Research and Reports

Assessing the Government and Lobbying Efforts

National Compact Report: The National Compact Consultation Report is now available.  This Report outlines findings from extensive consultation with organisations from across the non-profit Sector (including CANA). Many respondents highlighted the need for the Compact to deliver measurable change through agreed actions. Consultation identified eight priority action areas. Progressing these action areas as soon as possible will ensure the Compact can start to make a real difference. The priority action areas include protecting the Sector’s right to advocacy irrespective of any funding relationship that might exist; recognising Sector diversity in consultation processes and Sector development initiatives; and improving the information sharing including greater access to publicly funded research and data. The report is available at: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/communities/pubs/national_compact_consultation/Pages/default.aspx.

Exposing the Australian- and international anti- climate action lobby: The Fairfax media have upped the ante on climate politics, with a massive spread last weekend by Marian Wilkinson, Ben Cubby and (the former Aidwatch director) Flint Duxfield exposing more of the climate lobby (see here: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-war-gets-personal-for-rudd-20091106-i24u.html; http://www.smh.com.au/national/duplicate/dbj/environment/not/used; http://www.smh.com.au/pdf/climatechange_lobbyingregister.pdf ). This links in with a global effort of investigative journalists to 'out' the lobbying efforts of big business that want to hold back any progressive mitigation policies and global deals (see http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/global_climate_change_lobby/).

Climate change and natural resources

• NSW's 'Who Cares About The Environment in 2009?': The NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water has released the latest edition of its survey on behaviour and knowledge about the environment by NSW residents. In 2009, the environment remains a priority for people in NSW, who rank it in the top five issues, both now and in the future. Of relevance to CANA's member groups, while public awareness and knowledge of climate change is improving, there is still a long way to go. The 2000 respondents had a tendency to think about climate change as a future, rather than current, risk. Urban and regional seminars that draw on this research will be held around NSW in March and April- contact sustainability@environment.nsw.gov.au for dates and venues. The report can be downloaded from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/community/whocares2009.htm.

• Climate changes what we will eat: CSIRO has published the book, 'Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change', on agriculture's future in an attempt to explain what agriculture can do to adapt. For the wine industry, grapes normally grown in hotter areas would move to cooler locations, and some regions not used for viticulture may be transformed into wine producers. Green oranges and yellow tomatoes may be another thing that consumers will have to get used to, as climate change affects the colour and nutritional value of horticultural produce. Leafy crops such as lettuce and spinach may have reduced yields and be of poorer quality due to ''bolting'', which means prematurely forming seed heads or flowers. There may also be reduced sugar content in peas, strawberries and melons if the nights are warmer, while fruits may have less vitamin C. The areas suitable for growing apples, pears and stone fruit, which require chilling, may be reduced by climate change, while the land area for subtropical fruit, including bananas, pineapples and avocados is likely to expand. More details are available at: http://www.csiro.au/news/AdaptingAgriculture.html.

• Climate Change and Water gives detailed information on the impact of climate change on water for cities, farming and the environment.
• Warnings from the Bush sets out the potential impact of climate change on Australia's natural environment
• Greenpeace and Fire Union on climate risks:This week, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and the NSW Fire Brigade Employees' Union released 'Future Risks: The increased risk of catastrophic bushfires due to climate change'. Bushfire conditions are clearly changing and there is strong evidence that global warming is making Australia’s climate more bushfire-prone. Seasons are getting longer and fires are becoming more frequent and intense. This report outlines how the current lack of national and global action on climate change is set to dramatically raise Australia’s bushfire risk. Firefighters are the first line of defence against bushfires, and are consequently those most at risk of injury from increased bushfire activity. Their dangerous job is risky, and the trend towards more intense and longer duration bushfires increases those dangers.  
• Climate change impacts on Tasmanian water: Climate change is expected to reduce both rainfall and runoff in Tasmania by 2030, a CSIRO report into Tasmania’s future water availability has found. The CSIRO Tasmania Sustainable Yields report found that the recent climate (1997-2007) had been significantly drier than the historical climate; that the reduction in rainfall is projected to lead to a 5 per cent reduction in runoff under a median climate; and that half of the 150 key ecological sites identified in this project are potentially impacted by changes in the flow regime due to the recent climate and its significant drought conditions. The report is one in a series of sustainable yields projects commissioned by the Australian Government, following on from the Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields project.

Climate change and the community

• Social Impacts of Climate Change examines the impact of climate change in Australia on Indigenous communities, health, tourism, rural communities and housing.
• CSIRO Report: Green jobs (2008)
• Humans depend on very complex ecological systems for our existence, and climate change is bound to affect these systems and therefore us. We can be directly affected by the extremes of temperature, and indirectly affected by floods, droughts, pollution, and the systems which provide us with food and water, and therefore our survival. As the climate changes, each of these and many other factors are affected. The geographical limits of plants and animals will change, even the spread of disease can be altered as a result of climate change.  The WHO (World Health Organisation) has published a report on how our health might be affected by climate change, along with an analysis of what we might do to respond. WHO Report: Climate Change and Human Health- Risks and Responses. CANA has produced a report entitled The Health Benefits of Mitigating Global Warming in Australia, which considers the likely effects of climate change on our health, and the benefits of acting now. 
• Australian trends- Less water use, more energy: The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released its latest analysis of our flgrant energy consumption patterns in 'Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends 2010' (cat. no. 4613.0). While water consumption fell, energy use rose. Australia's heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially for power generation, has seen greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector rise by almost one-half since 1990, however emissions per head of population fell by 12% over the same period. The Northern Territory and Western Australia lead other states in solar hot water use (54% and 21%, respectively), but overall, less than 10% of Australian homes were using solar hot water in 2008. In 2008, only half (53%) of homes in New South Wales had insulation, compared to the national average of just over 60% - but most people were insulating for comfort rather than to save energy. Australians are also living in larger homes with fewer people; this is increasing greenhouse emissions from the electricity and gas used to build and run them. Over three quarters of people use a private vehicle to travel to work, but the proportion using public transport is slowly increasing.