The dramatic fall in Europe’s carbon price in April led to claims emissions trading had failed as a model for addressing climate change. While the low EU price is problematic for the EU and Australia (by virtue of our linkage with the EU), carbon pricing is still the most efficient tool to address climate change at the scale required.
A recent agreement between Australia and China to cooperate on climate change could be a tipping point that makes the Coalition’s pledge to repeal the carbon price unachievable. Under the agreement, Australia and China will establish a carbon trading experts group and conduct joint research as China moves towards its own national emissions trading scheme after 2015.
When it comes to climate change, temperature is only part of the story. Climate gases released by human activity are dissolving into the oceans, and the increased levels of CO₂ are making the waters more acid. This process threatens marine life from coral reefs to fragile polar ecosystems. It seems likely that the polar oceans will be the first to feel the full force of ocean acidification. These cold seas may provide an important lesson for Australia’s warmer waters.
The Green Screen: Climate Fix Flicks competition was an initiative of climate scientists from Macquarie University, The University of Melbourne and Monash Sustainability Institute.
View the winning videos: http://greenscreen.herokuapp.com/
This conference will bring together the entire scientific community, to cultivate discussions and collaboration, and draw on the mathematical sciences to solve challenges faced by our planet.
Abstracts close: 31 May 2013
Professor Rod Keenan, Director of the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research explains that as Australia faces almost inevitable climate warming, the solution via adaptation depends upon research.
The aim of the CRC is to provide government and industry with social, technological and policy tools to overcome identified market barriers preventing adoption of cost effective low carbon products and services, while maintaining industry competitiveness and improving quality of life.
Theme Leader: A/Prof Richard Eckard
Climate change is a global phenomenon involving changes in natural and social systems at all scales. It is a problem characterised by uncertainty about present and future natural and social processes. The implementation of solutions will profoundly challenge some of our most powerful and persistent institutions. Melbourne University researchers are actively engaged in meeting the challenges that climate change presents.
Our research on climate change reflects the University’s research profile both in breadth and excellence. Exploring the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change involves interdisciplinary research that combines insights from the natural and social sciences, humanities and arts.
The quality of our climate change research is demonstrated by our presence in international fora, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Earth Systems Science Partnership; our success in obtaining competitive research grants; and through peer-reviewed publications in leading journals. Much of our research actively engages key decision makers from the community, business and political sectors at local, state, and national levels both within Australia and internationally.
