Only one lifetime

 As I write we are alert for the birth of our first great-grandchild due tomorrow.

What an exiting event. This child will be born into a family which will be welcoming and caring and excited to share his or her life. All four great grandparents have reached the eighties, so there is a good chance this child will too.

Amid the sense of joy, I have been reading a great deal about the threat to the planet with global warming. Frequently it speaks of “by the end of this century”. That always seemed a long way off, but now I realise our great grandchild will likely live to then. Somehow it seems closer.

This means that in this one child’s lifetime unless much more drastic action is taken by our world’s leaders the planet will experience increasing flood and fires, the disappearance of some Pacific islands and some coastal cities, the loss of the Great Barrier Reef and perhaps 8o% of all coral reefs, displacement of millions due to the rising sea levels, greater poverty, and loss of areas for food production. With a few feet of rising water levels our great grandchild will see the loss of most of our beloved beaches. Limited food and reductions in land availability will probably lead to war and increased nationalism, The temperatures will rise to a degree that many will die. Most of this has begun already. Current commitments on climate policy throughout the world will not stop this even if the promises are in fact fulfilled.

 

Yet it needn’t be so. The technology is available to change our sources of energy dramatically. In 2020, 28% of Australia’s energy came from renewable sources in an industry which already employs 25,000 people. Australia has huge potential for renewables particularly in wind and solar. One study has even shown that solar power in the Sahara desert not only could provide enough power for all of Europe but would also enable plant life to recover due to the decreased reflection of the heat into the atmosphere! Yet the world spent US450 Billion in direct subsidies to the fossil fuel industries in 2020. 70% of Carbon dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels. The answer is simple – but due to vested interests hard to enforce.

Much of the remaining 30% comes from land clearing and the animal industry, particularly beef. Australians eat 120kg of meat each year. That’s about 4.5 Kg per person each week. While many would find it difficult to become fully vegetarian, my wife and I eat well with about one kg. of meat each per week including mostly poultry. A small change could make a big difference.

Politicians can only do what we let them. Contact your local member and the Prime Minister to let them know they have your authority to act on climate change. Sign petitions. Check the policies of your bank and superfunds. The detail is often hidden in mounds of words so be persistent!

The evidence is clear that this decade is vital for the future of this one child and many others. In only one lifetime they will be asking what you did and what I did to preserve life itself for them.