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'TOO LATE TO SAVE FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS'
By Wendy Frew
SMH
July 26, 2005

http://tinyurl.com/b7lbg

It could be too late to protect some of Australia's most unique ecosystems,
such as the Great Barrier reef and the Daintree Rainforest, from the
destructive effects of climate change, according to a report released by the
Federal Government today.

Australian ecosystems most vulnerable to greenhouse gas induced climate
change include alpine regions, reefs, tropical rainforests and coastal
wetlands, according to a report commissioned by the Australian Greenhouse
Office.

Allen Consulting, which wrote the report, said particular priority should be
given to World Heritage listed systems.

"However, there is a need to face the prospect that, in some cases, there
may be little that can be done," said the report.

"Climate change might overwhelm some fragile species and remnant habitats
(such as those in alpine regions) that literally have nowhere else to go, or
for which effective options for supplementing their natural adaptive and
coping capacities ... are extremely limited," it said.

The 159-page report said there was little doubt Australia faced some degree
of climate change over the next 30 to 50 years irrespective of international
or Australian efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

"Much of the climate change likely to be observed over the next few decades
will be driven by the action of greenhouse gases already accumulated in the
atmosphere," it said.

Figures released by the Federal Government earlier this year showed more
greenhouse gases were being produced in Australia as people consumed
increasing amounts of energy.

Australia, along with the US, has refused to ratify the international
climate change agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, which sets limits on
greenhouse gas emissions.

The Government has also refused to extend support to the struggling
renewable energy industry, which has found it difficult to compete against
coal. The coal industry is not penalised for being a major contributor to
greenhouse gas emissions.

Australia is the world's biggest exporter of coal, and the country's
coal-intensive electricity sector makes Australia among the world's highest
per capita emissions producers.

Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell said Australia needed to look no
further than the economic and social impacts of prolonged periods of drought
to understand the importance of climate.

"What governments, industry and communities need to do now is think more
strategically about how to respond to the changes in climate that are likely
over the next 20 to 30 years. This report is an important part of that
process," he said.

Senator Campbell said the next step was to begin adaptation planning in key
sectors and regions.

Senator Campbell told ABC Radio Australians should not panic about climate
change.

"It could be painted as alarming but the reality is that these changes will
happen over time," he said.

However, Opposition environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said the Howard
Government had been complacent about climate change and said it had to
ratify the Kyoto Protocol or risk being responsible for an "environmental
tsunami".

"It's one thing to say it's not a cause for alarm, it is another thing to
say it's not a cause for action," AAP quoted Mr Albanese as saying.

"Australia needs to be part of the international efforts to combat dangerous
climate change, we need to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, we need to increase
our mandatory renewable energy targets and we should have a national
emissions trading scheme."

Greenpeace said there was little point in the Government publishing a report
about the seriousness of climate change but doing nothing to cut emissions.

"We challenge the Federal Government to show us what serious action they are
taking to avoid dangerous climate change," said Greenpeace energy campaigner
Catherine Fitzpatrick.

"They haven't ratified the Kyoto Protocol, there is virtually no federal
funding for research into clean, renewable energy, and there are no signals
to industry that we need to constrain greenhouse pollution," she said.

"This is why we see energy and transport sector emissions rising so
dramatically."

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Published by David Sunfellow
NewHeavenNewEarth (NHNE)
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