a measure that would have stopped it using controversial "carry-over credits" to meet its climate goals.
Global Compact Network Australia is an arm of the UN Global Compact for sustainable development, with more than 12,000 corporate signatories including a number of leading Australian companies such as BHP, ANZ, Coles and Australia Post. It is calling for a commitment to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, which would be tougher than the Paris target, which requires signatory countries to aim for between 1.5 and 2 degrees.
"We think it's very important that business in particular start taking a position on their climate change strategy and consider their responsibility to respect human rights," Ms Porter said.


The RBA is warning climate change could lead to the next global financial break down.

Save the Children chief executive Paul Ronalds, who returned from Bangladesh this week, said the "thousands and thousands" of climate refugees pouring into the capital, Dhaka, was an example of the upcoming disruption likely across the Asia-Pacific region.
"The humanitarian impact of climate change will be huge but they'll be particularly significant in our region," Mr Ronalds said.
Australia was in the middle of "the most disaster-prone region in the world", surrounded by many Pacific and Asian countries that were susceptible to rising sea levels and extreme weather, he said. This meant we could expect to see "many, many millions more climate refugees and Australia is going to be increasingly attractive for them".
There was "no question" climate change was driving refugees off the land among the Bangladeshi parliamentarians he spoke with, Mr Ronalds said. "They make the comparison with Australia to say 'just like Australia, our two countries are on the frontline of climate change'," he said.
Australian contributed $200 million to the Green Climate Fund between 2015 and 2018, which was set up by the UN to help developing nations and small island states cope with the impacts of climate change. The Morrison government ceased funding in December with a final payment of $19.2 million, sparking criticism from developing nations.
Australia is also facing climate headaches on the diplomatic front.
Last week, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, speaking to the World Economic Forum, proposed a "carbon border adjustment mechanism", which would protect European businesses from goods produced in countries without a carbon price.
Europe is Australia's second-biggest trading partner and the scheme would impose import tariffs on Australian steel, cement, aluminium and potentially coal. In December, France proposed tying a free-trade deal to Australia adopting climate change targets.

Links

• Science Minister says climate denial a waste of time in wake of fires
• (AU) Australia Says Climate Change Targets Can’t Risk Economy, Jobs
• (AU) Australia Will Take New Emissions Reduction Target To Glasgow Climate Summit
• 'Good' Climate Policy Can No Longer Be Our Goal. It's Time To Reach For Perfect
• (AU) Getting Down To The Business Of Evolving Australia's Climate Policy
• (AU) Climate Change Is A Serious Threat To National Security
• (AU) Behind The Smokescreen, The Coalition's Stance On Climate Change Hasn't Changed At All

A Security Threat Assessment Of Global Climate Change: How Likely Warming Scenarios Indicate a Catastrophic Security Future

Center for Climate & Security

Report This report was produced by the National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel of the Center for Climate and Security, a non-partisan security policy institute of the Council on Strategic Risks. Its team and Advisory Board comprises military, national security, intelligence and foreign policy experts who have spent their careers assessing U.S. national and global security risks.  Key findings A near-term scenario of climate change, in which the world warms 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F over pre-industrial levels by mid-century, would pose ‘High’ to ‘Very High’ security threats. A medium-to-long term scenario in which the world warms as high as 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2°F would pose a ‘Very High’ to ‘Catastrophic’ threat to global and national security. The world has already warmed to slightly below 1°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures. At all levels of warming (1-4+°C/1.8-7.2+°F), climate change will pose significant and evolving threats to global security environments, infrastructure, and institutions. While at lower warming thresholds, the most fragile parts of the world are the most at risk, all regions of the world will face serious implications. High warming scenarios could bring about catastrophic security impacts across the globe. These threats could come about rapidly, destabilizing the regions and relationships on which U.S. and international security depend. Climate change will present significant threats to U.S. military missions across all of its geographic areas of responsibility (AORs), as well as to regional security institutions and infrastructure that are critical for maintaining global security. Key recommendations Mitigating these risks requires quickly reducing and phasing out global greenhouse gas emissions. We call for the world to achieve net-zero global emissions as soon as possible in a manner that is ambitious, safe, equitable, and well-governed, in order to avoid severe and catastrophic security futures. The world must also “climate-proof” environments, infrastructure, institutions, and systems on which human security depends, and so we call for rapidly building resilience to current and expected impacts of climate change. With future-oriented investments in adaptation, disaster response, and peacebuilding. In the United States, we call for renewed efforts to prioritize, communicate, and respond to climate security threats, and to integrate these considerations across all security planning.

Washington — In a comprehensive report released by the “National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel (NSMIP)” of the Center for Climate and Security, experts warn of High-to-Catastrophic threats to security from plausible climate change trajectories – the avoidance of which will require “quickly reducing and phasing out global greenhouse gas emissions.”
The panel, made up of national security, military and intelligence experts, analyzed the globe through the lens of the U.S. Geographic Combatant Commands, and concluded that:

“Even at scenarios of low warming, each region of the world will face severe risks to national and global security in the next three decades. Higher levels of warming will pose catastrophic, and likely irreversible, global security risks over the course of the 21st century.”

The report, titled “A Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change: How Likely Warming Scenarios Indicate a Catastrophic Security Future,” is a first of its kind, bringing together a panel of security professionals to analyze the security implications of two future warming scenarios (near term: 1-2°C and medium-long term: 2-4+°C).
It identifies major threats, including heightened social and political instability, and risks to U.S. military missions and infrastructure, as well as security institutions, at both warming scenarios and across all regions of the world.
Highlighting the key findings of the report, members of the National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel (NSMIP) stated:

• “It’s the job of the U.S. intelligence community to anticipate risks to national security, and provide strategic warning to appropriate policymakers. The science has long been clear, and the security community is adding compelling analysis of the threats climate change pose to people and nations. It’s long past time for vigorous action to address them.”
  – Dr. Rod Schoonover, Advisory Board Member, Center for Climate and Security; Founder and CEO, Ecological Futures Group; Former Senior Analyst and Senior Scientist, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State and Former Director of Environment and Natural Resources at the National Intelligence Council (NIC)

• “The assessment is clear – climate change is a pressing risk to national and global security, and will evolve to become a severe and systemic threat the more we allow global temperatures to rise. Our Panel’s analysis shows that no region of the world will be left unaffected, and climate impacts will interact in dangerous ways in even near-term, lower levels of warming.”
  – Hon. Sherri Goodman, Senior Strategist and Advisory Board Member, Center for Climate and Security; Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Environmental Security), U.S. Department of Defense

• “The negative consequences of continued climate change across the next century will affect security institutions and infrastructure. We must recognize the resulting dire implications for global stability. Without leadership and swift action to prepare for and prevent these scenarios, American interests are at risk.”
  – Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich, Distinguished Visiting Professor, George Mason University; Former National Intelligence Officer for Europe and former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina

• “During my time at the Department of Defense, I saw the U.S. military take the threats posed by climate change seriously, in both its planning and operations. But there is so much more to be done. If we don’t come together to mitigate this threat, soon, American interests and security are on the line.”
  – John Conger, Director, Center for Climate and Security; Former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, (Comptroller), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

• “We don’t always have the benefit of seeing clearly the security challenges that are coming our way. As this report shows, we know that the global risks of climate change will be serious— possibly catastrophic. We have a responsibility to act with urgency to address these threats.”
  – Christine Parthemore, CEO of the Council on Strategic Risks

• “It is our hope that this analysis can be used by security professionals and policymakers alike to better understand how climate change will impact U.S. security interests and objectives. But even more importantly, hopefully these assessments will convince all decision-makers that we must act swiftly to avoid the worst of these threats to global security.”
  – Kate Guy, Panel Chair and Principal Investigator, Center for Climate and Security

• “Though we are facing unprecedented risks from climate change, as the report shows, we also possess unprecedented foresight about those risks. This underscores a responsibility to prepare for and prevent the security consequences of a changing climate. And you don’t have to take our word for it. Scientists and national security, military and intelligence professionals agree: the risks are potentially catastrophic, and there’s a narrowing window of opportunity to do something about it.”
  – Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell, Co-Founders and Directors of Research, The Council on Strategic Risks/ The Center for Climate and Security

• “Through this report, the security community is calling out loud and clear for policymakers to take the threats posed by climate change seriously. The best way to prevent the most dangerous impacts of climate change is to reach global net-zero emissions as soon as possible. Any further denial and delay will only make the lives of our children and grandchildren even less secure.”
  – Craig Gannett, President, Henry M. Jackson Foundation

A Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change: A Product of the National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel on Climate Change

The climate security risks posed to each region of the world are assessed in the report through the lens of the U.S. Geographic Combatant Commands. Topline risks for each area of responsibility are summarized below.

• AFRICOM - U.S. Africa Command (all of Africa except Egypt)
  Under a near-term, 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F warming scenario, this region will likely see rapid loss of rural livelihoods, disease, resource stress, and migration. In this scenario, violent extremist groups bolster their numbers, and security threats spiral into nearby fragile areas.
  • Under a medium-to-long term, 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2+°F warming scenario, this region would experience new and renewed interstate conflict over water resources, and severe humanitarian crises resulting from migrating populations, weather disasters, and economic shocks. Security institutions may not be able to preserve stability in the region.

• CENTCOM - U.S. Central Command (Middle East, including Egypt in Africa, and Central Asia)
  Under a near-term, 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F warming scenario, this region will likely experience dangerous levels of temperature rise, drought, and dwindling water supplies that intensify already tense resource, political, and territorial competition. 
  • Under a medium-to-long term, 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2+°F warming scenario, this region would experience temperatures levels that render many areas of the region uninhabitable, competition over water resources, large-scale populations displacement, and social unrest leading to enduring conflicts and state failure.

• EUCOM - U.S. European Command (Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Israel)
  Under a near-term, 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F warming scenario, this region will likely experience severe weather that threatens destabilization of its key economic sectors, rising regional inequality, migration and ethno-nationalist responses, and negative impacts on civil and military infrastructure.
  • Under a medium-to-long term, 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2+°F warming scenario, this region would experience prolonged drought and rising seas, significant internal displacement, and an influx of migrants from neighboring areas. A breakdown in regional political, institutional, and security cohesion becomes more likely.

• INDOPACOM - U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (U.S. West Coast to the west coast of India, and from the Arctic to the Antarctic)
  Under a near-term, 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F warming scenario, this region will experience water scarcity in some areas and precipitation inundation in others, posing risks to security infrastructure, social stability, and tensions between regional powers. 
  • Under a medium-to-long term, 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2+°F warming scenario, this region would experience devastating sea level rise threatening its megacities, infrastructure, and populations, and the resulting displacement and securitization of state borders.

• NORTHCOM - U.S. Northern Command (Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas)
  Under a near-term, 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F warming scenario, this region will experience more intense, extreme events like storms and wildfires, with significant impacts on life, property, security infrastructure, and democratic institutions.
• Under a medium-to-long term, 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2+°F warming scenario, this region would experience extreme heat, sea level rise, and disaster events, with severe impact on critical and security infrastructure. The region would become increasingly divided, and potentially entangled in resource competitions.

• SOUTHCOM - U.S. Southern Command (Central and South America, the Caribbean)
  Under a near-term, 1-2°C/1.8-3.6°F warming scenario, this region will likely experience extreme heat and drought, forcing communities to migrate in search of new opportunities, with transnational criminal groups, and narcotics and human traffickers taking advantage of growing destabilization.

• Under a medium-to-long term, 2-4+°C/3.6-7.2+°F warming scenario, this region would experience even more acute weather instability, crop collapse, and spreading disease. These issues, along with failing agriculture, will increase the likelihood of violent conflict, drive significant internal and cross-border migration, and increase political instability.

Links

• “Security Threat Assessment of Global Climate Change” report (pdf)
• World Climate and Security Report 2020
• The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent: A Climate Security Governance Framework for the 21st Century
• (AU) Is Morrison Government Fit For Purpose, Or The Greatest Danger To Our National Security?
• (AU) Climate Change Is A Serious Threat To National Security
• (AU) 'Dystopian Future': Climate Change To Force Review Of Military's Role
• Could Climate Change Become A Security Issue — And Threaten Democracy?
• Climate Change Poses A ‘Direct Threat’ To Australia’s National Security. It Must Be A Political Priority
• Climate Change Is A National Security Issue

(AU) Anthony Albanese Says Coal Mining Could Continue In Australia In A Net Zero Emissions World

ABC News - Anna Henderson

Coal mining could continue beyond 2050 even if Australia adopts a net zero emissions target, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says.

Key points Anthony Albanese says all energy sources will need to be part of the process to reach the net zero-emissions target Mr Albanese said Labor did not believe a carbon price would be necessary to achieve this Mr Albanese is opposed to the Government's investment in new brown coal but agreed there was still likely to be coal mining in Australia post-2050

Labor's shadow cabinet has agreed to move with 73 other nations, and every state and territory, to embrace a carbon-neutral target by the middle of the century.
It is the same overarching target Labor took to the last election.
Mr Albanese is opposed to government investment in new thermal coal mining — the type of coal that is used in coal-fired power stations.
But under questioning by Insiders host David Speers, he agreed there was still likely to be coal mining in Australia post-2050.
"I suspect we will," Mr Albanese said.
"[The target is] net, that's the point."
He argued there was no replacement for metallurgical coal, which is used to make steel and is a major export out of Queensland.
The Labor leader also agreed thermal coal mining for export could continue under the commitment.
"Yes, we could," he said.
"It will be determined by global action."

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Climate and economy linked

The Morrison Government risks being stranded at the intersection of climate change-related disasters and their economic fallout, writes Ian Verrender.

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The Australian coal sector employs more than 50,000 people.
Mr Albanese said exported coal was not counted in Australia's greenhouse gas budget.

"You don't measure the emissions where the original product comes from. I mean Japan isn't responsible for the emissions of every vehicle that's built in Japan," he said.

Albanese: Net zero will be 'economy wide'

The Opposition Leader confirmed Labor's 2050 net-zero emissions policy would apply to all industries.
He told Insiders transport and agriculture would not have any special considerations.
That's different to the position taken by his predecessor, Bill Shorten, before the last election.
"Emissions are about energy, they're about transport," Mr Albanese said.He said the net-zero target was not just about driving down emissions, but also compensating for them.

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What do we really think
about taking climate action?

A majority of Australians believe climate change is driving more droughts and floods, and that higher power prices are the result of "excessive profit margins".

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"It's also about practices that can make a difference in going negative emissions, if you like," he said.
"You can do that through agriculture, through forestry, through a range of measures."
Mr Albanese was pressed repeatedly to confirm whether Labor would be open to a price on carbon as a way to incentivise industries to reduce emissions.
"We don't believe that is necessary," Mr Albanese replied.
"We didn't go to the last election with that commitment."
Labor is yet to confirm whether it will ditch the shorter-term, 2030 climate-change target the party took to last year's election.
Privately, many opposition MPs expect it to be changed and pushed back.
Mr Albanese said Labor was committed to "interim" measures ahead of 2050, but he said the timeframe and details of those measures were yet to be settled.

Links

• Anthony Albanese backs Labor's 2050 emissions target (ABC News- video)
• Labor to keep net zero emissions target for 2050
• The tiresome climate wars are back again, but it's not business as usual
• Bushfires won’t change climate policy overnight. But Morrison can shift the Coalition without losing face
• Morrison’s roadmap to emissions reduction could turn out to be pap – but it’s not a terrible idea
• Australia's bushfire royal commission to focus on preparing for future emergencies, but not climate change policy
• Fires and climate fears rattle Australia's giant coal lobby
• Australia locked in climate policy 'paralysis' despite summer of fire
• Australia Says Climate Change Targets Can’t Risk Economy, Jobs
• Government to take ‘technology over taxation’ approach to climate change