Australian Parents for Climate Action highlights the gravity and severity of the latest climate science report from the IPCC.
This report arrives while the people of South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales are being hit with extreme flooding. Climate change is affecting our water cycle - wet areas are getting wetter and dry areas are getting drier. Rain is being experienced more in the form of intense downpours, leading to greater risk of floods.
Kate Smolders, evacuee and mum from Brisbane, says:
“At 6am on Sunday morning I was wading outside of my Brisbane home with my 9-year-old daughter to evacuate, as the flood waters were rising around our home. It was heartbreaking waking up my daughter and explaining that we had to leave. Now we’re just waiting for the water to recede.
“We’ll get through this. We went through this in 2011. The community is amazing. But we want to know the federal government is doing everything it can to address climate change too.”
Nic Seton, CEO of Australian Parents for Climate Action, says:
“As parents, we want to protect our community from the impacts of climate change, both economic costs and the impacts on the health and wellbeing of our children. This report is our asteroid alarm moment and we have a clear choice: act faster to avoid more damage. Australia stands to gain so much from seizing the opportunities of a clean economy and we are in dire need of federal politicians willing to invest in these advantages.
“We need to see action that matches the scale of the challenge right now. But what we’ve got is a total lack of delivery from the Morrison Government, leaving Australia behind the world, without a clear plan to move away from fossil fuels. With a federal election looming, we are asking all sides of politics to embrace strong and decisive action on climate and to create a low carbon economy. For our kids' future, we need Australia to lead the global race of clean energy revolution.
“Aussie parents are already paying for climate action delays through their costs of living. Fuel is on the rise, and we still don't have access to the electric vehicle solutions other countries have. All because our federal government has dragged its feet on supporting solutions and improving vehicle standards. Now we are paying the price with our hip pocket - and that’s not fair.
“No parent wants to see the information in this report. But the reality is that families are already dealing with threats to lives, livelihoods and increased costs of living driven by increasingly frequent climate disasters.
“In two years, Australian families have endured hazardous bushfires, heatwaves and now floods. We know a warming atmosphere means more moisture and more energy for storms. This report lays bare the threats to our kids and reminds us of the urgency required to move Australia forward.”
For further comment contact Nic Seton on 0407 638 973
Australian Parents for Climate Action brings together more than 16,000 parents around Australia who want to see greater political will for climate solutions.