Scientists ring alarm on climate
Immediate action must be taken to stop the effects of climate change, starting with a timetable for a 60 per cent fall in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, says a coalition of scientists.
The Climate Action Group, launched last night, is based on the Wentworth Group of scientists and economists, which lobbies for changes to land and water management. The climate group is backed by the insurance company the Insurance Australia Group.
"There are moments in time when global threats arise and when action is imperative," the nine-member group writes in its first report, Climate Change - Solutions for Australia.
"We know that our world's temperature is now rising unusually fast. Climate change has the potential to threaten millions of lives, the capacity of the world to feed itself, the availability of fresh water, the control and spread of disease, the survival of species, the direction in which our oceans flow and the severity of our weather."
Members include the chief risk officer and group actuary for Insurance Australia Group, Tony Coleman; the former CSIRO chief scientist of atmospheric research, Dr Graeme Pearman; the chief executive officer of the Co-operative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting, Dr Chris Mitchell; and the director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at Australian National University, Professor Tony McMichael.
"We want to let people know it's happening here and now and there's a lot they can do like putting in energy efficient lighting, solar hot water systems and buying efficient motor vehicles," Mr Coleman said.
A report last month by the Australia Institute found Australia had the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of any industrialised country.
Dr Pearman said some serious effects of climate change could be avoided if Australia was prepared to make difficult decisions about the future .
The group called for emissions trading by 2007, more efficient energy use by householders, and immediate work on minimising the effects of climate change.