b'Canberra observed Canberra observed7billion people on planet Earthwhat are its plans are for the longer term. and the greenhouse gas emissionsI have four suggestions. We should:have increased by almost 50% in the last 100years. And thats a difficult1. Adopt an effective emissions reduction challenge. program to set a good example and spend money on advocacy to persuade Economics of climate change areother countries to reduce their now critical emissions;2. Plant more trees and stop land clearing The economic impact of climateto try and maintain our rainfall levels change on Australia was examinedaway from the coast;in detail by Ross Garnaut in 2008 and3. Review our building codes to cope he forecast that fire seasons wouldbetter with a warmer climate andDavid Denham AMstart earlier, end slightly later and4. Review our land and water Associate Editor for Government be more intense. He also said, Thismanagement to deal with the new denham1@iinet.net.au effect increases over time, but shouldclimate norm.be directly observable by 2020. IAs Donald Trump would say Lets see am sure he never expected anythingwhat happens.Bushfires epitomise theas ferocious as what we have just experienced. He also argued that, the malaise of our politicalearlier action is taken, the better theWater, the elephant in the roomsystem economic outcomes would be. Water management will be crucial We now know that the winter rains overand should not be left to the States Nobody likes change the southern part of the continent haveand Territories. At present Australias been pushed farther south resultingaccessible capacity is about 81 000 GL Governments usually adopt minimalin lower rainfall. We also know thatand the accessible volume is about responses to situations that demandaway from the coast, where there are35000 GL. This is the lowest level since change. Thats because humans dontforests, approximately half the rainfallrecords were available on the BoM like change, unless there are obviousoriginates from transpiration of thewebsite in 2014 (http://www.bom.gov.benefits. And politicians are no differenttrees. Consequently, if the trees are allau/water/dashboards/#/water-storages/on this issue. burnt, the climate will become evensummary/state). The Prime Minister However, there are occasions whendrier and hotter. should take the lead on water. It is a change is forced upon us because thenational security issue.cost of doing nothing becomes tooAs we know, the recommendations great. The bushfires over the festivefrom the Garnaut report were period in 2019/20 have forced action.rejected. We keep getting told by theThe big paradoxThere is no doubt that these fires wereGovernment that we must do moreNever have people on planet Earth been made worse by our warming and dryingfuel-reduction burns, which are stateso closely connected. Never have we climate over the last decades. There isresponsibilities. This is not goodhad the information and knowledge also no doubt that the government hadenough because, the latest bushfiresto manage the planet in a sustainable been warned. engulfed the areas that had fuel- manner. And never have we stuffed reduction burns, just as much as those which hadnt. Infernos like the one wethings up big time.are having to deal with now, just burnInstead of working together for a better Climate change should haveeverything in their paths. future, we are ripping ourselves asunder. beeneasy The US is not honouring international The climate change issue should haveagreements, Brexit is tearing Europe What is the government doing andapart and the United Nations is now just been easy. In 1896 Svante Arrheniuswhat should it do? playing a bit-part on the worlds stage.calculated the extent to which increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide willSo far, the government is committing $2Our government is very limited in what it increase the Earths surface temperaturebillion to the recovery effort. That is thecan do to address this issue, but it should through the greenhouse effect. Theeasy part - spending taxpayers money;use its advocacy to reverse this trend. physics has not changed. What hasand the status quo is preserved. No realWe are too vulnerable in a world with no changed is that we now have overchange needed. What we dont know isrules.25 PREVIEW FEBRUARY 2020'