Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s carbon policy adviser says WA is already seeing the effects of global warming and needs to support the introduction of a carbon price mechanism.
Speaking to a packed house at the University of Western Australia last night, Professor Ross Garnaut said the drying of the South-West has been predicted by climate change scientists, and climate changes in the region are directly attributable to carbon levels in the atmosphere.
“I’m very much aware, being in Perth, that the science is pretty clear that some of the early unambiguous footprints of climate change are there in the drying of the South West of Western Australia,” he said.
“I know it’s not politically correct to refer to such things, but the science has been predicting it and when it starts to happen you can’t help but noticing it.”
Professor Garnaut used the public lecture, to a mostly supportive crowd, to respond to the public criticism leveled at the latest update to his Climate Change Review, expected to be the blueprint for the introduction of a carbon pricing mechanism by the current Federal Government.
The mining industry, in particular, has been scathing of Professor Garnaut’s proposal to put a price of around $26 a tonne on carbon under a trading scheme to kick off in several years.
Yesterday mining magnate Andrew Forrest used a farewell press conference to attack the plan, saying it would only serve to export Australian jobs and would make no difference to global climate change.
But last night Professor Garnaut hit back at his critics, warning the Federal Government it needs to make decisions that are in the public interest, rather than being “buffeted by vested interests” in making public policy.
He said his plan will help Australia catch up with its major trading partners, including the US and China, in their attempts to reduce carbon emission levels over the next decade.
“We’re really at a critical time for dealing with the global climate change problem,” Professor Garnaut said.
“We’re running out of time - every passing year with current rates of growth in emissions makes it less likely we’ll be able to avoid severe damage from climate change. The requirement to take action in urgent.
“To have the country in the developed world that has the highest per capita emissions, Australia - that has quite exceptional average incomes at the moment - lagging behind and not doing its fair share becomes a drag on the global effort.”
