Posts filed under ‘climate change info’
Moreland Olympian highlights climate action
Local Moreland Olympian Rhydian Cowley was interviewed by Ticker News recently. He highlighted the importance of athletes in their brief time in the public spotlight to advocate for climate action to keep our planet habitable in response to the climate crisis.
Rhydian Cowley is a champion Australian race walker. He competed in the 2016 Olympics for Australia and will be soon attending the Tokyo Olympics as part of the Australian Olympic Team. He will be participating in the 50km race walk event, one of the longest, most gruelling of Olympic events.
Rhydian is also a Sports Environmental Alliance ambassador which seeks to empower sport to do more in reducing sports carbon footprint, and is also a member of the Ecoathletes international organisation.
Rhydian Cowley articulates that much of the value of individual actions is the grassroots moment it builds for bigger climate action in government and organisational policy-making, and how it can scale when many people take action.
Federal budget embeds fossil fuel expenditure on gas and CCS escalating climate crisis
Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivered the 2021 Federal budget with lots of suger announcements on increased aged care spending, increased child care funding, women’s physical safety & economic security, NDIS, mental health, road infrastructure, and vaccine rollout.
But on addressing the climate and environment crisis, funding gas expansion continues and environment and conservation funding declines. This reinforces that the Federal government budget is for the short term, an election budget, failing to enact long term solutions for the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis in Australia.
It wilfully ignores the intergenerational cost on our kids and future generations climate change impacts will incurr.
During the budget speech Josh Frydenberg said:
“In this budget, we are investing a further $1.6 billion to fund priority technologies, including clean hydrogen and energy storage…. This budget provides over $480 million in new funding for the environment, including $100 million to protect our oceans.” he also said the government is “on a pathway” to net zero “as soon as we possibly can”, which he says the government would like achieved preferably by 2050.”
Latika Bourke, Net zero ‘preferably’ by 2050, says Frydenberg, The Age
From a climate perpective the budget is deeply disappointing, as it fails to capitalise on Australia’s natural renewable energy advantages, or set Australia up as an emerging renewable energy powerhouse. It panders to vested interests in the fossil fuels industry. While it talked of wanting to reduce emissions and create jobs at the same time, it missed big, obvious, common sense opportunities to do so.
(more…)New Victorian interim climate targets welcome but underwhelming
Today the Victorian Government announced the interim emissions reduction climate targets for 2025 and 2030. This announcement has been delayed for over a year due to the pandemic.
The targets announced are to reduce emissions by 28-33 per cent by 2025 and 45-50 per cent by 2030.
Awesome you say? 50 percent reduction by 2030, similar to what President Biden announced at the Biden Climate Summit on April 22. Not so fast.
The Independent Expert Panel recommended Victoria set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of:
- 32-39% below 2005 levels in 2025 and
- 45-60% below 2005 levels in 2030.
Even this was not consistent with keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees, and the numerous risks enumerated in the IPCC Special Report on Global warming of 1.5C1.
The Combet Review identified emission cuts of at least 43% by 2025 and 67% by 2030 to have any chance of limiting warming to 1. 5°C, yet justified lower targets, even though there is scientific research3 that indicates there are several dangerous tipping points that should require substantial risk minimisation in setting ambitious targets. Read our submission from July 2019.
(more…)Synthetic Turf and the Tragedy of the Commons in Moreland
Climate Action Moreland has done a literature review to highlight the general environmental, social and health issues with synthetic turf, and specific issues around a proposal to convert unfenced grass sporting fields at Hosken Reserve in Coburg North to a fenced synthetic soccer pitch. This is the text of our submission to the Moreland Council engagement consultants employed for public consultation to inform the Hosken Reserve Refresh project for Moreland Council.
We have also reported on our blog separately on synthetic turf carbon footprint and total life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and on the impact synthetic turf will likely have on the urban heat island effect on local residents.
Conversion of natural grass to Synthetic turf at Hosken Reserve should be considered as a catalyst issue for opposing increasing synthetic turf generally in our municipality. We are also very concerned with increasing State Government funding of school oval conversions increasing heat stress risk for children and heating the local microclimate affecting both children and local residents, against expert advice. (See Madden, et al, 2018 (Cool Schools), Pfautsch et al, Sept 2020 (School Microclimates))
We acknowledge the work done by local Merlynston residents on this issue to Help Keep Hosken a place for Community in defence of their grassed open space which they have been quite willing to share the use of with Sporting Clubs as Commons space.
(more…)Melbourne’s shrinking winter, expanding summer
Change in the season length with rising temperatures for Melbourne. Source: Australia Institute
The Australia Institute have researched the change in the season length for capital city and regional towns due to the rise in temperatures from Climate Change. Our winter seasons are shrinking, summer seasons are lengthening.
Natural grass or Synthetic turf? What are the total life cycle emission profiles
Total life cycle analysis of synthetic turf GHG emissions
A local residents campaign in Moreland over conversion of a sporting oval in Hosken Reserve from natural grass to synthetic turf has stimulated debate on the impacts of supporting a fossil-fuel/plastics industry product for organised Sport and Recreation. Although there are many impacts of an oval conversion, the issue that concerns us greatly in Climate Action Moreland are the greenhouse gas emissions. We do have a climate emergency, which has been declared by Council in 2018.
A 2006 Canadian total life cycle emissions study found that a 9000m2 grass pitch would have a 10 year baseline carbon negative impact of minus 16.9 tonnes CO2e while the synthetic turf would generate 55.6 tonnes CO2e (Note: this study assumed -53t Co2e saving at end of life with full recycling – this would not occurr in Australia with most materials going to landfill). A 2017 Swedish total life cycle emissions study on a modelled 7881m2 synthetic field concluded GHG emissions would be 527 ton CO2e for a ten year period.
Update: A deeper reading of the 2017 consultants report to FIFA revealed that total life cycle emissions for a standard FIFA sized pitch may be up to 1500 tonnes CO2e. This comes from examining a graph of total life cycle green house gas emissions for synthetic turf with various infill and various end of life disposal in the report.
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Time for a Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty
Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
Climate Action Moreland has endorsed the international call for a Fossil Fuel Non-proliferation Treaty.
This is an initiative to phase-out fossil fuels and fast-track solutions.
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Taking the temperature of Moreland Playgrounds and surfaces
Hot seat, hot synthetic surface. CB Smith Reserve
Summer is fast approaching and already we have had days with temperatures reaching into the low 30s Celsius degree level. Surfaces in Moreland heat up much more than the ambient temperatures.
This build up of heat in surfaces such as footpaths, roads, buildings, playground equipment and synthetic turf, contributes to the urban heat island effect, which tends to be much more pronounced in highly built up urban areas such as in Moreland.
Particularly notable is that synthetic surfaces have higher spot temperatures than either asphalt or concrete surfaces when all are in full sun.
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Climate Emergency toolkit for Councils launched
Local Government climate emergency toolkit
Former City of Moreland Councillor Dale Martin has authored a Local Government climate emergency toolkit, drawing upon his experience as a Councillor, and also consultation with other Councillors and community members (including with Climate Action Moreland).
The toolkit offers practical recommendations for how local governments (also known as city councils and local councils) can take immediate action to address the climate emergency.
It is written for local government councillors, Council officers and community members who want to take climate action.
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Epidemic Thunderstorm asthma warning: expected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change.
VicHealth warning map for thunderstorm asthma forr 11 November 2020
This is an extreme weather warning for tomorrow (Wednesday 11 November 2020) for epidemic thunderstorm asthma. Anyone who suffers asthma or heyfever should have their medications and asthma plan ready. Risk is rated as moderate for tomorrow.
The Victorian Health Department advises:
“People with current, past or undiagnosed asthma or hay fever are considered to be at risk. Having both asthma and hay fever or poorly controlled asthma increases the risk further. Those at increased risk should:
* avoid exposure to any storms that may emerge, especially the wind gusts that precede them
* have a reliever appropriately available (as discussed with your doctor or pharmacist)
* remind themselves of their asthma action plan and have practical knowledge of the four steps of asthma first aid.”
