Greens Climate Change & Energy spokesperson Adam Bandt said Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg is drowning in denial on the threat that rising sea levels poses to Australian homes, businesses and infrastructure following the minister’s appalling response to a question from Mr Bandt in Question Time yesterday.
‘The US government has warned us that seas are on track to rise by 1.5 metres by 2050 due to rapid warming of the polar regions, which would cause unprecedented damage to our homes, businesses and infrastructure,’ Mr Bandt said.
‘Yet the Environment and Energy Minister is drowning in denial about the threat that sea level rise poses to Australians and our way of life.’
‘The Minister’s ham-fisted performance betrays a man desperate not to answer questions of detail about his portfolio.
‘Unable or unwilling to answer the question, the Minister repeated his same old talking points and ultimately resorted to personal attacks.
‘By the time a child born today reaches her thirties, she’d live in a world where the sea is 1.5 metres higher than it is now, if the US government is right.
‘The Greens are the only people in Parliament taking the science and threats posed by climate damage seriously.
‘Regardless of the Minister’s views about climate change, sea level rise is a fact and the government is doing nothing to prepare.
‘The Greens will not let strong action on global warming slip off the agenda.’
Mr Bandt’s full question is as follows:
‘At the recent global climate summit, the US climate envoy said because of rapid melting in Antarctica, current levels of global warming can see 1.5m of sea level rise by 2050.
‘Even if the world stopped all pollution tomorrow, by the time a child born today reaches her 30s she would live in a world where the sea is 1.5m higher than now.
This isn’t a Green group or climate activists saying this, it’s the US Government.
Given our coastal capital cities, what would be the impacts on Australian’s homes, businesses and infrastructure if sea levels rise by 1. 5m?’
