Oct 15 2024
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Climate change is happening: seven crucial steps can make a real difference
While increasingly intense cyclones batter the south coast of the United States with increasingly devastating consequences, some are saying it’s all a Biden Administration conspiracy.
But climate change is real and the human and biodiversity costs and damage bills are very real as well.
Climate change is not something way off into the future … it is happening now.
Fortunately, our community is not in the path of cyclones, however we are highly vulnerable to other climate change impacts.
Most especially:
- Rising temperatures leading to increasing levels of heat-related health stress and fatalities
- A growing number and intensity of storm surges is likely to result in increased erosion of the foreshore and flood damage to residential and commercial properties
- Exposure to rising sea levels: a quarter of the land in Port Phillip will be inundated with a 1.1m sea level rise
- Rising insurance and other costs as the risk of severe local impacts increase.
It’s understandable to tune out at this point because the problem is so large and individual efforts can appear so small.
But we can make a difference. More delay or turning away won’t help, but action at all levels – global, national and local – is crucial.
What could our council do?
- Support more tree planting to reverse the decline of tree canopy cover in Port Phillip, accelerating and strengthening the Urban Forest Strategy, investing in the East St Kilda/Balaclava green line, street gardening and pollination corridors
- Support residents, property owners and businesses to convert to renewable energy including through facilitating collective renewable electricity supply agreements to reduce costs
- Plan for a climate change future by reviewing the planning scheme to promote an urban ecology, greener buildings and safer land use. And address infrastructure stress points such as stormwater, foreshore and sewage assets
- Promote safe active transport for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users
- Support access to public electric vehicle charging points
- Capture and re-use rainwater and increase permeability, that is, reduce hard surfaces that contribute to flooding
- Advocate to State and Commonwealth governments to act urgently and comprehensively because we have no time to waste.
Business as usual is not acceptable.
The Local Government Act tasks councils with the need to have economic, social and environmental sustainability, including mitigation and planning for climate change risks, in the forefront of their attention.
Let’s do it.
PECAN Climate Pledge
Progressive Port Phillip is a partner to local climate activist group PECAN (Port Phillip Climate Action Network).
22 Candidates out of the 48 candidates running in the 2024 Port Phillip Council elections have committed to the PECAN Climate Pledge – and have completed the PECAN Candidate Survey. You can find the survey responses here. PECAN’s candidate recommendations are in the council map below.
This is not a Progressive Port Phillip rating.
