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Activity 2 - What is Australia doing to tackle climate change?

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Activity 2 - What is Australia doing to tackle climate change?

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50869565

Take note:  What pressures does Australia face in taking action against climate change?

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been criticised for the government's approach to climate change

The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his government's stand on climate change as the country deals with devastating fires and a historic heatwave.

Mr Morrison said his policies on reducing emissions would ensure what he called a "vibrant and viable economy, as well as a vibrant and sustainable environment."

Australia is one of the world's biggest per capita greenhouse gas emitters, and there's been a long-running debate about the country's approach to climate change.

So what is it doing to reduce emissions?

What targets does it have?

Under the Paris Climate Agreement to tackle rising global temperatures, Australia set a target for 2030 of making a 26-28% reduction in its emissions compared with 2005 levels.

These goals have been criticised for being too low, and last year the United Nations (UN) reported that Australia was not on track.

The UN found that: "There has been no improvement in Australia's climate policy since 2017 and emission levels for 2030 are projected to be well above the target."

About half of the G20 countries (those with the biggest economies), including Australia, are falling short.

The Climate Change Performance Index ranked Australia last out of 57 countries responsible for more than 90% of greenhouse gas emissions on climate policy.

It highlighted the country's no-show at a UN climate summit in September and its withdrawal from an international fund to tackle climate change.

The opposition Labor Party in Australia has said the government is "refusing to act" on climate change.

However, the Australian government maintains it is on course to meet its 2030 commitments. "Our climate policy settings are to meet and beat the emissions reduction targets," according to Australian PM Scott Morrison.

Bushfires have killed at least nine people and razed hundreds of homes

Australian emissions will be only 16% lower than 2005 levels in 2030, according to projections published in December.

But it says it will meet the 2030 targets by counting the quantities of carbon already reduced under the previous international climate agreement, the Kyoto Protocol.

More important than specific targets - Australia as a fossil fuel producer has so far failed to acknowledge the need to plan for a world of net zero emissions, says Myles Allen, a climate change expert at the University of Oxford.

Net zero means balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal.

The coal industry

Australia is among the world's largest exporters of iron ore, uranium, coal and natural gas.

It was the fourth largest producer of coal in 2017, according to the International Energy Agency.

Phasing out coal is considered crucial to limiting global warming to within 1.5C, but the Australian government is continuing to back the industry for the role it plays in the economy.

Facing criticism over his handling of the bushfires and response to climate change, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said he will not make "reckless" cuts to the coal industry.

The government recently approved the construction of a controversial new coal mine - which could be the biggest in the world and would export coal to India.

What are some of the government's climate policies?

A central climate plan is the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF).

The government put forward an additional A$2bn (£1bn) spread over 15 years to help businesses and farmers reduce emissions, bringing up total investment to $4.5bn. The government says it will deliver 100 million tonnes of emissions reductions.

Though aspects of the ERF have been praised, "Australia has adopted a piecemeal approach to emission reduction," said the OECD (an economic body which monitors richer, industrialised nations) in a 2019 report.

The government needs to show how existing instruments, such as the ERF, can be scaled up to reach Paris Agreement goals, added the report.

Scientists round the world are looking aghast at the politics of climate change in Australia.

It's one of the most vulnerable countries on the planet to rising temperatures, yet there is still denial about the impacts of rising CO2 levels on events like the current wildfires.

There is no serious doubt among scientific institutions that rising global temperatures are leading to record heat.

The heatwaves are driven by a natural phenomenon but they are adding to an already over-heated planet.

In the election, the victorious Liberal (conservative) Party categorised climate change as a metropolitan fad for urban professionals, and gained support for the world's biggest coal mine.

Coal is the dirtiest fuel and scientists say we shouldn't be building more coal-fired power stations if we want to stabilise the climate.

This piece was originally published on 24 December 2019.

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What is Australia doing to tackle climate change?

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As the country deals with deadly fires, the focus is on the government's climate policies.

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Due Friday 5th by 12:10 (end of double)
Submission process:
- Email a copy of your piece (in Word format) to both amy.hirth@student.unimelb.edu.au and karina.adams@student.unimelb.edu.au with the subject heading "[Your name] opinion piece"

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Assessment rubric & scaffolding materials

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Assessment rubric & scaffolding materials

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Year 10 Assessment instructions, rubric and scaffold  (1)

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https://coggle.it/diagram/XzbDlkXhPybdlRX7/t/features-of-an-opinion-column-and-op-ed

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Features of an Opinion Column and Op-Ed - Coggle Diagram

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Features of an Opinion Column and Op-Ed - Coggle Diagram: Features of an Opinion Column and Op-Ed

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Submit your group work in this column, just press the + and upload your file

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Submit your group work in this column, just press the + and upload your file

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If you have any issues submitting we can help on Friday :)

If using google docs, please share access with Amy and Karina

Karina: karina.adams@student.unimelb.edu.au

Amy: amy.hirth@student.unimelb.edu.au

If you have any issues or confusion, please feel free to email us for help, otherwise post in the questions board on this padlet.

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aPawBhd2PVEShYLoKzvl4CP79zm-wHvyqGFYkcj0MMo/edit#slide=id.p

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Group 3 - tamsyn, darcy and sophie

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H&M presentation

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Add your questions here! Just hit the plus button and add your question to the list :)

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Activity 1 - Mapping the impacts of climate change

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Activity 1 - Mapping the impacts of climate change

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1. Identify the trend the map/graph shows, and give specific examples. E.g. which location is this trend most prevalent? What year? Each slide has some questions to guide you.

2. Together, brainstorm some potential impacts of the trend your graph shows. List one economic impact, one environmental impact, and one social impact.

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Glossary

Greenhouse gas: a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons are examples of greenhouse gases.

Per capita: Per unit of the population, or per person

Fossil Fuel: a natural fuel such as coal, oil or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Kyoto Protocol: The international treaty that preceded the Paris agreement.

Paris agreement: a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR): the notion that corporations have a degree of responsibility not only for the economic consequences of their activities, but also for the social and environmental implications.
Greenwashing: Greenwashing occurs when companies make misleading or untrue statements about their environmental practices.