Current Environmental Situation Of The Commonwealth Of Australia: Co2 Emissions

Current Environmental Situation of the Commonwealth of Australia: CO2 emissions

Introduction 

Australia, being one of the countries with the highest human development index, with 0.939 and the number 3 in the ranking in 2017, is a key to analyze the development problem and its impact with the environment, being located in theFirst positions of more polluting countries with CO2 issuance in 2017 .

The high CO2 emissions are generated due to the high degree of industrialization that Australia has developed in recent decades. More than half of the population is foreign or Australians children of foreign fathers or mothers, a phenomenon that began to demonstrate after the end of World War II. "The increase in migrations to this territory due to the golden discoveries of the 1850s with the great first migratory wave, brought with it the beginning of economic growth" . After that, in the postwar period, Australia decided to implement policies aimed at European immigration or the country would perish.

In recent years, regional and Australian government efforts have been maintained for the decrease in CO2 issuance, reducing its indices, but there is still a lot and always leads the list of the most polluting countries in this regard.

When being in the highest indices of CO2 emissions, Australia breaches the commitments acquired in the Paris Treaty. According to the projections for the year 2030, Australia will not achieve a percentage of decrease agreed for that period and even exceed 1.

1 billion tons expected in the Paris Agreement.

Developing

What is CO2 and what impact has on the environment

CO2, whose chemical composition stands out:

As carbon dioxide or CO2 (from its chemical formula: CO2), reference is made to a colorless and soluble gas in water, whose molecules are composed of a carbon atom and two oxygen, united by double covalent bonds.

Carbon dioxide is an extremely abundant gas on the planet, indispensable for life and present in a large part of organic compounds, including hydrocarbons or the air exhaled by living beings. Its biological importance lies in the need that plants have on it to carry out photosynthesis, as well as certain type of bacteria for their energy obtaining processes.

The greatest concentration of this gas on the planet is in the atmosphere, dissolved among many other gases that make up the air. It is produced daily as a byproduct of natural processes, such as breathing, decomposition of organic matter or combustion of it (for example, in forest fires) and in the fermentation of sugars. It is also generated artificially, through fossil fuel burning.

Carbon dioxide has numerous uses, as in some foods and drinks, such as carbonated drinks;In fuels, medicine, extinguishers, among others. Although it is used in several manufactured products, its negative effects can be devastating for the planet and life, especially if it is at high concentrations, by causing a gas effect called “greenhouse effect”.

Greenhouse gases act similarly to the glass ceiling of a greenhouse, catching heat and overheating the planet. The increase in temperatures leads to climate change that includes effects such as sea level increase, changes in precipitation models that produce floods and droughts, and dissemination of vector -transmitted diseases such as malaria. For the purposes of this temperature increase is what is called global warming.

Global warming leads other problems that directly affect Australia such as climate change, with mentionable consequences:

1. The excess gases in the atmosphere produces a non -visible barrier that retains the heat that emanates the planet accumulating it and increasing the temperature of this.
2.  The increase in temperatures and the modification of ecosystems forces fauna and flora to adapt to new conditions, but by their nature those that do not achieve this change are extinguished.
3.  Respiratory diseases, skin damage, renal failure, increased retroviral diseases and malaria
4.  Climate change, alters the order of rainfall, melts the poles, increases sea level and natural disasters power.

Current status in Australia due to carbon dioxide pollution

Australia, a country where its development has spread to the lake of the coast -and not precisely inside -records one of the highest levels of per capita carbon dioxide emission in the world among developed countries. Produces around 1.5% of greenhouse gases globally.

Specific causes: high industrialization in Australia, the high vehicle park, its demographic level, the weak regulation of CO2 emitters

Diffuse causes: the use of chlorofluorocarbons, the agricultural industry, refrigeration, air conditioners, mining

In 2012, the Australian government established a tax of 23 Australian dollars per ton of CO2 issued, which was repealed in 2014 by the Australian Senate, favoring the main companies producing coal, oil and derivatives, as well as methane gas(natural gas) . This measure was imposed to meet the expectations of reducing at least 15% of its carbon dioxide emissions around 2020;also enforced the measures adopted by the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and mainly the Kyoto Protocol. The panorama is not very encouraging: one year after the date established to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Australia has not fulfilled its mission.

The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2019, mentioned some points in favor of prioritization of climate change during his management. However, he himself contradicted: Morrison has mentioned that by 2030 around 26-28% of CO2 emissions will be reduced, which will mean “a credible, fair, responsible and achieveable contribution in the action of climate change”;When the Climate Change Authority – one entity of the same government – recommended that emissions by 2030 must drop at least 45% to reduce future risks.

In fact, the CO2 emissions record has been broken and continued, overcome in 1.1 billion tons expected according to the Paris Agreement.

If Morrison’s climate change discourse contradicts his own entities dedicated to scientific research on climate change, how will the reaction of independent researchers be? Australia is also an oil exporter, and the third in the world ranking, behind Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The answer is simple: the Australian government has not yet reflected a real interest in combating climate change, translated as an increase in sea level, coral bleaching, destruction of terrestrial ecosystems, displacement of Australian aborigines, etc.

And that is clearly reflected in the words of Australian youth, concerned about climate change, where they have determined that the management of Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison have been poorer than sustainable than sustainable in terms of an ecological ecological change.

Interestingly, people of international environmental relevance appear here, in which they suggest a change not only with the Australian government, "but also begin actions with local governments, industries and the international community". The last elections are based exactly on something that has been considered a priority such as climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. From there arises the environmental discourse of Prime Minister Morrison in response to media and population pressure towards more action and less words.

Climate change is being produced gradually, and many of its effects are letting themselves notice. Australia is a clear example, and thus wanted to demonstrate in this research, where ecosystems play an important role.

The loss of biodiversity makes certain interactions cease to be possible. That is why interventions are necessary to stop the consequences of climate change. It requires an understanding of the evolutionary and ecological needs in the oceanic country, thus developing alternatives before the debacle of the last 20 years, such as the heat waves of 2009, 2011 and 2019. To do this, the Meteorology Bureau of the Government of Australia has made available to its citizens a system of heat waves.

The Canberra Government urges a redefinition of ecological understanding about its measures, and must do it as soon as possible, but will be asked, will they assert their priorities before the interests of companies such as the BHP Billion Minera, the Woodsis oil company or the constructions on the ecosystem on the ecosystemMarine?

 Climatic policies implemented by Australia and international organizations to improve the conditions caused by CO₂

The conditions that the planet earth lives before the alarming figures that several international entities launched annually, indicate the deterioration of the ozone layer for the high emissions of CO₂ launched by different sources, the main ones being the industrial sector and the processing of fossil fuels. Hydrocarbons abuse has caused many entities, both non -governmental and states, to worry about searching alternative energy sources that cushion the collateral damage caused by the use of hydrocarbons.

The challenges of the Australian State before the environmental problem in which they are affected are emphasized. Next, the most important to address are mentioned:

According to international climate agreements, Australia has two objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

•  5% below 2000 levels by 2020 (according to the Kyoto protocol) and
•  26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030 (according to the Paris Agreement).

With difficulties in fulfilling its 2020 objective, reaching the objective of 2030 can be a challenge. Climate policy has been a polarizing and highly political issue in Australia. Several proposals to establish an emission trade scheme have taken off, with the previous Government of ALP (Australian Labor Party) finally establishing a carbon pricing mechanism in 2012. However, the ‘Carbon Tax’ was repealed by the Abbott government in 2014. On the other hand, the Emissions Reduction Fund (FER) is now the central piece of the current Australian government policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The Abbott government introduced legislation in the last Parliament in an attempt to abolish the authority of climate change as part of its effort to dismantle the climate policy structure of the former Government of ALP. However, the first abolition bill was rejected by the Senate, while the second bill finally expired. Although the abolition attempt was not successful, half (four) of the member positions of the authority of the authority were vacant for more than a year from 2014. This happened after the members renounced.

The Government also took measures to further reduce hydrofluorocarbons emissions (HFC) by 85% by 2036, with planned measures begun in 2018. These powerful greenhouse gases are commonly used in cooling and air conditioning. The Government has said that it will implement measures to reduce HFC emissions to 80 MT CO2-E for 2030. These measures include prohibiting imports of equipment containing HFC and working with companies to promote adequate installation and maintenance of equipment containing HFC to reduce gas, leakage and use of energy.

Future projections

The projections for CO2 reduction have been modified year after year, since in the 2017 report it was projected that by 2020 the Issuance of CO2 would be 551 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide (MT CO2-E), whileIn the 2018 report 540 MT CO2-E are projected, which represents a 2% reduction. Also, the projections for 2030 were modified, moving from an estimated 570 MT CO2-E in the 2017 report, at 563 MT CO2-E in the 2018 report.

These modifications in the projections have been presented thanks to the reduction in emissions from the use of land and energy demand, the use of renewable energy, among other factors. However, the demand factor is the one that the report analyzes with greater depth.

Possible solutions

These projections also take into account the policies implemented by the Australian government. But these, although they have become moderately effective, will not stop pollution or climate change, since this phenomenon is imminent. Some actions that the Australian government could put into practice would be:

1.  Focus on population education on waste reduction and domestic emissions issues by including a deeper contribution in all Australian education plans.
2.  Make alternative methods for obtaining energy, promoting the use of clean energy in the industry and domestic.
3.  Adopt a new ventilation system in Australian buildings that limit the uses of CO2 emitters.
4.  Renew the transport of people in Australia to reduce CO2 emissions caused by fossil fuel vehicles when implementing an efficient public transport system that resolves the demand of Australians and reduces CO2 emissions .
5.  Increase the Budget of the Emissions Reduction Fund (FER) through more significant contributions in the industry, the agricultural sector, mining and agents that use air conditioners, being also CO2 emitters. Returning to the Ton Tax of CO2 including a new driver tax, and all products containing chlorofluorocarbons.

The recommendations set out previously do not focus on ending the problem of CO2 emissions to totality, but adopting new practices that can reduce the damages that traditional production methods have caused throughout the world industrialization processes, and thus increaseThe life and development opportunities of the following generations.

Conclusions

The current level of CO2 emissions in Australia are the product of economic growth in the country, without planning and without considering the fertilizer to the greenhouse effect that would generate. The industrialization models adapted to the country that began at the end of the 19th century now give their most alarming result by contributing to other environmental problems and impacts on the inhabitants of Australia, such was demonstrated this year with the heat waves that affects not onlythe flora, but to the native fauna of the country, which is vast and unique.

It is true that the government promised to reduce emissions, but its levels are insufficient, in addition to suppressing taxes to carbon dioxide emitting corporations, the same that Australian ecosystems have damaged.

Diffuse causes have not been valued for the realization of plans that slow the emissions and contribute to the treatment of the effects of climate change, the only thing that can be expected is the drasticity with which the authorities will have to act: from a half impact on halfwayUntil a really surprising one, than under pressure from citizens (which are increasing.