You know things are serious when the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres escalates the rhetoric. On 6th September he commented on the latest World Meteorological Organisation report saying that Climate Breakdown has begun.
"The dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting.
"Our planet has just endured a season of simmering — the hottest summer on record. Climate breakdown has begun.
"Scientists have long warned what our fossil fuel addiction will unleash. Our climate is imploding faster than we can cope with extreme weather events hitting every corner of the planet.
"Surging temperatures demand a surge in action. Leaders must turn up the heat now for climate solutions. We can still avoid the worst of climate chaos — and we don’t have a moment to lose."
Dr Andrew Forrest, Iron Ore Billionaire and Chairman of Fortescue, gets that we have a climate emergency.
Maybe it was that marine science degree he did.
Fortescue has set real zero emissions targets by 2030, not net zero, no fiddling with carbon offset credits with questionable integrity.
He wants the phase out of Fossil Fuel Subsidies, better regulation by government, including to stop approval of new coal, oil and gas.
While governments need to lead on regulation, businesses need to also step up, forget carbon credits, real zero emission targets are needed.
He understands what we face with deaths from Lethal heat as temperatures rise. Yes, including in the northern bounds of Australia where temperatures over 35C plus high humidity will cause significant rates of heat related death.
He argues businesses need to lead on this at APEC meeting in November proposing to major economies of USA, China and India in particular, to render illegal any action that would prevent mitigation of global warming.
He concluded his presentation:
"Business people, if we are not fighting with our own governments, can lead this and make it happen. Thats what I'm asking. A simple agreement led by business, fast. Because it is business, and I need you to know, it is business that is causing global warming. It is business that will kill your children. It is business which is responsible for lethal humidity. But it is policies that guide business. You must hold us to account. Don't let us with our clever advertising blame you the consumer. Or you the public or individual. Thats rubbish. Business, guided by government will either destroy or save this planet. Hold us to account. Make us change."
Early Fire season started this weekend in SE Queensland. Warmer temperatures with climate change is driving earlier fire seasons, more intense fire weather.
This fire season in Queensland is one month earlier start than the 2019-2020 bushfire season.
Key Points: BOM says conditions ripe for high fire danger Meteorologists warn people must take precautions Australia's worst recorded bushfire season of 2019-2020 sparked on Queensland's Granite Belt in Sep 2019, burnt for months.
According to the Buraeu of Meteorology fire danger for the following regions were rated high on Friday: Capricornia, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast. All other regions were rated as moderate fire danger.
We are just having a record warm winter in Tasmania, parts of Victoria and Sydney, slightly more pleasant temperatures, but in Chile and Argentina in South America at the moment it is hot...in winter...Australian climate heatwave expert A/Prof. Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick (@sarahinscience) described the South American heat event:
"what the actual F**K. this is totally insane. When I first saw this, I had trouble believing it myself. I'm shocked. Buenos Aires broke a record by over 5C - that's like Sydney experiencing a 30+C day at this time of year. This is bonkers. #climatechange" https://twitter.com/sarahinscience/status/1686931331350188035
Temperature records tumble during winter in Tasmania in July. And Sydney set a new warmist July record. It seems July temperature records aren't only being broken during the northern hemisphere heatwaves, but also in the depths of winter season in Australia.
In Tasmania:
statewide mean maximum temperature was 1.40 °C above the 1961-1990 average, the warmest on record.
statewide mean minimum temperature was 2.63 °C above the 1961-1990 average, the warmest on record since observations begun in 1910.
Minimum temperatures were more than 8 °C higher than average for parts of the north-east on the 8th.
13th July particularly warm. Many sites had their highest daily minimum temperature for July on record.
Hobart had its warmest July night on record reaching 13.0 °C (137 years of observations).
"For Tasmania, the July statewide mean maximum temperature was 1.40 °C above the 1961-1990 average, the warmest on record. For New South Wales this July was the fourth-warmest on record, for Victoria the sixth-warmest on record and for South Australia the tenth-warmest on record."
"Tasmania's statewide mean minimum temperature was 2.63 °C above the 1961-1990 average, the warmest on record since observations begun in 1910. For Queensland this July was the seventh-warmest on record."
"much of Tasmania had a very warm night on the 13th. Many sites had their highest daily minimum temperature for July on record. Hobart had its warmest July night on record reaching 13.0 °C (137 years of observations)."
This follows a warm June with temperature and rainfall records falling:
A couple of sites had their highest June temperature on record and a couple of others their highest daily minimum temperature on record on the 17th due to a prevailing and warm north to north-westerly airstream.
A few sites had their highest June daily rainfall on record and a couple their highest total June rainfall on record.
Satirist Mark Humphries does some marketing for the aviation and international travel industry, taking into account current climate conditions in this new Age of Global Boiling. It reflects the amount of travel advertising reliant on boosting aviation, which exacerbates the climate crisis.
Voiceover: "Ironically emissions from air travel are part of the problem".
Meanwhile the Tourism and aviation industry pin their hopes for growth on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). But these fuels are problematic, not a silver bullet.
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General made a blistering speech launching an analysis by the World Meteorological organisation confirming July 2023 as the hottest month ever recorded by a large margin.
He called for "Leaders must lead, No more hesitancy. No more excuses. No more waiting for others to move first. There is simply no more time for that." He called in particular for "stop oil and gas expansion, and funding and licensing for new coal, oil and gas.".
Will Australia's Labor Government listen to this call? They have already approved new coal and gas, and Scarborough Gas and Beetaloo Gas and pending.
Across the globe we are seeing incredible anomalies in global temperatures, sea surface temperatures and Antarctic sea ice extent decline.
Record global daily temperatures in July
"23rd day of record global temperatures, likely the hottest 23 days in the last 100,000+ years, making much of the planet unsafe for children and other living things." Professor Eliot Jacobson
Commonwealth Bank are preparing a new Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) policy framework which the Board of the Bank will consider on August 9, 2023. I sent the board members the following email raising my concerns and asking them to take action.
While Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lauded joining the Climate Club as Australia stepping up in climate policy ambition, the real ambition was outlined in a statement by the High Ambition Coalition last Friday, 14 July 2023, calling for Ending the Fossil Fuel Era & Move Towards a Clean Energy World.
If Australia has true climate ambition it should join the High Ambition Coalition and implement policies that reflect actual high climate ambition, not just rhetoric.
