In a county hit hard in recent times by a series of natural crises, an influential advisor to Australia’s government and private sector has prioritised environmental measures for the first time to help protect against future disasters. The group, infrastructure Australia, has prioritised initiatives to mitigate coastal flooding, increase waste recycling and guarantee water security.
As well as suggesting immediately protecting against coastal flooding by building infrastructure such as seawalls, the organisation is urging the government to consider “actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and planning controls for vulnerable areas” as a more long-term solution to rising sea levels. Its recent report warns that climate change is altering the water cycle and is predicted to cause sea level rises of 0.4 to 0.6 metres, to which half of Australia’s coastline is vulnerable.
Infrastructure Australia also called for a national waste management and recycling strategy to improve the country’s recycling rate from its current 55% to 70%; better fresh water management to ensure supply continues at times of draught; and the building of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) research facility, with a view to producing it as an alternative transport fuel (although it should be noted that despite LNG being more environmentally friendly to produce than other fossil fuels, concerns have been raised over its polluting effects).
The stance by the group suggests momentum is building for a concerted effort to tackle the climate crisis in Australia, which has recently been criticised for its regressive approach to the environment in the face of devastating draughts, bush fires and flooding. It is believed that global warming has increased the risk of bushfires in Australia by at least 30%. Scientists have warned that if global temperatures rise by 2ºC, the conditions leading to bushfires would occur at least four times more often.
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In a county hit hard in recent times by a series of natural crises, an influential advisor to Australia’s government and private sector has prioritised environmental measures for the first time to help protect against future disasters. The group, infrastructure Australia, has prioritised initiatives to mitigate coastal flooding, increase waste recycling and guarantee water security.
As well as suggesting immediately protecting against coastal flooding by building infrastructure such as seawalls, the organisation is urging the government to consider “actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and planning controls for vulnerable areas” as a more long-term solution to rising sea levels. Its recent report warns that climate change is altering the water cycle and is predicted to cause sea level rises of 0.4 to 0.6 metres, to which half of Australia’s coastline is vulnerable.
Infrastructure Australia also called for a national waste management and recycling strategy to improve the country’s recycling rate from its current 55% to 70%; better fresh water management to ensure supply continues at times of draught; and the building of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) research facility, with a view to producing it as an alternative transport fuel (although it should be noted that despite LNG being more environmentally friendly to produce than other fossil fuels, concerns have been raised over its polluting effects).
The stance by the group suggests momentum is building for a concerted effort to tackle the climate crisis in Australia, which has recently been criticised for its regressive approach to the environment in the face of devastating draughts, bush fires and flooding. It is believed that global warming has increased the risk of bushfires in Australia by at least 30%. Scientists have warned that if global temperatures rise by 2ºC, the conditions leading to bushfires would occur at least four times more often.