Beechworth Urban Landcare and Sustainability

by Charlie Robinson

Although the visual similarities are tenuous at best, I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  Let me explain. Shortly, I and millions of other Australians, will receive $900 which the Government hopes will be spent to revive an ailing economy. At the same time, along with other stimulatory measures, the Government is spending up to 43 billion dollars to upgrade the countries internet system. Am I missing something?

The last time I looked, southern Australia (in particular the Murray-Darling Basin), which produces a fair proportion of our domestic and export food, was in dire straits due to the ravages of climate change. Inflows into the basin are the lowest ever recorded and 2009 is forecast to be another dry year. Recent comments by a DSE spokesman suggest that climate change refugees may emanate from towns along the Murray River.

At a global level, a poll of climate change experts conducted after last month’s Copenhagen climate change conference revealed that a rise in global temperatures of 4-5 degrees is likely by 2100. Of those who said that 2 degrees is still achievable, it was acknowledged that their opinion was more out of hope than belief. A recent article in New Scientist drew the same conclusions but acknowledged that their forecasts did not include the effects of methane release from melting permafrost or the cessation of the Gulf Stream.  Either of these events could alter global temperatures by 6 degrees.

What does a rise of 4 degrees mean for this area?  Essentially all of Australia will be uninhabitable due to excessive temperatures and lack of rainfall.  An article in the Melbourne Age (April 15, 2009) states that, at 4 degrees increase in temperature, food will only be grown in polar regions while the New Scientist estimates population losses of 6 billion people, with remnant populations in northern Scandinavia, northern Siberia, Antarctica and New Zealand.

A recent report by the Victorian Government using CSIRO data revealed that, for Beechworth, we can expect (in the worst of three given scenarios) temperatures to exceed 40 degrees on only three days by 2070.  The report also suggests that temperatures will rise by only 1.9 degrees by 2070. With eleven days over 40 degrees recorded on our verandah this summer, we have evidence enough that we are tracking well above the direst climate change predictions.

Did you know that Beechworth’s average annual rainfall, up to 1990, was 1000mm? Since 2006, less than 600mm has fallen in our rain gauge each year.  Even with the latest rain event (I can still hear the raindrops beating on the roof) we are tracking for a similar year to the last three.

In this context, it is criminal that we devote huge financial outlays to improve internet connectivity and to stimulate spending on things we don’t need with money we don’t have. We seem to be living in parallel universes where, on the one hand, it’s “business as usual” and “don’t mention the war”, while on the other hand, the future of human civilisation as we currently recognise it hangs in the balance.

What can we do?

I’m suggesting that we deal with those events over which we have some control and we don’t stress about those issues outside our area of influence. Next week I will commence a series of articles outlining practical ways in which the climatic challenges of the future can be mitigated at the local level.  It’s sure to be controversial and confronting so I look forward to some interesting debate with our new comments feature !

COP15 report from Jennifer Hawkins.

Jennifer is a local (well, regioanlly speaking!), a member of Australian Women in Agriculture (AWIA) and currently completing her Nuffield Scholarship on “The implications of Carbon Policy for Australian Agriculture”. She has kindly allowed us to reproduce some of her impressions from the conference.

I have been here for 3 days and have seen  many displays, information, lectures covering a huge cross section of factors that  different groups believe impact on Climate Change Policy.  Desmond Tutu  spoke today what a wonderful ‘show-man’ he is and his grasp of humanity and humour was knock out.  He had the people in the palm of his hand with simple messages  ” If the world disappears we disappear with it ” It is a pivotal moment in history and the commitment of great people to this process makes the Climate sceptics look frivolous in their mindset. This is what I have learnt -  that the modelling and the science is fragile —but the issues of food security, poverty, political stability, adaption/mitigation, trade, economic systems,commodity trading, third world development, credit access, land tenure, population growth, education, etc these are the issues that have grown out of “globalization” and are propelled by our basic human relationships with our environment.  So what ever they say to distract you from your commitment to the world being more sustainable in the true sense of the world we need to drown out their negativity.

I went to the IFAP Ag & Rural Development day yesterday and had a saturation of agricultural issues. Bumped into David Crombie over a cup of tea !!! ( first Australian I have met in 5 weeks )  I spent much of the day quietly writing until some bloke from US Sect Ag from California got up and said that Australian Ag had collapsed !!  So at that point I waved for the mic.  I had 2mins what did I say -  “  farmers will listen and learn from farmers all over the world.  I am very lucky to be a female farmer in a developed world and part of the 70% of the demographic that feed the world.  I want to share my opportunities and knowledge with them directly.  Women farmers need each other across the world – the capacity building starts there.  Then I used the example of our 6 years of drought to provide the guy from the US with some correct info ” Australian Ag has not collapsed as my husband & I are experiencing our 6th yr of drought we ADAPT all the time to the challenges its thrown us.  Its a gradual process of adaption to our changed environment – and we have still managed to produce food for Australia to eat and export as well. “”  Then I sat down………………

suffice to say the issues discussed included:

• business as usual is not an option MDG’s & global food security will not be achieved
• Ag practices & use of natural resources are not only part of the challenge but also part of the solution
• effective ag adaption & mitigation activities offer the propsetcs of win-win outcomes
• Major gaps in knowledge about ag & climate change must be addressed
• the climate change,food security & rural development agendas need to be coherent
• Ambitious financing & policy reforms are needed

so for those of you that THINK AG HAS A BLEAK FUTURE THINK AGAIN….. the last word of the discuss on went to a “lady farmer from Australia “  who said that the “Literacy of Climate Change Policy ” need to be addressed so that all farmers can understand the issues.  To speak in an understandable language that brings the science into action.  And when at the end of the day that got into the recommendations ( communique round up ) well I nearly cried with delight !!!

I hope you have found this interesting and when I get home and get drawn into the vortex of my life  ..I will ponder upon my visit to COP 15 and know that each one of us can sometimes make a difference, but better in numbers….hope my report may have given you some insight into Copenhagen lets hope they get some outcomes because there are plenty here ……