Global Warning

Monday 9 February 2009

Last week I, and everybody else living here in Melbourne, endured five days of temperatures over 43 degrees Celcius. On Saturday the temperature reached a record 46 degrees with some parts of Melbourne recording 48 (118 degrees Farenheit).

Now that is probably nothing unusual for people living in parts of the Middle East or Africa. But for Melbourne, which until recently has boasted a pleasant "mediterranean" climate, it is a matter of great concern. And the weather bureau warns that there are more weeks like that to come.

For several years Melbourne has also had restrictions on how much water can be used and for what purpose. Unlike countries that have high mountain ranges covered in snow for the winter months, Australia has very little high country and very little snow. Water in the rivers comes mainly from rainfall. And for years the rainfall has been significantly below average - a prolonged drought. Melbourne's water storages are down to about 30% of their capacity. And for a city of several million that is a problem.

After a week of above 40 temperatures last Saturday's 46 degree heat brought warnings about health and fire. The warnings were totally justified. The city's morgues are full from people who could not survive the heat. And now the people of Victoria are in shock from devastating fires that swept across the state and are still continuing to burn.

As I write the news tells me that over 700 homes have been destroyed so far and well over 100 people have died in the fires that started on Saturday. Some of the news can be read here.

But while Victoria and the southern part of Australia endures a heat wave, three thousand kilometres to the north in Northern Queensland there are floods and torrential rainfall.

And in England record snow falls have brought chaos to the country.

Countries that get most of their water supplies from melting snows and glaciers are finding that their glaciers are melting at a record rate.

I think we could easily conclude that the worlds climate is undergoing change - and rapidly. And that human activities have contributed to the causes of the change.

It is time we stopped and asked whether the things we do are necessary. All of the things we do. Even the simplest things like turning on a light switch. Or driving to the local shop.

It might seem that using electricity to illuminate a room for an hour or two is hardly likely to cause a problem. Or that driving a kilometre or two each day to buy a newspaper or loaf of bread will be insignificant. Or accepting a plastic bag at the check-out to carry an item that already is over-packaged won't matter.

But when many millions of people do the same every day the effect is profound.

As Barack Obama recently said, and as many others have said before him, don't just sit back and and wait for somebody else to fix the problem. We need to start fixing it ourselves. Don't assume that our individual contribution is too small to make a difference - millions of small things add up to a very large thing.