News from the Secretary, November 2008
One has to worry about the effect of the financial crisis on plans to curb greenhouse emissions. There is no doubt in my mind that the climate change crisis is much more threatening to humanity that the financial crisis but that is not how it is seen by government. Around the world some governments and industry are being deflected from their resolve because the falling price of coal and oil makes renewable development ‘uneconomic’. However, as pointed out in my article that accompanied the October newsletter, the financial crisis offers opportunities to reform economies on the back of green jobs. Both the European Union and President-elect Barack Obama have resolved to stick to commitments to cap emissions of carbon dioxide and invest in new green technologies, arguing that government action could stimulate the economy and create new jobs in producing sustainable energy. “Despite the Economy, Obama Vows to Press Green Agenda,” was a headline in Time magazine.
Our new educational poster
This poster, “Less Drive Time, More Alive Time” is now displayed on www.dea.org.au In the November GP Review it was foreshadowed that the poster would be distributed with the December copy of Australian Family Physician. So please watch out for it and make sure it doesn’t go out with the wrapper. To those members of DEA who are not RACGP members you can down-load the poster or email me at mountlofty@ozemail.com.au to be sent one or more copies. When you email me please indicate whether you would like further copies of the other posters on display on the web site
The aim of the posters is to link important health messages, lifestyle and reduction of green house emissions and to display these in waiting rooms and hospital notice boards. You may also consider displaying the explanatory text to accompany the posters, which can be downloaded from the DEA web site
The two earlier posters shown on the web site are very popular and many requests come from schools and NGO’s overseas. Postal costs are substantial but it is good to know that we are making a valued contribution to climate change education.
Our thanks are due to David King, Irene Kirczenow, and to our graphic designer Jo Glasheen from View Concepts.
Greening hospitals
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, in response to requests from members asking how they can tackle problem of recycling, energy wastage etc in their hospitals, we have now formed a Greening Hospitals group of members to exchange information and ideas. Forbes McGain will act as Convenor.
Over the past year or two several members who are not yet members of the group have contacted me on the issue of hospital greening. If they would like to be a member of this group please contact me and when you do please give your permission to me for your email address to be disseminated to the group
DEA web site, interim improvements
DEA now has a report from a subcommittee defining the format for a new web site. Sites require much thought and expertise and it may be some months before the report is implemented. In the meantime some minor changes have been made to allow presentation of all our posters and at the same time show the latest articles. Please have a look at the new format, for we hope to increase use by members and to stimulate you with ideas for action on climate change and related issues, for example have a look at the article on the Hepburn Community Wind farm written by the Local General practitioner. We are keen to have more articles from members, Please send them to me at mountlofty@ozemail.com.au for uploading
Documentary “Telling the Truth”
DEA committee member Nick Towle is one of several DEA members to have undertaken training with Al Gore to deliver a version of his 'Inconvenient Truth' slideshow. As an additional element to the training session the Climate Project team chose to capture the experiences and lives of several presenters and create a documentary. The documentary is called 'Telling the Truth' and premiered with a green carpet launch in
The documentary has been released for all Australians to see, though instead of viewing it at the cinema or on the TV, the Climate Project are giving free copies to individuals who wish to host screenings for their family, friends or work colleagues.
As one of the seven presenters profiled in the documentary Nick had the following comments to make.
"I clearly recall the excitement of the original training session and the documentary really captures the diversity of individuals from across
Study of mental health and climate change
We draw your attention to a recent paper entitled Hope, despair and transformation; Climate change and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing http://www.ijmhs.com/content/2/1/13 which examines the probable impact climate change will have on populations. Dr Grant Blashki member of DEA management Committee is one of the authors
There are three key mental health implications of climate change. Firstly, direct impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events, are likely to have immediate impacts on the prevalence and severity of mental health issues in affected communities as well as significant implications for mental health systems. Secondly, vulnerable communities are beginning to experience disruptions to the social, economic and environmental determinants that promote mental health. Finally, there is an emerging understanding of the ways in which climate change as a global environmental threat may create emotional distress and anxiety about the future.
The considerable impact that climate change will potentially have on mental health, especially in rural areas and already vulnerable communities, is beginning to be explored by researchers but is not yet being taken seriously by governments. Garnaut did not include mental health in his modelling and touched on it only very briefly in his final report. The report, therefore, underestimates the adverse consequences of climate change.
The authors conclude that the promotion of mental health in the community is important for encouraging people to maintain a positive, hopeful attitude to the challenges that will surely confront many of the most vulnerable amongst us. It is a fundamental component of wellbeing.
Genetically modified food
Two sides of the coin
I was interested to see that the Federal Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke said at a meeting in Rome ‘it's time the nation got over its superstition about genetically modified crops http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2424612.htm ‘I mean a simple example of the sorts of improvements that you can have here is given by India. When
On the other hand when I questioned Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, Director, Institute of Science in Society about this issue he indicated “I have been in India in October 2008, and heard from the farmers themselves the disaster that GM cotton has been to the country: mass suicides of farmers because of crop failures, mass deaths of livestock that grazed on the crop residues and allergy-like symptoms in farmers and cotton handlers that have continued since 2005”.
Take your own precautions
Coinciding with the historic first harvest of genetically engineered (GE) canola in
Some information about Coal for oil
There was a recent announcement that Linc Energy of
For those of you who wish to understand the frequent official statements on clean coal technology I recommend you read the report “Coal Power in a Warming World.” from the US the Union of Concerned Scientists http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/clean_energy/Coal-power-in-a-warming-world.pdf The report says “Coal-to-liquid technology uses gasification technology and chemical catalysts to make synthetic fuels (often called “liquid coal”) that can replace petroleum based transportation fuels, especially diesel and jet fuels. Over its full life cycle, however, liquid coal produces roughly double the CO2 emissions of gasoline. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can reduce emissions during production, but because emissions from vehicle tailpipes cannot be captured, liquid coal with even the most aggressive CCS possible will still result in life cycle emissions at least as high as conventional petroleum fuels. Liquid coal therefore has no potential to reduce global warming pollution relative to petroleum-based fuels—but it does have the potential to significantly increase global warming pollution if CCS is not applied aggressively and effectively.” Please remember that CCS is speculative and at best may be 10 years away.
Energy science is complex yet its understanding is essential in discussion of green house emission issues and in their health implications. For a very understandable and informative text go to “Sustainable Energy: without the hot air” by Tony Curzon Price, David MacKay, physicist at Cambridge's Cavendish laboratory, A PDF for Chapter 1 is at http://www.withouthotair.com/PartI.html and through this link you can download the entire book.
George Monbiot sums up our predicament
I have left this article till last for if you had read it first you might not read the rest of the newsletter
“George Bush is behaving like a furious defaulter whose home is about to be repossessed. Smashing the porcelain, ripping the doors off their hinges, he is determined that there will be nothing worth owning by the time the bastards kick him out. His midnight regulations, opening
His backers – among them the nastiest pollutocrats in
Read on...... http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/11/25/one-shot-left/
Monbiot is not alone in his concerns, the Editorial in the New York Times on November 28 makes the same points
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/28/opinion/28fri2.html
The most interesting aspect of the Bush actions is why he feels compelled to these destructive activities during his two remaining months. Such an analysis is surely relevant to many other steps that are moving us deeper into an environmental crisis. The answer may simply be that he was and is an oil man without the intellectual capability to understand the implications of the ideology promulgated by his industry. He wants to finish the job as he sees it. His actions of the past few weeks do not differ in intent to those of the past eight years which have paralysed any worthwhile action on climate change. Even now, as the financial world crumbles around him, he warns that capitalism must not be regulated lest it inhibit enterprise. His oil industry thrives on its right to a “Drill Baby Drill” philosophy.