Taking the heat out of global warming

Thanks to support from the federal and state governments, today we are in a good position to make well-informed assessments about the likely impact of climate change on our economy and our environment. We are well-placed to take actions that reduce the damage and increase the benefits of a warmer world.

We will need to cut back substantially the quantities of greenhouse gases that are pumped into the air if we are to first slow, and then stop the rise in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide persists for so long in the air that even if we could cap emissions at today's levels, concentrations would keep rising for decades. Ultimately, the greater the reductions in emissions, and the earlier they are introduced; the smaller and slower the projected warming and consequent impacts.

There are lots of ways to cut emissions. More efficient use of energy is one way. Insulation is a sound investment in any building. New Queensland power stations burn black coal more efficiently than old stations, lowering emissions. Natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas generate far less emissions than their coal and petrol alternatives. Fuel cells are emerging as a power source alongside more established renewable energy sources. Burning biomass as a fuel source is greenhouse-neutral.

Capturing and trapping emission gases from power generation (known as sequestration) is another way of keeping heat-trapping gases out of the air.

No matter what we do though, the world will warm in future. Being aware of the likely changes and planning to deal with them is the best policy.