Australia, last in the world on action.
Arts Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia
March 10, 2022
Something I wrote in 2021, before the recent floods.
The Climate Council (2019) described Australia as one of the most vulnerable developed countries in the world to the impacts of anthropogenic global warming. The Climate Council (2019) cites an array of negative outcomes due to global warming impacting Australia including: sea level rise; food insecurity; heatwaves; impacts on wildlife; increased pressure on response systems, such as emergency and health services; increased extreme weather events such as drought and floods; and increasing severity and frequency of bushfires (see also, Climate Change Authority, 2020; BOM, 2020; IPCC, 2021). Australia’s climate is known for its extremes, yet the current impact on temperatures and climate related events are primarily attributed to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions since 1970 (BOM, 2020; Gergis, 2021). These influences are regarded as amplifying known natural occurrences and fluctuations (Climate Change Authority, 2020; Gergis, 2021). As recent catastrophic bushfire and flood events have demonstrated, the consequences of anthropogenic global warming are not phenomena for future generations to grapple, Australia is experiencing disruptive events at a more frequent and increasingly extreme level now (BOM, 2020; Climate Change Authority, 2020; Coleman, 2016; van Oldenborgh et al., 2021).
Perkins et al (2014) found that the intensity and frequency of heatwaves are increasing during Australian summers resulting in the disastrous bushfires that occurred over the summer of 2019 – 2020 and again in the summer of 2020 - 2021 (van Oldenborgh et al., 2021). Additional impacts of climate change are seen in sea level rise, increase in the proportion of high intensity storm events including intensity of extreme rainfall, and more pronounced flood events (Coleman, 2016). Gergis (2021) discusses the enormity of recent flooding events in comparison to historical occurrences citing the expansion of urban hard surfaces and density of population as an amplifier for flood events from extreme rainfall (Gergis, 2021).
The literature demonstrates the resultant economic, social, and emotional burden of climate change is substantial and continues to grow (Climate Council of Australia, 2020; IPCC, 2021; Mann, 2021; van Oldenborgh et al., 2021). Loss of life, livestock and wildlife are compounded by ensuing economic ramifications including rising cost to infrastructure and insurance, and reductions in access to food and health care (van Oldenborgh et al., 2021). All of which are negatively impacting the health and wellbeing of the Australian population (Climate Council of Australia, 2020; van Oldenborgh et al., 2021).
Frustratingly, these impacts were not unforeseen. Coleman (2016) outlines previous attribution studies on Australian extreme heat as generally indicating the influence of anthropogenic global warming. Coleman’s (2016) discussion of the “Angry Summer” of 2012 - 2013 outlines the increased likelihood that these extreme heat and fire events are due to human influence (see also, Lewis and Karoly, 2013; Perkins et al., 2014). Clarke et al (2012) analysed a dataset of observed fire weather in Australia spanning the years from 1973 to 2010 noting an increase in the occurrence of extreme fire weather consistent with climate change projections. The projections culminating from these observed events outlined that the continued warming and drying across various regions in Australia would lead to a more combustible landscape, increasing the average number of days with severe fire danger (Coleman, 2016). The forecast from Gergis (2021) for flooding and rainfall events in Australia is equally problematic as the planet warms so does the likelihood of extreme storm and precipitation events and the ensuing disruption (see also, Climate Council of Australia, 2019; van Oldenborgh et al., 2021).
The common element for all these climate related impacts is human behaviour. Yet, when it comes to taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or to mitigate worsening anthropogenic global warming, Australia’s response does not match the urgency of the situation. In the recently released Sustainable Development Report (Sachs et al., 2021), Australia received the lowest ranking of the 193 United Nations member states on climate action (Sachs et al., 2021). With an overall sustainable development rank of 35th of 193, Australia’s percentile score of 75.58% has barely improved since the year 2000 (Sachs et al., 2021). Sadly, this is evidenced by the Australian public's attention to environmental issues, momentarily stimulated to action by the recent fires and floods, receding as rapidly as the first green shoots appeared in the bushfire ravaged forests.
As these climate disturbances become more dramatic and persistent, the risks to the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and communities are magnified (Melillo et al., 2014). Impacts on mental health such as increases in depressive and anxious responses to climate change material may in turn impact capacity to enact necessary behaviour change (Stanley et al., 2021). Humanity must prepare for these changed climate conditions, while at the same time preventing further warming. To achieve this, a vastly different approach to eliciting sustainable actions and pro-environmental behaviour than previously seen, is essential.