We are told by the current Australian government that there is no link between the NSW bushfires and climate change. A senior Australian government scientist has reported that the NSW state government is making deep cuts to staff and funding largely dismantling the states ability to investigate and prepare for the effects of climate change such as more frequent extreme fire weather. Fire is indeed an essential factor in the ecology of Australia; the seeds of a number of tree species are unable to germinate without fire passing through their habitat, a phenomenon known as pyrric succession. These naturally occurring fires were fairly rare and generally started by lightening strike. The Blue Mountains had received far less winter rainfall and hotter than normal sprng temperatures accompanied by high winds. Whether or not these conditions would have led to such massive fires in the past is unknown because these fires were started by fallen power lines and other man-made activity. It will take time and many repeat events before the unconvinced make the link to climate change. In the meantime, the fires will have added a significant amount of emissions to the atmosphere and Australia will need to report these in its national inventory reported annually to the UNFCCC. While the Australian federal and NSW state governments are in denial, some of the major corporates that contribute to the Australian economy are shifting investment away from fossil fuel mining and generation. With BHP announcing that it will not invest in fossil fuels in the future and Rio Tinto divesting itself of 50% of its interest in the Clermont mine (Australias top coal exporter), maybe these are messages that will attract the governments attention. Big business is taking action on climate change, albeit to protect its economic interests. These decisions will do much to bring about climate change action along the value chain of these enormous corporates. Increasingly, supply chain demands are filling the gap left by watered down and chaotic climate change policies. news.au/business/breaking-news/bhp-boss-rejects-climate-change-criticism/story-e6frfkur-1226746384259
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 02:25:27 +0000
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