Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef has been hit exceptionally hard by both factors. Climate Reality Leaders are everyday people who decide to help lead the fight for climate solutions in their own nation and around the world, Learn more now and apply to join us in Las Vegas before January 31, Dairy cows can’t take the heat! Register for data access. But this is changing sea surface chemistry dramatically: when carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean, it dissolves to form carbonic acid. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. He explained, “The climate is changing and we’re seeing the effects of that on the frontline by more and more fires, more frequently, and more severe.”, “Trends from 1978 to 2017 in the annual (July to June) sum of the daily Forest Fire Danger Index—an indicator of the severity of fire weather conditions.”, Image: Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, State of the Climate 2018, cc by 3.0 AU, >> Read More: Climate Change and Health: Wildfires <<, At the end of 2018, the Guardian characterized fire conditions in the nation as “catastrophic” as residents endured an extreme heatwave. At our Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in Los Angeles, Ken Thompson (former deputy fire chief of the state of New South Wales) reported that fire season now runs for nine months out of the year in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is under serious risk unless greenhouse gas emissions are slashed. Hayes protest is part of some 500 climate events planned across Australia as part of “Fridays for Future” movement that was made famous by Swedish student Greta Thunberg. Simply put, Australia is already a hot and dry country and it’s expected to generally get hotter and drier without action on climate change. And make no mistake: An increase of 5 degrees Celsius (or 9 degrees Fahrenheit) is a huge deal. Vickery coal mine in New South Wales state will contribute to climate change and endanger their future. Here are the #ClimateFacts. As Australia’s climate changes, every type of farmer will be affected – from those who raise dairy cows to fruits and vegetable producers to wine growers and everything in between. And then there’s the timeless mystery of vegemite. “I am here because I am fed up with the Australian government’s inaction on the climate crisis. The country is also home to an incredible community of activists, who’ve fought potentially world-changing developments like the Carmichael coal mine tooth and nail. A Deloitte Access Economics report values the reef at over AUD $57 billion (over $40 billion in US dollars). Gain the skills, knowledge, and network to shape public opinion, influence policy, and inspire your community to act at this critical time. Less than two years ago, Hayes was at school frustrated by what he perceived as inaction to lower carbon emissions. Unfortunately, much like in the US, Australia’s federal government has not risen to the challenge. New research suggests the recent record-breaking heat in southeastern Australia, which is … Support and guidance for use of information and data. “If we don’t take action now we’re going to face more intense droughts, more intense fires... these are just going to happen more and more and we’re not going to stop it if we don’t take action now,” Hayes said. If we’re going to save the Great Barrier Reef, we must act on climate. Here’s the climate reality: Farmers depend on a steady climate to grow food and raise livestock. Join us and you’ll spend three days working with former Vice President Al Gore and world-renowned scientists and communicators learning about the climate crisis and how together we can solve it. The reef supports fisheries, helps employ more than 64,000 people, and brings tourists from around the globe to see this World Heritage Site. The students argue the Environment Minister Susan Ley has a duty of care to protect them from climate change and the expansion of Whitehaven Coal's WHC.AX Vickery coal mine in New South Wales state will contribute to climate change and endanger their future. Since 1910, Australia’s ocean surface temperatures have warmed by about 1 degree Celsius (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) . We’re seeing abnormal temperatures. The last generations have left us not choice. We explained it in a blog from 2016: “Our oceans are an incredible carbon sink — they absorb about 25 percent of the carbon dioxide humans produce every year. Marine life depends on the Great Barrier Reef – and so do Australians. Climate Compass is a framework to help Australian public servants manage risks to policies, programs and asset management from the changing climate. In January 2018, temperatures in Sydney soared to over 47 degrees Celsius (about 117 degrees Fahrenheit). Andrew King, a climate scientist at the University of Melbourne, explained the connection to the Guardian: “In general climate change is exacerbating drought, mainly because in a warmer world we experience more evaporation from the surface, and we project for that to continue in the future. Climate change has been a divisive topic in Australia, one of the world’s largest per capita carbon emitters. “Heat stress on dairy cows typically reduces milk yield by 10-25 percent, and by up to 40 percent in extreme heatwave conditions.”, The largest fruit industry in Australia? Here are four key ways climate change is impacting the nation and its people – and one big way you can help turn Australia’s climate-fighting potential into a reality. Learn about possible regional impacts on natural resources and management responses. Download technical and regional reports and other publications. Our friends at Australian climate change organization The Climate Council said it well: “Australia lacks credible national climate policy to drive down greenhouse gas pollution. (via The Climate Council), Posted by Climate Reality on Thursday, October 18, 2018. We’re seeing abnormal fluctuations in weather patterns… Climate change will certainly disrupt food security, there’s no doubt about that.”, >> Read more: Climate Change and Health: Food Security <<. Hayes is one of eight students who have launched a class action to stop the environment minister approving an expansion of a coal mine arguing it will endanger their futures. From March 8-10, 2020, Climate Reality will be training new Climate Reality Leader activists in Las Vegas, Nevada. Image: Centers for Disease Control, Climate Change and Extreme Heat: What You Can Do to Prepare. Talk to many activists and they’ll tell you it’s no wonder, since Australia exports more coal than any other nation on Earth. At Climate Reality, we work hard to create high-quality educational content like blogs, e-books, videos, and more to empower people all over the world to fight for climate solutions and stand together to drive the change we need. >> Read More: Global Warming’s Evil Twin: Ocean Acidification <<, It’s clear that Australia has a lot to lose to climate change if we don’t take action. It’s the middle of winter in Australia. Ever heard of ocean acidification? Please enable javascript for the optimal experience! Writing by Colin Packham and Swati Pandey; Editing by Michael Perry. Wine grapes. Now, he is a leading climate activist in Australia. It’s true, heatwaves are not a new phenomenon. Heatwaves have real impacts on human health and wellbeing – leading to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Keep up to date on datasets, enhancements, and downtime. Here’s the climate reality: Since 1910, Australia's climate has warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Climate change has been a divisive topic in Australia, one of the world’s largest per capita carbon emitters. Climate Reality Leaders are everyday people who decide to help lead the fight for climate solutions in their own nation and around the world. The country’s conservative government has won successive elections on a platform of supporting Australia’s dominant fossil fuel sectors. But talk to many climate scientists and they’ll tell you that Australia is especially vulnerable to the climate crisis, putting all this wonder at risk. Coral can recover from bleaching but that doesn’t always happen. In fact, at some points in mid-November 2018, the eastern state of Queensland battled nearly 200 fires – something Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland’s premier, described as “off the charts.” She went on to say, “No one has ever recorded these kinds of conditions ever in the history of Queensland.”. In fact, without action, Australia is expected to warm as much as 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2090. Simply put, Australia is already a hot and dry country and it’s expected to generally get hotter and drier without action on climate change. Receive the latest on the movement for climate solutions from Climate Reality. And “up to 70 percent of Australia’s winegrowing regions will be less suitable for grape growing by 2050.”, Carrots are “the nation’s most valuable vegetable export… Higher temperatures associated with climate change are likely to make carrot production less viable in warmer areas with shifts to cooler regions such as Tasmania.” (To add insult to injury, warmer temperatures also make carrots less tasty and change their texture. There’s also a direct link between a hotter world and more drought. What People Are Saying about Our Climate Reality Leadership Corps Trainings. So what’s at stake in the fight against coal and for climate solutions in Australia? Learn about observed climate change over Australia. This is why we are not on track to meet even our woefully inadequate 26-28 percent emissions reduction target for 2030.”. But the government has left us no choice. We are a nonprofit organization that believes there is hope in unity, and that together, we can build a safe, sustainable future. SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian school student Ambrose Hayes, 15, rode on a protest barge in Sydney Harbour on Friday holding a huge yellow banner demanding “No Gas” as part of a global climate rally calling for greater action from world leaders. Tourists know the country for the koalas and kangaroos that fill nature shows and iconic places like the Sydney Opera House that seem to appear in every Hollywood film shot Down Under. And there’s a crippling drought, Australia’s most populous state in the grip of a major dry spell – and it may cost the country dearly. In fact, about 30 percent of corals on the reef have died since the 2016 mass bleaching event. Consider this: “Scientific records over the past million years show that as periodic ice ages ended, global average temperatures rose a total of 4-7 degrees Celsius over the course of about 5,000 years.” What happens in Australia when they rise by about that much in the space of less than 200 years? All Rights Reserved. is especially vulnerable to the climate crisis, putting all this wonder at risk. On the outskirts of Canberra, the Orroral Valley Fire blazed on January 28, 2020. I should be a ‘normal kid’ going to school and not having to worry about this. Summary of climate change projections for Australian regions. And make no mistake: An increase of 5 degrees Celsius (or 9 degrees Fahrenheit) is a huge deal. In fact, without action, Australia is expected to warm as much as 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2090. Projections and Data Explore Australia's projected climate and access model data. According to Melbourne Sustainability Society Institute’s report, Appetite for Change: Global Warming Impacts on Food and Farming Regions in Australia: One Australian farmer, John Said, explained it well: “There’s no doubt climate change is a reality now. We already know that Australia is becoming hotter and drier due to climate change – making the perfect conditions for bushfire. Learn about the underpinning science of climate change, modelling and projections.