Climate Change Green Paper Submission
Through the efforts of our committee a comprehensive submission was drafted and
submitted to the Victorian Government ...
SUBMISSION FROM THE SURF COAST ENERGY GROUP ON THE VICTORIAN CLIMATE CHANGE GREEN PAPER
The Surf Coast Energy Group is a community group with over four hundred members whose aims are to raise awareness of climate change issues and to support change towards sustainable living within our community. We welcome the opportunity to comment on the Victorian Climate Change Green Paper.
It is with increasing concern that we regularly witness the breaking of records for high temperatures and low rainfall patterns. The results are a drop in groundwater levels, a decline in available arable land, the worst extinction rates across all forms of biodiversity, increased bushfire risk and threatened food security. Climate science modeling shows future increases in temperature, among many other impacts, which lead us to conclude that dealing with climate change is a matter of great urgency.
We recommend that action to mitigate climate change be a matter of Statewide Priority.
GOVERNMENT APPROACH
It is commendable that the government accepts the consensus on climate change and is already working on programmes and campaigns to bring about change; the black balloons message being highly successful. However, most Victorians are now fully conversant with the issue and it is well and truly time for the State Government to be making large reductions in carbon emissions. On that score, it is unfortunate that currently there isn’t a whole of government approach to climate change with continued support of aggressive population growth and a stubborn insistence to expand coal mining being just two examples. This results in the public receiving mixed messages about what is acceptable, leading to uncertainty, confusion and apathy, particularly in respect to the value of individual actions.
We recommend that the government could show a far more credible leadership position by taking a whole of government approach, with all decisions made to include the interests of climate mitigation.
CLIMATE SCIENCE AND IMPACTS
It should be acknowledged that given the complexity of future climate modeling and predictions the actual temperature increases and impacts are likely to vary from those predicted. Climate scientists the world over also note that we are tracking outside the extreme limits for possible future climate scenarios modeled by the IPCC. There is therefore an implicit need to allow for an ability to be responsive and flexible.
We recommend that we should aim to return to an atmospheric level of 350ppm of CO2. This is below current atmospheric levels, but a level which we know to be safe.
VICTORIAS EMISSIONS
Given that we need to work to reduce CO2 levels already in the atmosphere, it is imperative that we work towards reducing our CO2 emissions as rapidly as possible. Active support should be given to rapidly increase the uptake of renewable energy. There is much the government can do beyond the reliance on the CPRS and market forces. Carbon emissions could be reduced immediately with such measures as an introduction of Gross Feed- In-Tariffs, support for large renewable energy projects and mandatory renewable energy targets with shorter time lines.
Whilst Victoria’s emissions are recorded, regional measurements would greatly support an understanding at a local level.
We recommend that regional measurements of carbon emissions be recorded and publicly displayed to show increases/decreases on a regular basis. This could in part be achieved by legislating to ensure that all regional and state carbon emissions be included as part of every energy service provider’s quarterly bill to clients.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
It is essential to maintain a diverse approach as new sources of renewable energy are developed and taken up. Currently substantial support is being directed towards Carbon Capture and Storage; a very costly technology that is unlikely to deliver the required technology gains until at least post 2030, rather than providing a balanced spread of funding to allow for a diversity of opportunities within the renewable energy sector. Each region and community needs support to find the most appropriate and efficient forms of renewable energy production to suit their needs. There are many renewable technologies available that are off-the-shelf solutions to our energy problems.
We recommend that research and development funding be directed to all forms of renewable energy to maintain diversity.
COMMUNITIES AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Understanding of climate change issues is increasing rapidly within communities. Indeed, a recent national audit noted that there are more than 200 climate action-based community groups around the nation. There is also a general sense that there is a lack of direction and knowledge by state and federal governments of the most effective actions that can be taken. Moreover, many individuals are skeptical that any actions they may take will make a difference- due in large part to the State Government’s confused approach to climate change. It is difficult for behaviour change to occur while it is clear that the state government’s decisions across the board are not whole heartedly in support of sustainability.
Innovation is needed within communities; support should be given to communities to develop plans for the transition phases required towards changed lifestyles. State government funding for expertise and skills is needed to develop visions and solutions through forums and community discussions. Communities need to engage in modeling of future scenarios for their localities with the support of expert facilitators.
We recommend that funding should be directed towards communities for the expertise and skills needed to support community development and transition to low carbon living. This also means that in some situations, hard decisions based on future climate modeling will be needed to help communities decide whether further investment is warranted; or whether whole towns should be relocated.
POPULATION
The Future must be our compass to chart a course to the present.
As stated in the Green Paper:
The observed atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases in 2005 have likely committed the world to future global-average warming of 2.4ºC (1.4º to 4.3ºC) above pre-industrial temperatures, double to seven times the warming already observed.
Whilst nobody can really second guess how anthropocentric climate change will play out, it is chilling to acknowledge that within the State Government’s own analysis of the situation, the figures shown above will, through sea level rise alone, be expected to produce millions if not hundreds of millions of environmental refugees around the world. Meanwhile, here in Australia, there are likely to be regional food and water crises as the Government of the day attempts to tackle the poison chalice of an overpopulated Australia, the legacy of current State and Federal Government’s aggressive population policies.
Indeed, according to the Australia Bureau of Statistics our national current population growth rate is over 1.9%. At that rate we will reach 44 million over the next forty years and be en route to 100 million by the end of the century. Here in Victoria the population increases by over 1500 per week; an increase the Honorable Premier John Brumby publicly encourages.
Further, whilst Prime Minister Kevin Rudd himself admitted in December 2008 that even a 45% increase in our population from 1990 to 2020 would all but negate painful per capita cuts in greenhouse gas emissions: ‘Our 5 per cent unconditional target is equal to … a 34 per cent reduction for each Australian’. See http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/rudds-defence-of-target-contains-some-telling-omissions-20081216-6zwa.html
Since the rate of population growth is in fact higher than the Prime Minister assumed, there will not in fact be any reduction in emissions.
In summary, given the imminent and dire predictions of climate science, it is incumbent on this generation to act responsibly and decisively. Importantly, the State Government must stop sending mixed messages to the public and address the biggest driver of all in relation to climate change- population.
This means radically re-thinking current population policy so that:
• There are no financial incentives to parents who have more than two children.
• Setting an immigration rate at a state and Federal level that allows for ongoing immigration but does not contribute to an overall population increase.
• Population limits are re-aligned in accordance with each region’s natural carrying capacity. All the population figures shown above are far beyond the 23 million that the Australian Academy of Science has warned is Australia's safe limit.
• Regionally, local Government and communities should be encouraged to tackle the inequity of climate change by partnering with communities across indigenous Australia and the Asia/Pacific. Providing Victoria/ Australia adopts an ethically motivated population policy based on climate change warnings (and therefore the need for a stable population based on carrying capacity) there is no reason why local government and communities could not champion the development of low carbon energy production and parallel population stabilization elsewhere.
CONCLUSION
The real problem with the State Government Green paper is that it does not give anyone a target to aim for. In face of the apocalyptic nightmare of runaway climate change, the aspirations are weak, foggy and generally unstated. Importantly, they fail to work backwards from the future we aspire to have in say 2050 and 2100- along with the things we will need to do to ensure we get there with a bright and prosperous future. Instead, what we have is state government policy that aims to do little more than tweak the current economic paradigm. Until the government takes climate change seriously, it will be the community that continues to forge the way ahead on climate change solutions.