Transcript Document

Climate change, community
wellbeing and social justice:
Implications for community
sector action
Presentation to VCOSS & McCaughey
Centre Conference:
‘Communities in a Changing Climate:
Social and equity implications of climate
change’, Melbourne, February 25 2009
Professor John Wiseman
The McCaughey Centre
VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Overview
• Climate science: the case for
emergency action
• Climate change, community
wellbeing and social justice
• Vulnerability to climate change:
Impacts on places and people
• Australian community sector
priorities: a just and democratic
pathway to preventing
catastrophic climate change
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Climate science: the case for action
Arctic summer sea ice loss:
Predictions v reality
‘We are basically looking now at a future climate that's beyond anything we've
considered seriously in climate model simulations’: Christopher Field, Director,
Carnegie Institute Department of Global Ecology, Stanford University, IPCC member.
Feb 15 2009.
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Climate change tipping points
We are on our way to a
destabilization of the world
climate that has advanced
much further than most
people or their governments
realize. Prof. Hans Joachim
Schellnhuber, Director,
Potsdam Institute for Research
on Global Warming Effects and
Advisor to the German
Chancellor, December 2008
The Arctic is often cited as the
canary in the coal mine for
climate warming… and now …
the canary has died.”
Dr Jay Zwally, Glaciologist,
NASA, December 2007
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
The human impact of climate
change: global challenges
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
The human impact: Australia and Victoria
‘Firefighters know that it is better to prevent an emergency
than to have to rescue people from it. We urge state and
federal governments to follow scientific advice and keep
firefighters and the community safe by halving the country’s
greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.’
Peter Marshal, National Secretary, United Firefighters Union
February12 2009
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Australian impacts: Heat
Heatwave left hundreds dead
January’s brutal heatwave may have killed 100 Melburnians - and
more than 200 people across south-eastern Australia - an
‘’invisible tragedy’’ now the subject of investigations by the
Department of Human Services and the Coroner’s Office.
The Age, February 22, 2009
Eleven of the hottest years in history have been in the last 12, and
we also note, particularly in the southern part of Australia, we're
seeing less rainfall, All of this is consistent with climate change,
and all of this is consistent with what scientists told us would
happen.
Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change, January 29, 2009
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Australian impacts: drought
Living with what has been 10-15 years of dryness for
some areas is about a lot more than failed crops and
skinny sheep. It is also about losing your neighbours,
your friends, your employees and your family to the
mines, the city or foreclosure. It is about losing your
local shops, services, schools and sports clubs. It is
about growing isolation, having no water in the house,
and worrying about your children. It is about not being
able to sleep, to talk, to move because of the
uncertainty and stress.
Lauren Rickards, RMCG Consulting: ‘Agriculture under water scarcity:
What does it mean for farmers?’ February 2009
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Australian impacts: floods
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Impacts of climate change on the
sources of health and wellbeing
Sources of health and wellbeing…
•Food
•Water
•Energy
•Housing
•Transport
•Work
•Health services
•Social support
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Impacts of climate change on
mental health
• Impact of extreme weather events and
natural disasters
• Impact on key determinants of mental health
– Freedom from violence and discrimination
– Social and economic inclusion
• Sense of hope for the future
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Climate vulnerability and
resilience
• Vulnerability: The susceptibility of a system to
disturbances determined by exposure to
perturbations, sensitivity to perturbations, and the
capacity to adapt. (Nelson, Adger and Brown, 2007)
• Vulnerability- and resilience - to climate change:
– Related to existing social, economic and
environmental vulnerabilities.
– Needs to be informed by local knowledge
– Will not be evenly distributed
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Vulnerable communities
•Coastal areas
•Flood-prone areas
•Bushfire-prone areas
•Alpine areas
•Rural and remote areas
•Areas dependent on fossil fuel
intensive industry
•Areas dependent on
agriculture, particularly
irrigation
•Areas dependent on naturebased tourism
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Wangaratta, Victoria
Impact of climate change on
Wangaratta…
-Hotter and drier
-Fewer – but more intense – rainy
days
-Impacts on industry, employment,
health, community?
The current drought - the most severe
recorded - is having ‘a strong impact on
the community’s economic and social
wellbeing in the immediate future and
is causing concern about the impact of
climatic change and the long term
future.” (Rural City of Wangaratta,
Community Wellbeing Plan 2007)
‘Future reliability of irrigation allocations is
expected to be decreased significantly. The
picture is of catchments and water supplies under
stress. The upper catchments of the north east
are net suppliers of water. Water scarcity will
bring huge pressure on these resources.’
(Rural City of Wangaratta, Submission to Sustainable Water
Strategy, 2008)
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Vulnerable populations
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Low-income
Isolated older people
People with mental illness
People with disabilities
Newly arrived migrants and refugees
Indigenous people
Unemployed and low-skilled workers
People needing frequent medical services
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Importance of well informed
engagement, debate and action
Importance of high quality up to date information
about climate change trends and implications –
and about energy use and emissions
Community Engagement and Climate
Change: Benefits, challenges and strategies
VCOSS, COTA and McCaughey Centre, for
Department of Planning and Community
Development
Liveable and Just: Improving the capacity of
local government to respond to climate change in
ways which are healthy, just and sustainable
McCaughey Centre with VLGA, BSL, DSE
supported by Victorian Sustainability Accord
S. Grampians and Glenelg PCP
Climate Change Adaptation: A
framework for local action
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Conclusions
•
The scientific and moral case for emergency action to
prevent catastrophic climate change is overwhelming.
•
Current carbon emission and climate change trends will
have profound and devastating impacts on health and
wellbeing.
The most disadvantaged people and communities will
be most vulnerable.
Business as usual is not an option. We need to ensure
a just outcome for both current and future generations.
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The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Implications for action
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Equitable adaptation to climate impacts already locked in
is essential.
However the highest priority must be urgent action to
prevent catastrophic climate change.
- This requires rapid action to reduce carbon
emissions and to draw down carbon.
- The transition program to a zero carbon economy
needs to be on the scale of the Apollo Program or
the investment needed to fight World War II and
achieve post war reconstruction.
- All countries must play their part. Australia and
Victoria have a special responsibility and a unique
opportunity to lead by example.
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Community sector implications
At a time of rapidly rising demands driven by the global
financial crisis…climate change will also drive
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Increased health and wellbeing impacts – particularly for
the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities
and populations.
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Increased financial and workload demands on
community sector workers and organisations.
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
Community sector priorities
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Research – on climate change impacts, vulnerability and
resilience.
Climate literacy - Informed community debate about the
implications of most up to date and credible climate
change science.
Advocacy - Emergency action to prevent catastrophic
climate change.
Policy development - Building just and democratic
transition pathways.
New and expanded services – To meet new demands
and provide support for fair and equitable adaptation.
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
The key challenge…
To build - at emergency
speed - a just and
democratic pathway
which leads to the
prevention of
catastrophic climate
change – and to
effective and sustainable
adaptation.
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing
Melbourne School of Population Health
© Copyright The University of Melbourne 2008