Garnaut shows native forests part of climate solution
Australia’s forests have been giant carbon banks for hundreds of years. They draw carbon from the air and store it in the branches, trunks, roots and soil of the natural living forest.
Reducing the effects of Climate Change
|
A climate change solution that’s good for both people and the planet requires two things: minimising our carbon emissions, and repairing the damage we’ve already done by maximising the uptake of carbon out of the atmosphere. Protecting and restoring our native forests is the only genuine solution that can do both – plus it can enable us to make deep cuts to our emissions sooner. A significant breakthrough for climate change and forests was contained deep in the final report of Professor Ross Garnaut, released on 30 September 2008. Professor Garnaut’s final report says that Australia’s greenhouse emissions can be reduced dramatically if logging of native forests and land-clearing are stopped immediately.While the overall thrust of the report was disappointing (in that it fails to set adequate targets for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases), a major step forward occurred with the inclusion of the findings of research by the Australian National University on the carbon-carrying capacity of Australia’s eucalypt forests. |
|
|||||||||||
Given the current trajectory of emissions, scientists are now predicting a temperature increase of up to 6.1˚C and a sea-level rise of 1 to 3.7 metres by 2100. With 18% of annual global emissions caused by deforestation, we can no longer ignore the role of forests and native vegetation in the climate solution.
- Groundbreaking new science from researchers at ANU reveals that Australia has some of the most carbon-rich forests in the world – storing more carbon per hectare than tropical forests in Indonesia or Brazil.
The table also shows that additional emission reductions will occur if all clearing of land for agriculture also ceases. Approximately 35% of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are the result of past land clearing.
Green Carbon science
This final installment of the Garnaut Review acknowledges that international estimates on how much carbon occurs in a standing native forest may be conservative. It quotes figures from the Australian National University (ANU) Green Carbon Report that shows Australia’s native forests contain about three times as much carbon as estimated by international climate authorities. (S. 22.3.7, page 556).
This groundbreaking new science from researchers at the ANU reveals that Australia has some of the most carbon-rich forests in the world – storing more carbon per hectare than tropical forests in Indonesia or Brazil. This means huge amounts of carbon will be preserved when Australia's natural forests are protected from logging.
The science is clear – Professor Garnaut has confirmed the value of
protecting Australia’s our forests and bushland as carbon banks; there
is simply no excuse not to act now.
Take Action
The Wilderness Society recently delivered 10,000 submissions from concerned members of the public, calling on Prime Minister Rudd to act on climate change by protecting native forests as carbon banks.
Add your voice and let our Prime Minister know that Australians want to protect our forests as part of the climate solution - not pulp them for short-term profit. Take action >>
For more information, please contact:
The Wilderness Society Inc
GPO Box 716, Hobart TAS 7001, Australia
Phone: (03) 6270 1701 | Fax: (03) 6231 6533 | Email: info@wilderness.org.au
Membership enquiries, donations: Freecall 1800 030 641 | Email: members@wilderness.org.au
ABN: 62 007 508 349
Sign online!
Wilderness shops
Donate
