Jenny Cottle
At first, this may not seem to be a good news story but it is, and with your help if can become a great news story.
Climate change is a serious threat to all of our futures by causing extreme weather and changing habitats.
The theme of this year’s World Environment Day was Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea Level. This is because climate change is causing rises in sea levels, which are affecting many islands in the Pacific region. Christiana Figueres, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat recently told a news conference, “Addressing climate change is absolutely vital to the survival of small island states.”
Whilst these small nations are making moves to mitigate this, they cannot make this change alone – it needs to come from large developed (or developing nations) who are the major creators of the gases largely driving climate change.
The good news is that change is coming – many of the major contributor nations are recognising that the threats of climate change are serious and need to be addressed now.
In a declaration following recent summit talks in Brussels, the G7 leaders affirmed their strong determination to adopt a new global deal (to combat climate change ) in 2015 that in their words is, “ambitious, inclusive and reflects changing global circumstances”.
It said the G7 nations, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, remained committed to low-carbon economies and limiting temperature rises to two degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels, the limit scientists say can prevent the most devastating effects of climate change.
In 2013, China led the world in investment in renewable energy, with exponential growth in solar and wind power generation. In fact new solar generation in 2013 in China was 3 times that of the UK’s total solar output.
China is also looking to move to carbon trading as part of its efforts to move away from its dependency on coal and the terrible pollution it causes. Reports in recent days state that China is planning an absolute cap on emissions starting in 2016.
The US has also made a significant announcement for the planet this week. The world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter announced regulations that would cut the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the US energy sector by 30 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.
These changes are achievable, in large part to the increased viability of renewable energy. A new report, IRENA Remap 2030 just launched by the Abu Dhabi-based International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) details the important energy choice the world faces. In its report, the organisation says that scaling-up renewable energy to 36 per cent of the world’s total final energy consumption by 2030 is possible and affordable.
Presenting the report, Adnan Amin, Director-General of IRENA stated that their data showed that renewable energy can help avert catastrophic climate change and save the world money.
In Australia, whilst sadly our Federal Government appears to be severely out of step with even the thinking of its own constituents, there is cause for hope. Whilst the Australian Federal Government has questioned if they should maintain the RET (Renewable Energy Target), the Coalition Government in New South Wales has come out in support of it.
Also in Australia many are speaking out against climate change, from petition signatories to on the ground activists. People from all walks of life and of all ages have been speaking up and protesting, even to the point of being arrested in the fight to stop the Maules Creek Mine in northern New South Wales. Similarly people have been speaking out against the mining of the Galilee Basin in Queensland and its associated rail lines and coal ports.
Raise you voice against climate change and help make a positive, sustainable future. An easy place to start is to let the people in power know how you feel. Here are a couple of links for starters:
Stop Maules Creek Mine:
www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/?ref=stop-the-maules-creek-min
Galilee Basin Mine
www.lockthegate.org.au/galilee_basin_sda_petition
www.greenpeace.org.au/action/?cid=70&src=FB12
Ban Dumping Coal Port Dredge on the Great Barrier Reef
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