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https://theconversation.com/australia-finally-has-new-climate-laws-now-lets-properly-consider-the-astounding-social-cost-of-carbon-190050>
"The federal government’s climate change bill passed the Senate on Thursday.
Among the mandates in the new Climate Change Act are assessments of the social,
employment and economic benefits of climate change policies.
These assessments will be included in annual statements, prepared by the
government with input from the Climate Change Authority.
A letter we published today in
The Lancet Planetary Health outlines the
importance of measuring the effects of climate change on human health when
assessing the social cost of carbon.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will improve the health of Australians,
especially by reducing air pollution from electricity generation and road
transport. Every year, around 2,600 (2% of) Australian deaths are attributed to
air pollution from human activities such as transport, mining, and power
generation using fossil fuels.
And as the planet continues to warm, heatwaves, bushfires and floods will bring
a heavier social impact. For example, natural hazards are responsible for an
estimated 30% of total insurance costs today. Australian home insurance
premiums would increase by as much as 15% (A$782 million) by 2050 if global
emissions continue unabated.
So let’s explore what the social cost of carbon entails, and why it should
inform policymaking in Australia in areas such as fossil fuel extraction,
infrastructure projects and emissions reduction."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
