Climate & Planet Out of Balance

In a week which saw devastation in the Asia Pacific from earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoon-fed floods, we can only ask why this is happening with greater frequency than before?  Have we humans contributed somehow to put things out of balance?  One bright spot was the birth this week of a new little grandson – born under the Libra star sign of the scales. Can we put faith in an astrological sign that means balance and harmony?

Climate change is already giving us extreme weather everywhere: drought, floods, higher temperatures leading to fires. No part of the world is immune.  But it is stretching things to put earthquakes and tsunamis on the climate agenda. 

However, David Suzuki doesn’t hesitate to mention earthquakes in the same breath as other “acts of god” and makes the point that “greenhouse gases, immense dams, and deep oil and water wells can all affect natural forces”.

It does make us ask, too, whether we are sufficiently prepared for an onslaught of more of these disasters. They can strike at anytime and anywhere. Countries like Australia seems well equipped with men and machines to offer ready assistance when it’s needed, but time and time again we are caught short. Look at the Victorian bush fires. The inquiry is showing where things went wrong, and where effective communication and timely action was lacking.

Then there’s the rebuilding after the devastation. In spite of public generosity of time and money and goods, it seems to take an inordinate amount of time to get through the bureaucratic red tape to engage the right people to get on with the job.

We hear of people waiting months to get roofs over their heads in a suburb of Brisbane hit by a freak storm. Incongruously called The Gap, that suburb is perhaps a symbol for the growing gap between talk and action; between supposedly “being prepared” and being able to get a job finished.

It also highlights the risks that we need to know about, as well as the risks that insurance companies are already building into their calculations and the premiums they charge.

Climate change is bringing with it unending risks that many of our country, state and local leaders don’t seem to want to face up to.

It was illuminating to listen to one of Australia’s experts on climate change risk talk to the Australian Green Development Forum in Brisbane during the week. Donovan Burton deals with Local Government and Urban Planning for Climate Risk and works closely with governments and industry to develop climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Climate Risk argues that South East Queensland, as only one example,  could be “a tinderbox of future litigation” if people keep building and buying homes which are highly vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge and the kind of extreme weather we seem to experience with increasing regularity.

Climate Risk has a wealth of important and accessible reports available on its website. Go to www.climaterisk.com.au

Planning and building (and rebuilding) to take account of climate change risks – and the lie of the land – calls for “sustainability” to be top of mind, not an afterthought.

“Build it back green” is the rallying call of Green Cross (in the US and Australia) to not only offer immediate emergency aid, but work with the community to rebuild with the right materials and in the right location. See www.greencrossaustralia.org

Taking the right approach to building sustainably is the mantra of the Green Building Council of Australia and it was also evident this week that Australia is intent of helping other countries in the region adopt a similar stand.

Bringing together newly formed green building council representatives from China, the Philippines Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, India and Korea, the Council held a Leading Green Thinkers seminar in Brisbane.

Hearing what some of these countries are doing to bring about green approach to planning and building was heartening to say the least. Particularly when some of these very same countries were experiencing this week “natural disasters”, which were destroying infrastructure and buildings, as well as people lives.

Against all odds, these green building pioneers in Asia will make their mark and with the support of Australia and the World Green Building Council, we can expect to hear and see examples of their achievement in the future now that they’re part of a new regional network.

As the World Green Building Council says:

With over half the world’s urban population destined to live in the Asia Pacific region by 2030, sustainable development has a key role to play. The WorldGBC’s Asia Pacific Network has been established to connect the Asia Pacific region and promote the benefits of sustainable green building practices. The Asia-Pacific Network will link individuals and organisations from countries throughout the region to provide support as they develop green building councils, develop rating tools and establish education programs for the development of green buildings.

For more go to www.worldgbc.org and www.gbca.org.au

It is easy to wallow in misery – particularly when some of our neighbours have little choice in their current circumstances – but we must keep hope alive. We must rebuild and become more sustainable in all we do. And we must look to the future and place faith in those who follow us.

So welcome to this world, young Sam – the newest grandson – and we hope we can do some things right in the short to medium term so the planet and place you inherit will be well worth living in.

Source: www.abccarbon.com