What environmental sustainability issue does Australia have and is doing to solve it?
I am looking for some info about Australia and about what they are doing to solve this problem.
P.S. I have a paper due tomorrow about this and all help is needed! THANKS!!
Actually I think in researching your question, I may have found the first strong disagreement with wikipedia. When Europeans came to Australia, the Aborigines already use something referred to in the article as fire stick farming, and it goes on to say that the Australian Whites today are using it on a much greater basis. What the natives were doing was burning out the undergrowth, the small stuff and which protected the hard tree canopies, The effects of all this burning is that where the population settled was traditionally better environment with greater rainfall, but now have persistent yearly droughts, and the outback where few people live is getting an abundance of rain. I copied and pasted this from wikipedia to show what is being done about it. Climate change has become a major issue in Australia due to drastic climate events since the turn of the century that have focused government and public attention.[1]. Rainfall in Australia has increased over the past century, both nationwide and for all four quadrants of the nation [2]. Water sources in the South Eastern areas of Australia have depleted due to increasing population in urban areas (rising demand) coupled with climate change factors such as persistent prolonged drought (diminishing supply). At the same time, Australia continues to have the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions[3].
All federal and state governments have explicitly [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] recognized that climate change is being caused by greenhouse gas emissions, in conformity with the scientific opinion on climate change. Sectors of the population[who?] are actively campaigning against new coal mines and coal fired power stations because of their concern about the effects of global warming on Australia while other groups[who?] are actively campaigning for coal fired power stations and an increase in both number and output of coal mines. Other sectors of the population[who?] believe it is still too early to tell whether or not there has actually been human induced climate change and believe the naturally high variability of Australia’s climate produces too much uncertainty to warrant panic. After publication of the Garnaut report and the White Paper on the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme members of this group are increasingly viewed[who?] as "Climate change skeptics"[citation needed].
There is expected to be a net benefit to Australia of stabilizing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at 450ppm CO2 eq [12] although the coal industry argue this proposition[citation needed].
Actually I think in researching your question, I may have found the first strong disagreement with wikipedia. When Europeans came to Australia, the Aborigines already use something referred to in the article as fire stick farming, and it goes on to say that the Australian Whites today are using it on a much greater basis. What the natives were doing was burning out the undergrowth, the small stuff and which protected the hard tree canopies, The effects of all this burning is that where the population settled was traditionally better environment with greater rainfall, but now have persistent yearly droughts, and the outback where few people live is getting an abundance of rain. I copied and pasted this from wikipedia to show what is being done about it. Climate change has become a major issue in Australia due to drastic climate events since the turn of the century that have focused government and public attention.[1]. Rainfall in Australia has increased over the past century, both nationwide and for all four quadrants of the nation [2]. Water sources in the South Eastern areas of Australia have depleted due to increasing population in urban areas (rising demand) coupled with climate change factors such as persistent prolonged drought (diminishing supply). At the same time, Australia continues to have the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions[3].
All federal and state governments have explicitly [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] recognized that climate change is being caused by greenhouse gas emissions, in conformity with the scientific opinion on climate change. Sectors of the population[who?] are actively campaigning against new coal mines and coal fired power stations because of their concern about the effects of global warming on Australia while other groups[who?] are actively campaigning for coal fired power stations and an increase in both number and output of coal mines. Other sectors of the population[who?] believe it is still too early to tell whether or not there has actually been human induced climate change and believe the naturally high variability of Australia’s climate produces too much uncertainty to warrant panic. After publication of the Garnaut report and the White Paper on the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme members of this group are increasingly viewed[who?] as "Climate change skeptics"[citation needed].
There is expected to be a net benefit to Australia of stabilizing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at 450ppm CO2 eq [12] although the coal industry argue this proposition[citation needed].
References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Australia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_Australia