Why?

 


Why reduce Greenhouse gas emissions?

I want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that my children and grandchildren have a healthy planet to live on. I do not want to see them have to suffer bushfires, floods and the other disastrous weather events that are already happening and will continue to happen if we don’t reduce the level of emissions in the atmosphere. 

It is now well established that the earth’s atmosphere is warming as a direct result of large quantities of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. If the human race is to survive on earth, we need to find ways of reducing the greenhouse gases that are being generated into the atmosphere. 

People have been talking about emissions and climate change for a long time. Climate scientists tell us that we are running out of time if we want to limit the damage caused by the increase in greenhouse gases. What is needed now is action - we need to do much more and much quicker. 

Australia is estimated to have emitted 488 Mt of CO2 equivalent in 2021. Australians are one of the world leaders in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per person. It is going to take a lot of work to get annual greenhouse gas emissions down to zero by 2050. 

But there are lots of other benefits of reducing the emission we put into the atmosphere. 

There are significant health benefits. We no longer have to breath in polluted air. More walking and riding a bike will lead to better health outcomes. Eating food which has not been poisoned by chemicals will also be better for the community.

For Australia, there are significant economic benefits by embracing reducing emissions e.g. Australia could be a leader in supplying renewable electricity to Asia. With its rich mineral resources, it could be a world leader in battery production.

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