14 March, 2012
Record levels of emissions demand urgent action on carbon pollution and coal exports
The finding of the latest State of the Climate Report, to be released today, that global greenhouse gas levels are at the highest level in nearly a million years underscores an urgent need for dramatic cuts from Australia’s biggest polluting sectors, including a reduction in coal exports, according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
“The finger prints on these record levels of carbon dioxide in 800,000 years firmly trace the pollution back to the dirty fossil fuels burnt in power stations and cars each day,” Chief Executive Officer Pepe Clarke said today.
“Australia must take responsibility for its significant contribution to carbon pollution both at home and when our export coal is burned abroad.
“Australia is the largest exporter of black coal in the world, shipping about 260 million tonnes a year to countries including Japan, South Korea and China. When burned overseas, Australian coal produces more emissions than those produced by our entire domestic economy, helping to drive dangerous global levels of pollution.
“The State of Climate Report tells us global temperatures have already risen by one degree over the past century, yet in the past four decades Australia has continued increasing its production of export coal.
“Record levels of carbon dioxide mean we cannot afford the predicted, unprecedented doubling of coal exports in the next two decades – in fact, we must urgently wind back our emissions from coal mining and coal-fired power. Increased emissions from burning our coal overseas will dramatically overshadow our efforts to cut emissions at home.
“The highest levels of carbon pollution since humans evolved presents us all with a challenge: progress towards a low-carbon economy or face a hostile new environment that threatens our wellbeing and very future,” Mr Clarke said.
Tags
Coal and gas
Let others know about this issue