Australia is also in the unenviable position of being geographically isolated both internationally and domestically. As a result, we rely heavily on high carbon emitting air transport for travel both intra and interstate as well as internationally.
The Australia Institute published a study earlier this year (see On Line Opinion article)predicting that the aviation industry could account for more than half of all carbon emissions by 2050 and advocating a reduction target of 60 per cent. This study also called for the introduction of a $30 greenhouse levy on ticket prices for domestic to discourage consumers from flying unnecessarily. Virgin Blue has introduced a voluntary carbon offset payment on their domestic flights: a tiny start but unlikely to have much impact on its own.
Our relative isolation will bite us as the cost of travel and exporting goods by air becomes more expensive. We already suffer higher air travel costs in comparison to other nations and we risk having them inflate much higher than more densely populated regions near each other.
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It is not just our heavy reliance on fossil-fuel that is a problem, but also our heavy reliance on livestock both domestically and for export. The impact of livestock in terms of carbon dioxide and methane is something that has received little attention to date but it impacts more on greenhouse gas emissions than travel.
In 2003 the then Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting indicated that dairy livestock contributed about 30 per cent of all agricultural emissions and all agricultural emissions contributed approximately 18 per cent of Australia’s total carbon emissions. In 2005 the total figure was 16 per cent.
Behavioural changes such as making alterations to farming practices, or preferably by a change in human behaviour that resulted in less reliance on livestock would effectively reduce greenhouse emissions. Small changes already made have had an impact but overall there is still more to be done, starting with giving greater recognition of the fact that we need to act in this area.
Australia’s intransigence and calculated delays over the last decade has had two negative effects. It has discouraged other nations, especially less wealthy nations in our Asia-Pacific region, from bothering to engage with the issue and generally helped to scuttle efforts to get global co-operation. It also means that Australia is much further behind with the economic opportunities that will occur as economies and demands change in a highly greenhouse conscious world.
Australia’s excessively high per capita greenhouse gas emission rates must end as soon as possible. We may be a small nation but this does not mean that we have to be ineffective.
Our inaction and lack of leadership continues to harm the global ecosystem, global co-operation and action. We must not continue to use other nation’s lack of action or vastly different circumstances as an excuse not to change our behaviour. By introducing emissions targets along with developing and implementing strategies and technologies to achieve them, we can show leadership in our region. It makes economic and environmental sense.
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There is no single strategy that will address all the challenges of climate change, but to have no strategy, is a betrayal of our children and future generations - it is their future we are trashing through our inability or unwillingness to act now.
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