<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/a-place-wed-rather-not-be-why-labor-needs-to-listen-to-and-respect-the-climate-science/>
"One of the world’s leading climate scientists has urged Australia, and the
world, to go “full sail” on decarbonisation, arguing that the scale of climate
events already show that we are in “a place we’d rather not be.”
The federal Labor government is expected to announce its crucial 2035 emissions
reduction target in coming weeks, after digesting a report and recommendations
from the Climate Change Authority chaired by former NSW minister Matt Kean.
There is growing concern that Labor will settle for a target on the weaker end
of the 65 per cent to 75 per cent considered by the CCA. Environmental groups
insist that to be consistent with the Paris target of limiting global warming
as close to 1.5°C, the target should be net zero by 2035 – or at the very least
80 per cent.
Progressive industry is pushing for a target of at least 75 per cent reductions
– below the 2025 baseline – while business lobbies push for a target in the low
60s, or even lower, while the inevitable climate deniers and conservatives say
we shouldn’t do much at all.
Pep Canadell, the chief research scientist for CSIRO Environment, and head of
the Global Carbon Project for the last 27 years, and one of the world’s most
respected climate experts, says the science is clear.
“Unless we change tack, we are on a trajectory of close to a 0.3° temperature
rise per decade,” Canadell says in the latest episode of the Energy Insiders
podcast. “If you just make the calculations … in 50 years, we are well past 2.5
degrees above pre industrial levels. It’s not too complicated to think where we
going.”
Canadell says the world’s is already experiencing average global warming of
more than 1.3°C over pre industrial levels, and yet two thirds of the world’s
population have already personally experienced massive climate events.
“We’re not even at 1.5°C and now you’re asking me, you know, whether 2°C is
going to make a bigger difference? The thing is that even where we are now,
it’s a place that we would rather not to be.
“What’s really changing very rapidly is that more and more people realise what
climate change is …. by the end of this decade, we (will be) in a permanent
place of a minimum 1.5°C … I think that we’re looking at some exponential
growth of some of these big impacts.”
Is it too late to act?
No, Canadell says."
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
