Make a Deposit in New Australian Outback Carbon Bank

Australia’s outback is a massive carbon bank ready for deposits and its fees would be cheaper than other methods of reducing carbon emissions, says research carried out for the Pew Environment Group and The Nature Conservancy. It investigated five carbon-cutting methods for the outback, which covers three-quarters of Australia, including reduced land clearance, control of feral animal populations and better fire management.

Aaron Cook in Sydney Morning Herald (14 July 2010)

Australia’s outback is a massive carbon bank ready for deposits and its fees would be cheaper than other methods of reducing carbon emissions, says a report just released.

Research carried out for the Pew Environment Group and The Nature Conservancy investigated five carbon-cutting methods for the outback, which covers three-quarters of Australia. These included reduced land clearance, control of feral animal populations and better fire management.

Most of the changes could be implemented using existing knowledge, said a Pew Environment Group representative, Patrick O’Leary, and could reduce Australia’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 40 million tonnes, or about 7 per cent of present levels, by 2030.

In most cases the changes would cost less than the estimated carbon price under the government’s shelved emissions trading scheme, the report said.

It also said the figures were approximate, but highlighted the magnitude of reductions that could be achieved.

”This report shows that the outback is an integral part of reducing Australia’s carbon emissions but it doesn’t replace the need for Australia to reduce industrial carbon pollution and the urgent need for a price on carbon,” Mr O’Leary said.

Nearly 10 per cent of Australia’s emissions in 2008 were due to land clearing, largely for the purpose of grazing cattle. Guy Fitzhardinge, a grazier who advised the study, said the wider community should see the value of using land as a carbon bank.

”People don’t clear land because they want to, they clear land because they are rewarded by doing so,” Mr Fitzhardinge said. ”The important thing is to work out the priority areas for agriculture and the priority areas for the environment.”

Charlie McElhone, the National Farmers Federation’s manager, economics and trade, said the study reinforced that there was an opportunity for farmers to be involved in climate-change policies.

Cutting emissions in the outback would also increase employment, the report says.

Indigenous communities could implement fire-management policies similar to an existing scheme in West Arnhem land in the Northern Territory, where controlled burning is conducted to prevent wildfires.

Culling feral animals would also reduce emissions and environmental damage. Australia has more than 1 million feral camels and their numbers rise 10 per cent each year.

The above measures could be introduced immediately, said the Climate Institute’s regional projects manager, Corey Watts.

”We can start investing in these things now and rewarding people now,” he said.

Source: www.smh.com.au