Sydney Looking to a Low Carbon Future but Losing Nemo to the South

Finding Nemo is going to be a much tougher task in the near future. The East Australia current has moved 350km south towards the pole, affecting climate and marine life along the coast from the Barrier Reef and along the New South Wales coastline. Directly in the path affected would be the city of Sydney, where businesses are bracing themselves for the effects of climate change by reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. They could very well pave the way forward for state and political leaders in facing the consequences of climate change. Read more

Climate change moves Nemo current to south

Simon Benson in The Daily Telegraph (15 October 2013):

THE ocean current off the coast of Australia made famous in Finding Nemo has moved 350km south and is accelerating toward the pole, a draft international climate change report has found.

And with it so too are moving some species of shark and large fish such as Tuna, it has warned.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s second and yet to be released report into the impact of climate change has claimed average climate zones in Australia have already shifted 200km southward along the north east coast.

Australia and warming the Tasman Sea in northern New Zealand,” it claimed.

“The rate of warming is even faster in south eastern Australia with a poleward advance of the East Australia current of 350km over the past 60 years.”

The East Australia current is the largest and most powerful current acting on marine life and climate along the coast from the barrier Reef and along the NSW coastline.

“Based on elevate rates of ocean warming south west and south east Australia are recognised as global warming hot spots.”

The report of the IPCC’s Working Group II, due to be released next March in Yokohama, Japan, claims that the oceans off the south east of Australia, which would include NSW are warming faster than anywhere else – and could rise 10 per cent above the average expected for the rest of the world.

It claimed that it was already having an impact on the distribution of coastal fish, and growth rates of some fish species.

“Observed impacts on marine species have been reported from a range of trophic levels,” the report said.

It cited changed growth rates of abalone, rock lobster, coastal fish with plankton levels and the life cycles of some species of sea birds also affected.

“Habitat related impacts are more prevalent in northern Australia while distribution changes are reported more often in southern waters, particularly south east Australia where warming has been greatest,” it said.

The report of working group I was released in Stockholm two weeks ago and contained the much awaited new data on the projected changes to the atmosphere.

It warned that the global temperatures were on track to rise between 2C and 4C by 2100 without action to reduce greenhouse emissions – 4C being considered catastrophic.

The report number two, however, claimed that the impacts were avoidable if more was done to reduce emissions – based on targets of a 25 per cent reduction by 2020.

The Climate Institute claimed that both sides of politics had to commit to a 25 per cent reduction and do more to plan for communities to adapt to inevitable changes.

“Australia can help keep global warming below a 2°C increase,” said Erwin Jackson, deputy CEO of the Climate Institute.

“As the advanced economy the most exposed to climate change, avoiding 2°C warming is in Australia’s national interest. But to do our fair share, we need to reduce 2000 level emissions by at least 25 per cent by 2020,”

“Both major parties have committed to reduce emissions by up to 25 per cent by 2020.

“The climate credibility test for the Government is whether its policy can achieve a 25 per cent reduction in emissions and contribute to avoiding major risks to the lives of Australians and severe impacts on communities and natural systems.”

Source: www.news.com.au

The time is now to take real action on climate change

Clover Moore, the Lord Mayor Sydney in the Sydney Daily Telegraph (15 October 2013):

CLIMATE change is real. Leading scientists agree we’ve reached a critical decade.

It was terrific to read yesterday’s Daily Telegraph calling for measured, rational and sensible action to cut carbon emissions.

Cities cover only two per cent of the earth’s surface but are home to more than half the world’s population – closer to 80 per cent in Australia.

Cities generate up to 75 per cent of carbon emissions, so its action in cities that provides us with the greatest opportunity for deep cuts.

Sydney businesses are already on the case reducing their energy and power bills and helping the environment.

As part of a partnership with the City, companies that own over half the city’s commercial office space revealed that by making their buildings more efficient, they had cut emissions by 25 per cent.

From changing their light globes to using more energy efficient air conditioning systems, they also saved more than $25 million a year on electricity bills.

That’s real value for their bottom line.

The national CitySwitch office energy-efficiency program helps commercial office tenants reduce emissions. The program is growing fast with over 400 signatories covering nearly two million square metres of office space in Australia. In one example, Sydney legal firm Norton Rose Fullbright saved $42,000 a year on energy bills.

Recently the City, Eureka Funds Management and Frasers Property signed a historic $26.5 million Environmental Upgrade Agreement to install a gas-powered trigeneration plant in the Carlton United Brewery development in Broadway.

The only way to tackle this crisis is to test new ideas and take the most effective and achievable steps available.

Businesses have shown that they are willing to take action. Now we need state and national political leaders to do the same.

Our future depends on it.

Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au