Climate Change

Slide 1: It happens to be an emergency: climate action now!

Slide 2: Climate science: warnings that mustn’t be ignored • Basic science overview • Runaway climate change

Slide 3: Climate science – overview http://www.combatclimatechange.ie/index.asp?locID=6&docID=&COMMAND=PRINTER

Slide 4: Greenhouse gases and temperature, last 400k years http://planetforlife.com/gwarm/glob400000.html

Slide 5: Earth’s temperature is rising Figure SPM.3 http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-figures.html

Slide 6: Runaway climate change • “We either keep the warming small or it is likely to be quite large.” (James Hansen, NASA Goddard Institute) www.carbonequity.info/PDFs/Avoidingcatastrophe.pdf • Positive feedbacks: “everywhere scientists looked in 2006, they encountered feedbacks that will make things worse – a lot worse” (Connor and McCarthy, “Independent”) www.carbonequity.info/PDFs/Avoidingcatastrophe.pdf

Slide 7: Positive feedbacks Reduced reflection of sunlight from polar ice • • Water vapour and methane • Decomposition of organic carbon in soils Ocean warming and slowing Gulf Stream • reduces CO2 absorption/causes its release • Forest die-back and fires release more CO2

Slide 8: Greenhouse gas emissions still rising

Slide 9: US emissions

Slide 10: Australia’s emissions

Slide 11: Australia’s emissions 2005 Sector 1990 2004 Change % Change Mt MtCO2 MtCO2- CO2-e -e e 1 Energy 287.5 387.2 99.7 34.70% Stationary Energy 195.7 279.9 84.2 43.00% Transport 61.7 76.2 14.5 23.40% Fugitive Emissions 30 31 1 3.40% 2 Industrial Processes 25.3 29.8 4.5 18.00% 3 Solvent and Other NA NA NA NA Product Use (a) 4 Agriculture 91.1 93.1 2 2.20% 5 Land Use, Land Use 128.9 35.5 -93.4 -72.50% Change & Forestry 6 Waste 19.2 19.1 -0.1 -0.70% Total net emissions 551.9 564.7 12.8 2.30% Total emissions minus 423 529.1 106.1 25.08% Land Use, Land Use Change & Forestry (b) Totals and percentages in table may not correspond exactly due to rounding. (a) All emissions from this sector are NMVOCs, which cannot be converted into CO2-e. (b) My calculations from these data - KE. Included because sector 5 emissions peaked for other reasons in 1990, giving artificially inflated total for the baseline year.

Slide 12: We must make every effort • Revolutionise global economy • People’s survival will depend on it February 08, 2005 A family climbs to safety when their house is hit by a king tide in Betio, on the South Pacific island of Kiribati, in February, 2005. Waves peaked at 2.87 metres.

Slide 13: Set the targets we need • A target fails if reaching us still gives us runaway global warming • 60%, 80% emissions reductions targets by 2050, while requiring much effort, would still leave global emissions well above carbon sink capacity to absorb • 60% reduction by 2020, 90% reduction by 2030 – probably needs to be greater

Slide 14: Ratify Kyoto and push for a stronger treaty • 90% emissions reductions by 2030 • Rich countries to do more – repaying ecological debt (not charity). Help poor countries to develop sustainably. • Take in environmental refugees

Slide 15: Eliminate inefficiency & waste • Stop waste of materials and energy • Reduce demand – more efficient design • No inbuilt obsolescence • Zero waste economy

Slide 16: Say no to dirty fuel • Phase out coal • No new coal mines – revoke Anvil Hill licence • No expansion of Newcastle’s export facilities • No nukes!

Slide 17: Yes to renewables!

Slide 18: A new land use revolution Save the forests Go organic

Slide 19: Revolutionise transport

Slide 20: Make the polluters pay

Slide 21: Public ownership and democratic control Banner: “Revolutionary front of workers from occupied, workers’ control and cooperative factories”

Slide 22: Guarantee jobs, involve workers Ensure participation and involvement of workers and communities affected by the transition to a sustainable economy

Slide 23: Change the system, not the climate

Slide 24: Useful references • SA dossier on climate change http://www.socialist-alliance.org/resources/idb/AV%20Vo • Paul Baer and Michael Mastrandrea (High Stakes:Designing emissions pathways to reduce the risk of dangerous climate change) http://www.ippr.org/members/download.asp?f=%2Fecom • www.carbonequity.info/PDFs/Avoidingcatastrophe .pdf • The 2° target http://www.carbonequity.info/PDFs/2degree.pdf

Slide 25: Authorised by D Nichols, 23 Abercrombie St, Chippendale NSW.