In 2023, scientists from around the world said that action needs to be taken on climate change before it is too late. They made the call for action through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), with UN secretary general, António Guterres, saying, ‘This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.’
It was reiterated by another 12 international scientists in the journal Bioscience where they stated that human activity is pushing Earth into a climate crisis that could threaten the lives of up to six billion people this century. They showed that 20 of 35 identified planetary vital signs are at record extremes.
‘We are afraid of the uncharted territory that we have now entered,’ they said.
Yet governments fail to act and instead, like the Australian Labor Party, push a ‘gas transition’ taking soft actions rather than driving hard for change. The NSW Labor government is yet to rein in land clearing with the Australian east coast being the only first world country to be declared as a ‘deforestation hotspot’.
This can all feel overwhelming and can often leave people struggling to find a way to make a difference; but in reality it is up to every person to choose to make a difference where and when they can.
For some people it is direct action saving forests and ecologically sensitive areas, for others it is working within the system to create policies, legislation, and actions at all levels of governments to create change. For everyone it can be the choice of energy supplier, what to drive – a fossil fuel vehicle, an electric vehicle, or to get on your bike. Will you fly, drive or train on your next holiday?
For others it is a decision to join Landcare, become a bush regenerator or join a river protection group. The Richmond Riverkeepers Association was recently launched in Ballina to bring the community together with the aim of bringing the Richmond River back to a drinkable, swimmable, fishable river for all the communities along it.
The Big Scrub Landcare group aims to restore and preserve the Big Scrub rainforest of the Northern Rivers and South-East Queensland while Rainforest Rescue is taking donations to directly buy back parts of the Daintree Rainforest.
At a local government level you could run for the upcoming council elections, and yes, you can make a difference. From directing the development of policies like the Cool Towns policy that Tweed Shire has been promoting; to making decisions on where to put housing; which local areas, koalas or other native species need protection; to how we develop and maintain our water security in the region you can have real and tangible impacts on your local environment and community.
Yes we need to take action to limit the impacts of climate change, and yes our decisions both large and small can make a difference. My next step might be as simple as tackling some of those weeds in my garden and planting a few native plants to help native species survive. Every action makes a difference, now is not the time to lose hope.
Aslan Shand, editor
Check out the full Sustainability 2024 at www.echo.net.au/sustainability-supplements.
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