~77% of emissions to date are from developed countries

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• 77 of emissions to date are from developed
  countries..us!!
• Australia represents about 1 of world emissions
  and is one of the highest per capita emitters (28
  tonnes per person as against Chinas 5 tonnes per
  person).
• Worryingly observed changes over the last 20
  years reflect the middle to high end of early
  climate change projections.
• and actual global emissions since 2000 grew
  faster than in the highest (worst) of the most
  recent scenarios developed by the
  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
• Hardest hit will be those who didnt cause it and
  have the least ability to cope!!
• It is recognised that we need to reduce emissions
  globally by (at least) 50-60 by 2050. This means
  at least an 80 or more reduction for Australia
  if it is shared out equally (a big global social
  equity issue)!!

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Emissions by sector for South Australia

• Totalling 20 tonnes CO2e per person
• (20 000kg CO2 equivalent) per person in South
  Australia
• 30 of this is residential

Australian emissions by sector.
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An emissions breakdown on a personal level from
day to day activity of this 30.

• 34 of this 30 is transport
• (10 of total) 1/2 of Transport sector
• 40 of 30 is in electricity generation for
  household use
• (12 of total) 1/2 of Stationary energy sector
• 17 of 30 is in gas use in homes and waste
  (5 of total)

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Air travel and greenhouse gas emissions.

• 2 of CO2 emissions globally, Civil Aviation in
  Australia is 1.
• Domestic air travel emissions grew 76 from 1990
  to 2005.
• Total warming from air planes is equal to 3.5
  of global warming due to water vapour and NOx
  injected from jet engines into the stratosphere.
• Air traffic in Australia is growing at 8 pa and
  projected to increase 3x in the next 20 years in
  Australia, double globally, so may end up at
  7-10 of global warming forcing.
• (there is the unknown impact of carbon taxes and
  peak oil??)

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On a recent Adelaide to Melbourne trip.

• flying return 240kg of CO2 per person (from
  online calculator).
• by bus 350L of diesel was used each way for the
  whole bus.
• (1L diesel2.45kg CO2)
• 40 passengers one way, 25 the other 9kg 13 kg
  
• 22kg of CO2 per person
  
• Bus is 10x better in emissions (takes longer
  ...10 hrs vs 3 hrs)
• (bus may be even better because of no water
  vapour and NO2 effect )
• I get a lot of reading done and work on the
  laptop, and meet some interesting people!!
• Train is apparently better for freight than road,
  not as good with passengers as the bus.

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• Sydney to UK return 4.4 tonnes of CO2 (4000kg).
  
• Adelaide to Sydney return 0.44 tonnes (440kg)

• Passenger cars are 8 of national emissions
  (14 for SA).
• Compared with average car use of 15000km per
  year
• Commodore 3.9L 4.5 tonnes of CO2
• 2.0L Corolla 3.2 tonnes of CO2
• 1.3L Mazda 2.2 tonnes of CO2 (with 10 ethanol
  is about 2.0 tonnes)
• Prius or small diesel car 1.7 tonnes of CO2
• Smaller is better!!

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If you really, really have to fly..

• Can carbon offset.
• paying for activities that reduce carbon dioxide
  emissions equal to those from your part of the
  flight.
• ie Virgin Blue, Carbon Planet etc
• The worth of some schemes is not clear ie
  tropical planting may be better than planting in
  mid-latitudes.
• We really need to be both carbon offsetting and
  reducing emissions!!

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What else can we do??

• Solar hot water a bit expensive up front but
  pays back within 2 years. 10
• Turn off standby appliances and buy efficient
  appliances. 7
• Compact fluoro lights not going to save us
  all!!. 4
• Cycle/bus/ buy a small car/hybrid vehicle. 16
• Insulate your roof/doors/windows/hot water pipes.
  5
• Reduce food miles and go veggie/dairy free as
  much as possible!! 10
• (not on pie chart but based on livestock
  producing 18 of emissions per capita)
• Use ethanol or biodiesel 10-20 on 30 3
• Totals 55 savings..each small change adds up!!
• This is without GreenPower or solar PV panels!!
• Join an accredited GreenPower scheme. So can save
  25-50 of 45!!
• (Yes it is a bit more complicated than this
  but..)
• Solar PV panels will save about about the same as
  the GreenPower 25-50 but are currently pretty
  expensive, taking 20 years to pay back.
• Great to do if you can afford it!! People pay
  much more for home renovations!!

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To finish..lots of issues!!

• Going through the process and tracking down the
  figures has been sobering!!
• We can relatively easily right now reduce our
  personal emissions
• (ie 30 of our per capita emissions) by
  60-75
• through behaviour changes and wiser
  purchaseswithout drastic impacts to our lives.
• (so a 4 tonne flight to the UK then becomes an
  even
• bigger percentage of our reduced annual emissions
  of 15-16 tonnes!!)
• But this is only equal to 18-23 of our per
  capita emissions!!!
• This makes a 50-60 per capita target
  interesting.and ultimately (past 2050) we will
  still need to get close to 2.5 tonnes or less per
  person, ie 50 of current global average of 5
  tonnes per person, in any kind of equitable
  world!!
• (with electric vehicles, cheaper solar panels,
  hot rock geothermal,
• CO2 sequestration and.?)
• Need to engage everyonebusiness, industry,
  government, the developed and the developing
  world. Global warming is a global issue!!

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• We can do our bit in our personal 30. Emissions
  more widely are a concern ie business, industry
  and government need to be encouraged to play
  their part.
• And this is in the context of 3 pa economic
  growth and 1.5 pa population riseindividuals
  cant solve this by their actions alone!!
• Stern report determined we could mitigate
  emissions by 25 at cost of 1 GDP by 2050.and
  it will ultimately be 10x more expensive if we
  dont!!
• The developed world needs to use its wealth and
  technology (produced while emitting 77 of the
  problem so far) to introduce better ways of doing
  things, and perhaps most importantly be seen to
  be taking real action to lead the way!!
• It is pretty clear that some big changes are
  needed in our current way of doing
  thingstechnologically and economically, to meet
  targets that have a chance of keeping below 2-3
  degrees warming!!

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Some useful links.

• http//www.realclimate.org/
• www.bom.gov.au/climate
• http//gristmill.grist.org/skeptics
• http//www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/
  myths/index.html

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• This started around not flying but has
  demonstrated that action needs to be taken on all
  fronts!!

We are all on a journey into new territory!!