Page 807 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 2 May 2007
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This is the biggest challenge that has faced our generation, and, if we do not take action, concentrated and collaboratively, this will be not only our challenge but the challenge of our children and our children’s children. Whilst people may have been forgiven for imagining that there was some kind of hysteria in relation to this issue in the past, it is now beyond doubt. I think you would agree, Mr Speaker, that the evidence is overwhelming.
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the most recent piece of evidence that puts the matter of human culpability beyond question. It talks about a cumulative and devastating change that will, if not halted or tempered, change the face of our globe forever. It will create millions of climate change refugees, melt the icecaps, alter sea temperatures and result in the loss of 40 per cent of animal and plant species and the loss of part or all of the Great Barrier Reef and of other water based ecosystems.
It will fundamentally alter the nation’s weather patterns, which will result in the southern half of our continent becoming dryer and the subject of storms that we have recently experienced. The northern part of Australia will experience more flooding and cyclones and both northern and southern Australia will suffer from destructive forces associated with an increased frequency of extreme weather events.
This is not science fiction, Mr Speaker; it is scientific consensus on an unprecedented scale. Whether those on the other side wish to accept it or not, this is our global reality. We can take action now, even though we are a small jurisdiction, or we could take the federal government’s, or at least Mr Turnbull’s, stated approach, “the boiling frog” approach. Mr Turnbull’s approach appears to be that we are a small country and therefore we cannot fight it, only adjust to it. We can slowly adjust, like a frog, until we die!
His idea that because we are only a small country—and I presume he means in terms of population—we have no responsibility for our behaviour, our industry and our footprint on this earth is clearly ridiculous. We could take this argument to its logical conclusions in our approach to many other matters; I am sure members could think of a few things. Of course, the ACT is only a small place. Should we, therefore, wash our hands of all of this and carry on regardless and let everything go to hell in a hand basket?
But this is not the approach of this government and this is not the approach of its state and territory colleagues. The ACT contributes only one per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. The UK government recently announced a draft bill to drastically cut emissions by 2050. Tony Blair said:
The case for action is the final piece of the jigsaw to convince every single political leader … that this must be top of their agenda. … we are heading towards catastrophic tipping points in our climate unless we act … we will not be able to explain ourselves to future generations if we fail.
Again he said:
Climate change is … a challenge that I believe is probably the biggest long-term threat facing our world.
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