WE hear the phrase "Climate Emergency" a lot these days.
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The European Union, representing 28 countries and half a billion people, declared one in late November. A few other countries have, and here, the ACT and South Australia have done so, along with over 70 city and shire councils, representing about a quarter of Australia's population.
Bathurst Regional Council recently passed a motion acknowledging that action is needed to counter climate change but stopped short of declaring it an emergency.
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Bathurst Community Climate Change Network, of which I am a member, advocates for climate action, including declaring a climate emergency.
But our government's attitude seems to be "Naah, the climate changes all the time; she'll be right!".
So where does the truth lie?
Our Prime Minister says we're on track to meet our Paris Agreement targets, Australia's per capita emissions have dropped, Australia only produces 1.3 per cent of the world's emissions, the climate-striking schoolkids are needlessly worrying themselves, and there's no need to declare an emergency.
The PM's assertions are at best half-truths and obfuscation.
According to the government's figures, Australia will not meet its (modest) Paris Agreement targets. Yes, our per-capita emissions have dropped, but Australia's total emissions have risen slightly. The population has increased at a higher rate, so emissions per capita have decreased somewhat.
We only produce 1.3 per cent of the world's emissions, true, but we only have around 0.3 per cent of the world's population, so we're producing about four times the average for a country our size.
The schoolkids are right to be worried. They will be the ones to feel the effects of climate change if we don't address it. There is an emergency, and we need to act now.
Yes, there are countries a lot worse than us. But how can we hope to get these countries to act when we're sitting on our hands?
If Australia ceased emissions overnight, sure, it wouldn't make a huge difference. But if the developed world acts responsibly, phases out coal and pushes renewables, and gets the rest of the world to do so, we might have a chance of staving off the worst effects of climate change.
Declaring an emergency, and acting on it, is one way to do our bit, at home and on the world stage.
