Climate Change
The world is heating up at a rapid rate
Average temperatures on Earth have warmed by about 0.76 of a degree Celsius over the last 100 years, with most of this warming occurring in the past 20 years.
This temperature rise appears small but small increases in temperature translate into big changes for the world's climate.
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) attributes most of this temperature rise to human activities that release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Stay under a global average temperature increase of 2 degrees
More hotter days, more severe storms, droughts and fire, and higher sea levels are expected under climate change. This could threaten lives, industries and jobs, sustainable agricultural production, fresh water supplies and the survival of native species and ecosystems.
Scientists and some governments agree that an average global warming of 2 degrees or more above the pre-industrial level would result in dangerous and irreversible climate change with dramatic social, economic and environmental impacts.
Australians are big polluters
Australians are the highest per-capita greenhouse gas polluters in the developed world. This is due to the fact that we generate electricity largely by burning high-emission coal and we use energy inefficiently.
Australia's total emissions are similar in magnitude to those of the United Kingdom and France, yet those countries have much larger populations.
How will we stay under 2 degrees?
WWF-Australia believes that in order to stay below a 2 degree increase the next Australian Government must implement a national plan to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. This plan must:
- Set targets to stabilise emissions by 2010, and then reduce emissions by 20-30% by 2020;
- Implement world’s best practice energy efficiency and vehicle emission standards;
- Implement a national emissions trading scheme that is operational by 2010;
- Ensure no new coal-fired power stations are built unless they have carbon capture and storage;
- Implement a renewable energy target of 25% of electricity generated by 2030; and
- Ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Ice Breaker: Pushing the boundaries for Whales
Mean global temperature could reach 2°C above pre- industrial levels by 2042, leading to significant impacts on Southern Ocean whales. According to state-of-the-art climate models, under 2°C global warming, the area of the Southern Ocean covered by sea ice is projected to shrink by an average of 10-15%. This reduction could be up to 30% in some regions, meaning that species that are heavily dependent on sea ice, such as the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) are projected to lose between 5-30% of ice-associated habitat within 40 years - little more than the life time of an individual whale.
Continue reading 'Ice Breaker: Pushing the boundaries for Whales'
Back Garnaut or back off, WWF tells Opposition
WWF has urged the Federal Opposition to end the cheap, political point-scoring and adopt a bipartisan approach to tackling the serious threat of climate change.
No compensation for electricity generators under ETS
Electricity generators and other big polluters have known for nearly 20 years that they would have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and they should not receive favourable treatment under an emissions trading scheme, WWF said today.
Whales set to chase shrinking feed zones as Southern Ocean warms
Endangered migratory whales will be faced with shrinking crucial Antarctic foraging zones which will contain less food and will be further away, a new analysis of the impacts of climate change on Southern Ocean whales has found.
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