Please reverse government cuts to CSIRO climate science

Open letter to:

Josh Frydenberg, Member for Kooyong, Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia

Greg Hunt, Member for Flinders, Minister for the Environment

Please reverse your government's announced cuts to CSIRO climate science.

Hectares of burnt cushion plant. Photo: Rob Blakers

More government funding is required to better understand the effects of climate change, not less.

Climate change impacts that are now apparent, many of which are exceeding worst case scientific estimates, include:

• Dramatic increase in very severe bushfires and the extension of the bushfire season
• Bushfires occurring in regions not adapted to burning such as Tasmania's Central Plateau, where rare plants in World Heritage areas have been destroyed.
• Heat waves resulting in increased deaths due to heat stress
• Sea level rises now impacting many coastal regions and communities around Australia
• Acidification and warming of the oceans leading to coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef
• Increased frequency and severity of tropical and sub tropical storms (such cyclones and twisters)

All these impacts require ongoing scientific measurement and modelling, not less.

Climate scientists believe Australia's obligations under the Paris climate commitments will be directly undermined by the CSIRO cutting 350 jobs.

Australian and international climate scientists in Melbourne have warned the cuts would cripple CSIRO climate research.

Please reverse your government's cuts to the CSIRO Climate Science team Oceans and Atmosphere, and Land and Water divisions.

Regards, Peter Campbell

Links

• PM - CSIRO climate scientists speak out about job cuts, ABC 08/02/2016 
• Experts Say CSIRO Climate Science Job Cuts Will Put Australian's Health At Risk, Gizmodo
• CSIRO job cuts impact Paris promises, BOM, Skynews
• 'Jaw-dropping' CSIRO job cuts to 'gut' climate science unit, Renew Economy 

Tasmanian fires and damage to natural environment - enquiry is needed

To: The Hon. Greg Hunt, Federal Minister for the Environment Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au

The Hon Will Hodgman, Premier of Tasmania  will.hodgman@parliament.tas.gov.au

I note that areas in excess of 95,000 hectares have been burnt recently by out of control bushfires in Tasmania.  Many of these areas have very significant native vegetation and animals that have been destroyed.

Hectares of burnt cushion plant. Photo: Rob Blakers

I have previously visited and bushwalked in the Tarkine wilderness, the Central Plateau, The Overland Track, the South Coast and South West Cape tracks and the Denison and King William Ranges regions.

Could you please initiate an enquiry to determine:

1. Whether the Tasmanian Fire Service has sufficient resources to control bushfires in remote areas in a timely fashion in order to limit their spread.

2. Whether the federal government needs to provide resources to enhance air support, training, and resources for remote area fire fighters.

3. Whether current resourcing and fire management practices are sufficient to deal with conditions expected from the extended fire seasons that are now anticipated under climate-change scenarios

4. What restoration programs will be required after the 2016 fires, and what resources will be needed to ensure the best possible restoration of fire affected vegetation, especially high altitude mountain environments and cool-temperate rainforests.

Yours faithfully,

Peter Campbell

Links

• ‘Like losing the thylacine’: Fire burns Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Sydney Morning Herald
• Tasmanian bushfires: Damage to Wilderness World Heritage Area to be assessed by specialists - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 
• Talking Point: Wilderness fires ignite need for better protection, The Mercury