Climate Change meeting in Narooma

Narooma News
Wednesday 15/8/2007 Page: 4

LAST week a few 'good souls' - gathered to listen to climate change expert Erwin Jackson from the Climate Institute Australia, along with community educator and mother Philippa Rowland from Clean Energy for Eternity and Independent Candidate for Eden - Monaro Acacia Rose speak about climate change and implications for the region.

Last Tuesday's meeting was the result of the CWA NSW Annual meeting in Jindabyne when local CWA member and Agriculture and Environment representative Shirley Dellamarta met Acacia. 'This was an excellent opportunity for people to hear about the importance of immediate action on climate change,' Ms Rose said. 'Erwin Jackson and Philippa Rowland have a good grasp of the science of global warming and CO2 emissions' 'Erwin Jackson identified the trend towards global warming and said that scientists are concerned about the Greenland ice sheet melting.' 'The sudden collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica took scientists by surprise and indications are that if Antarctica melts it will cause a six metre sea level rise and if the Greenland ice sheet melts it will cause an additional six metre sea level rise.'

Ms Rose said 'The United Nations has already identified that over 150 million people live below the, one metre mark and 250 million are living below the five metre ASL mark.' 'The CSIRO report and study at Bateman's Bay is timely and we need to develop contingencies now to deal with potential sea level rise and increased storm events that will affect the coastal infrastructure and homes.' Erwin Jackson said that the Climate Institute Australia had assessed the policies of both major parties and they are clearly inadequate to deal with global warming.

Acacia Rose spoke about her first hand experiences of warming with the drying out of alpine vegetation and the potential for an alpine 'ecosystem crash' that would mean loss of vegetation and soil possibly far worse than intense grazing above the tree line. 'I am putting out the "Nott Target" of 50:50 by 20:20 as an achievable economic target for Australia.' 'We can begin by reducing emissions by 15 per cent over the next three years and then 10 per cent every three years until 2020 and at the same time increase our Mandatory Renewable Energy Target.'

'My vision for Australia is that every school becomes completely sustainable with solar, water tanks, permaculture garden and composting waste system or similar,' Erwin Jackson said Shirley Dellamarta thanked the speakers and encouraged people to talk about climate change and do something about it themselves at the individual level and as a community. CEFE meanwhile had 200 people attend a meeting in Cooma last week meant to encourage that shire to join the three other South Coast shires committed to the 50:50 target.