Greenhouse Gases In Australia

Illustrating the actual and potential impacts of climate change this paper seeks to dramatize the impacts climate change could have on Australia’s national security if action to cut carbon emissions is not taken.

The change I’d like to see is that big corporate companies, like Essar Algoma and U.S steel pay carbon taxes. Having to pay money for every ton of pollutants released, will give companies the incentive to reduce their

Emissions of CO2 was estimated around 130 million tonnes per year. The amount of emissions is account for around 25 percent of the total emissions in Australia. Environmentalists suggested that emissions from burning of coal and coalmine processing are substantially contributes to increase green house gas in the atmosphere that results in global warning. Importantly, the effect of climate change will have a great significance on Great Barrier Reef.

Climate change induced coastal hazards in Australia: vulnerabilities, adaptation strategies in development planning and adaptation cost in South Australia

Government enacted solutions are probably the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions and to control pollution since unfortunately the majority of individuals mainly act to their own self-interest and are not concerned with the future of the planet. This is a prime example of the tragedy of the commons, which is the exploitation of a common resource. In this case the common resource is the atmosphere. The first method proposed is the carbon cap trade system. The term cap means the limit or the maximum of the amount of pollutant to be emitted. A trade refers to the transfer of permits that have to be bought by firms that need to increase their volume of emissions from firms that require fewer permits 1. The carbon tax method is a tax on the carbon content of fuels — effectively a tax on the carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels 2. So, which system would be best for the government to enact to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere?

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cap and trade initiative set to regulate and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases from power generating facilities with an electrical capacity equal or greater than 25 electrical megawatts (RGGI, 2015). The drafting of this initiative started in 2003 when Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Maine (ME), Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), Rhode Island (RI), and Vermont (VT) showed interest in reviewing greenhouse gas emissions and a cap-trade coalition to address the emission from power plants in their territory. In 2005, the above mentioned states with the exception of RI and MA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlined the model rules for the program. Some of the topics outlined in RGGI Model Rule include: the responsibilities of the account representatives, permitting recommendations, monitoring requirements, compliance certification reports, control periods and others. The Model Rules were also the building blocks used to develop state-specific regulations supporting the goals and actions necessary to succeed as a member. In 2007 MA, RI and MD also signed the MOU (RGGI, 2015a; RGGI, 2015b). On January 1, 2012, RGGI lost one of its founding members after the governor of NJ; Chris Christie withdrew NJ’s support to the initiative. Throughout its participation, NJ received over $100 million in revenues directly from the RGGI markets. (Christie, 2011) The

This is not only a benefit to the environment, but it also benefits the shareholders as a more efficient company will turn a better profit. Suncor has made it a goal to improve energy efficiency by 10% by 2015. To do this is had focused on developing technologies to increase energy efficiency and recapture. Carbon capture and storage (CCS), Integrated CO2 Network (ICO2N) and CO2 Capture Project (CCP3) are all developed policy and technology projects that have been deployed throughout the Suncor organization. Suncor is also taking a leadership role in Carbon Management Canada (CMC). Suncor is revisiting future growth project designs to evaluate GHG reduction opportunities. Suncor is also participating in advanced research on GHG abatement technologies through CMC, ICO2N, CCP3 and other groups.

Until recently, many of the environmentalist policies of the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard have been quite moderate, such as encouraging children to turn off their game consoles when not in use. On the government-run Clean Energy Future homepage, the website proclaims: "Switching off video game consoles when not in use could save households up to $150 a year enough to buy several great new games." The website provides a link to tips for ordinary consumers about how they can save money on energy costs through conservation efforts. This is environmentalism marketed from a self-interested perspective. The message is that people can save money and save energy at the same time. While this is a helpful promotional campaign in some respects, it is also somewhat inaccurate, given that many of the measures that must be taken to save the planet will likely be more costly and result in the consumer having to give up certain things and to pay more money for others. Organic food and hybrid cars, for example, cost more than standard-grown food and standard vehicles.

Global warming is a phenomenon leading to climate change. Human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of greenhouse gases. These gases absorb infrared radiation and cover the atmosphere. More and more infrared radiation is inside the Earth, which becomes warmer. This process is called global warming (Houghton, 2005). Australia is one of the countries, which is suffering from climate change. The average temperature of Australia has increased by 0.7°C since the past century. Average precipitation in the southwest and southeast in Australia will decrease in future decades, while northwest regions will increase in precipitation. Moreover, Australia’s coastlines will suffer from erosion and inundation because it is estimated that there will be an 8–88 cm increasing global sea level (Preston and Jones, 2006). Owing to climate change, Australia’s biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural habitats are destroyed. For example, the habitat of the Great Barrier Reef and coral communities are disappearing (Preston and Jones, 2006). Owing to the effects and it is energy crisis in the future, exploring the renewable energy source feasibility and sustainable development is necessary. Therefore, in the long term, the potential of wind energy and solar energy could be the answer to global warming in Australia and determine the current barriers to renewable energy in terms of the energy industry and the locations in Australia.

CO2 is the most significant greenhouse gas, which mainly comes from the use of fossil fuels. Many people feel that content of CO2 in the atmosphere is the main reason for manmade global warming. The main sources of CO2 emissions involve electricity generation, industrial processes, fumes from transportation and commercial buildings and use. Emissions of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, to the atmosphere are expected to cause even more of a significant change in global climate (Davison, 2007). The main focus to try to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to reduce the amount that is released from coal-fired power plants. Greenhouse gas emissions that involve the productions of electricity come from natural gas production and coal-fired power plant operations. Natural gas production accounts for twenty-four percent and coal-fired power plant operations accounts for seventy-five percent, while the other one percent is caused by other electricity generation operations. The main reason why coal-fired power plants have a higher percentage of emissions is because the sulfur content of coal is much higher than that of other fossil fuels (Jarmaillo et al., 2007). This proves that there is a great need to find an alternative fossil fuel to use instead of coal. Although coal is easy to mine, transport and process for the electricity generation process, it is also the

It is reported that nearly three quarters of green house gases are a result of humans burning fossil fuels from nonrenewable energy, cars, and electricity (LaMeaux, 2014). The effects of carbon emission on climate change are having devastating and many irreversible

Government banned carbon trading schemes, creating demand for more fuel efficient aircraft as a way to save money (BBC, 2012).

This is not the case for carbon trading as, “the protocol, most of the world’s wealthy countries agreed to reduce their GHG emissions by fixed percentage” (Weeks, 6), states Weeks. Weeks explains, “if they can’t reach the required reductions, rich nations can also “offset” some of their GHG emissions by buying credits from energy saving projects” (Weeks, 6). Buying and selling credits is nothing more than a crutch used to support a pollution-dependent economy and just a band-aid to an ever growing problem. Carbon credits do nothing more than give polluters a lawful way to continue releasing excessive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, which is a reason why the Kyoto treaty does not work, rather it allows climate change to continue spiraling out of control. Carbon’s Hasselknippe states, “Some offset projects in North America [where companies are experimenting with emission reductions and trading] are even more questionable than CDM projects. Without a regulated market anything goes” (Weeks, 32). With the aforementioned, it is vividly clear that carbon trading is a problem and not a solution as it was destined to fail from the start given the lack of government oversight.

The warming also leads to economic losses. It has a negative impact on water resources, food production, health and the environment that without taking proper measures leads to a loss equivalent to at least 5% of global GDP. Two-thirds of the world 's CO2 emissions are produced by ten countries, led by China, the US, India and Russia. However, the amount of emissions per capita is different: for example, according to the World Bank for 2011-2015. It amounted 6.7 metric tones per capita in China, compared to 17 metric tones per capita in the US population and 4.9 tones per capita in the entire world (The World Bank).

Pollution, specifically global warming, is of growing concern to people and governments. It is a controversial issue whose validity is still being debated by scientists. The Kyoto Protocol is an international attempt to address global warming through emissions controls. Traditional neoclassical economic models do not incorporate pollution in rudimentary theories of supply, demand, or pricing, as a result, firms do not consider pollution as a cost of production, which leaves government regulation as the primary method for controlling these externalities. The goal of emissions trading is to allow one business, which can make greenhouse gas emission reductions for a relatively low cost, to sell