Zero Emissions or Zero Water

03 May 07 – For immediate Release – Melbourne, Australia
“A lack of rainfall is often referred to as a ‘drought’, yet droughts are by their nature transient, and in the areas under discussion there is no prospect that the rain will return. Instead what has occurred is a rapid shift to a new, drier climate.”

Tim Flannery
The Weather Makers (p.124)

Australia faces a future with little or no water unless we move to a zero carbon emissions economy.
After eleven years of inaction by the Federal Government to reduce emissions, Australia is
beginning to feel the devastating effects of climate change.

"We are on the brink of running out of water. It is a national crisis and John Howard and his
government hold substantial responsibility" said Matthew Wright, lead campaigner for Beyond
Zero Emissions. "Refusing to sign Kyoto or to rein in the coal industry rogues has created a nation
with the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. It is no wonder Australia is
suffering such a severe water crisis.

Australia's average temperature has increased by 0.83C since pre-industrial levels. This has not only resulted in a significant drop in national rainfall (over 50mm reductions along the Eastern seaboard), but lead to widespread evaporation and drying across the continent. This is a direct result of the phenomenal levels of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere, increasing the frequency and severity of weather patterns such as El Nino.

The Australian Government should immediately legislate zero carbon emission targets by 2020.
Beyond Zero Emissions has produced a series of scoping documents to explain how this can be
done with readily available technology right now.

"It is time Howard and his government snap out of climate change denial and go zero emissions for the good of our nation and the world," said Mr. Wright. "We need urgent action and a vision from our leaders. Otherwise we will lose our water, our forests and our animals, causing a disastrous rise in food prices and destroying our quality of life."

"The Murray-Darling Basin's $10 billion agricultural output is already on the verge of collapse. The
$5 billion tourist industry in the Great Barrier Reef is also in critical danger," said Mr. Wright.
"With the phase out of $10 billion worth of petroleum imports and a moratorium on our myopic
addiction to $25 billion worth of coal exports, we can balance the economy and potentially save the
treasures of the nation.

"John Howard is not a climate change expert. Thousands of scientists around the world, including
NASA's Goddard Institute, the UK Met Office and Australia's own CSIRO say our planet cannot
take anymore greenhouse gas. There is too much carbon in the atmosphere right now and we need
to take immediate actions.

"The Federal Government's refusal to act on climate change is a direct
threat to the future of Australia."

References
Tim Flannery. The Weather Makers. Text Publishing, Melbourne, 2005.
Colour plate #5: Australian trend in rainfall 1950-2003.
For comment ring:
Matt Wright 0421 616 733
Adrian Whitehead 0403 735 118
Adrian Whitehead is currently touring Tasmania giving a series of zero emission talks.
www.beyondzeroemissions.org
Beyond Zero Emissions is an independent Zero Emission Minus Climate Change campaign.

KPFA Evening news

0MB | download