Government heat map ‘wake up call’ to stop burning fossil fuels
Climate Media Centre
Advocacy groups have welcomed the release of the Federal Government’s announcement of a heat mapping tool to assist affected communities deal with the worst of extreme heat, but have called on government to do more to address the root cause, climate change caused by the continued use of fossil fuels.
Emma Bacon, Executive Director of Sweltering Cities:
“Heatwaves are Australia’s deadliest environmental disaster, so we welcome the Government’s acknowledgement of the severe impacts being felt by communities across the country. Clearly, some of the communities most impacted in areas like Western Sydney are facing climate, health, housing and cost of living crises all at once. We welcome this significant new piece of work in clearly illustrating who is most at risk of heat health impacts.
“In my experience, the people living in hot homes and hot suburbs across the country know that heatwaves are dangerous and that members of their community are at risk. People aren’t underprepared for extreme heat through lack of knowledge, they’re being prevented from following health advice because they’re anxious about electricity bills so don’t turn on air con, or they’re renters and can’t make simple upgrades to their homes to be more energy efficient.
“The map demonstrates that some of the most dangerous areas are home to millions of people. We need to stop burning fossil fuels that contribute to rising temperatures and will make this crisis unmanageable for the public and the government. We cannot properly adapt to run-away global warming.
“This map should be a wake up call to everybody in this Government that they can’t sit on their hands when it comes to helping vulnerable communities to be safe in dangerous rising temperatures. We’ll be eagerly awaiting the announcement of how this Government and all state and territory governments plan to respond to this new map with programs and funding to help our communities be safe.”
Dr Kate Wylie, GP and Doctors for the Environment Australia executive director:
“As medical doctors, DEA welcomes the heat-health risk index as a forward thinking action by our government.
“Clinically we are seeing the health impacts of heat and heat waves, we are seeing heart attacks and kidney disease, mental health exacerbations as well as heat-related illnesses, so this is a timely intervention.
“I’d strongly encourage people to check out their own suburb and then maybe have a chat with their doctor about their individual risks so they can protect themselves. People can also look up DEA’s Heat and Health Fact Sheet for straightforward information on how to stay safe in the heat.
“Of course, this type of adaptation is only one side of the story and to truly protect our health we need to cut climate pollution. That means phasing out coal, oil and gas as we know they are the primary driver of global heating and the increase we are seeing in heat related illness.”
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
Your contribution to help with the running costs of this site will be gratefully accepted.
You can donate through PayPal or credit card via the button below, or donate via bank transfer: BSB: 062500; A/c no: 10495969
11 comments
Login here Register here-
Phil Pryor -
Roswell -
Cheryl Tonkin -
Andrew Smith -
Cool Pete -
corvusboreus -
GL -
Canguro -
GL -
corvusboreus -
corvusboreus
Return to home pageDoes anyone with a functioning brain believe that the amazingly deficient Peter Duckwit-Futton can read this, comprehend this, act upon it intelligently? The Queensland queaseguts, a former rotten copper by evidence of his childish temper, is greatly undereducated for life, work, service. He has done so little, done it badly, has been part of the worst run of lying, cheating, bludging, boasting, inferior government from Anality Abbott to Merdemouthed Morrison, that nothing good can come from even listening to him. He hasn’t the brains of a sheep ( or has he the brains of a sheep?) and has never learned restraint, decency, manners, control.
He’s only ever read one thing, Phil: Mein Kampf.
Let’s also extend this issue to those purchasing the ridiculous oversized yanky utes, fuel guzzlers on steroids !!!
And don’t forget those tourists who just can’t stop flying across the globe adding to over tourism problem.
This measure in itself is more tinkering around the edges on PR versus direct action by the government on hastening the transition to renewable sources vs. RW media noise, deflection and talking points on nuclear, calling into question whether solar, wind, batteries etc. even work, claims of not economic and the issues of disposing….too easy.
Burn-Murdoch in FT Data Points shows the evidence on letting ‘free market’ focus prevail in support of renewables, but esp. UK and Aus are lagging the rest of the developed world, as Biden’s admin is speeding up the US transition (article inc. excellent graphic comparing nations declining emissions due to use of renewables, but increasing growth at same time:
‘Economics may take us to net zero all on its own. The plummeting cost of low-carbon energy has already allowed many countries to decouple economic growth from emissions’
https://www.ft.com/content/967e1d77-8d3c-4256-9339-6ea7025cd5d3
Tone the Botty made a bloody dickhead of himself when he farted that action to address climate change was doing harm and that global warming was doing good and made an even greater fuckwit of himself when he farted that climate change was ahistorical and implausible! Contrary to that dickhead’s farts, global warming is historical, and more people die in heatwaves than in cold snaps. And planting a few trees by a Green Army will have no effect on climate change!
The crap that he farted about Australian coal is about as logical as comparing two truckdrivers. One truckdriver shaves, showers and brushes his teeth every day, and wears a clean pair of underpants and a clean pair of socks every day, but wears the same shirt and pants until they fall to pieces and then buys another set, as opposed to one who never showers or brushes his teeth and shaves daily, and never wears clean clothes. The first one is cleaner, but once he steps out of the shower, brushes his teeth and puts on his underpants and socks, the minute he throws on the same shirt and trousers that he’s been wearing for however many days, the sweat, oil and grease from the clothes come back onto his body!
We need to stop burning fossil fuels, have solar panels atop new houses and solar hot water systems or heat pumps. What many people will find, once they have that is that their power bills will drop which will ease bill stress!
Some Climate News
(for those few still actively attempting to give 1/2 a shit).
The last ten months have all seen ‘unprecedentedly’ high temperatures, often breaching the ‘<1.5°c above pre-industrial level’ aspirations of the Paris accord.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-09/data-can-t-explain-off-the-charts-heat/103649190
These readings exceed the worst predictions and expectations of climate scientists, who are now debating whether the prolonged spike is merely an El-Nino anomaly or the early onset of new normal.
Apparently the August readings should tell the tale more fully.
Meanwhile, in Antarctica…
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/152547/antarctic-sea-ice-at-near-historic-lows
It seems that whilst we were collectively dithering and bickering over personal preferences in gate designs, the horse may have up and bolted straight out of the yard.
Have a nice day.
I wonder if Der Spud is going to keep his mouth shut or try and use the Bondi incident as an excuse to unleash yet another round of his unceasing attacks on Labor, this time about “escalating” crime and, dare I say it, veiled hints about immigrants. Only time will tell.
Not to diss on the good works of the organisation known as Sweltering Cities, but their comment of “Heat map a wake up call” … well geez, I guess I must be a very heavy sleeper if I’ve missed the many other dozens of wake up calls. Anyways, kudos, keep it up, and the more we ring the bells and bang on the saucepans the more people will take notice of this slow sleepwalk into the furnace.. he says hopefully, not holding his breath though.
David Bowie’s Where Are We Now? sheds a modicum of context on what’s currently unfolding.
Cool Pete,
I can picture Saggy the Botty going outside one day in the near future only to see that the tyres on his car have melted and thinking (if he has the spare Liberal brain cell that day) as he watches the Kingswood sinking in the bitumen driveway, “Gosh, it’s a hot day.”
Canguro,
Not to diss on the legacy of the long white Duke, but for me Sir Bob offers a more succinct situational summation of predominant societal attitudes to the rapidly unfolding Anthropogenic mass extinction event that we are currently witnessing;
PS, of all the assorted characters in classical history/mythology, I probably sympathise most with Cassandra.
Fun fact; with around 54% of coral populations currently showing signs of bleaching across the 3 main oceans, international oceanographers have declared another global heat-related bleaching event.
At the currently observed rate of spread, this whiteout will likely surpass the levels of the 2014-17 ‘disaster’.