We need new ideas to address climate change through local action

Climate Action

Climate Action

It is great to see that Glen Eira Council has taken many forward steps on climate action and is applying this lens to its decision-making.

But in the Climate Emergency time frame we need stronger action through addressing Short Lived Climate Pollutants, a neglected but crucial aspect of genuine climate action in our community that goes beyond traditional decarbonisation efforts.

While reducing carbon dioxide emissions remains essential, tackling pollutants like methane, black carbon, (and hydrofluorocarbons) can yield immediate and significant climate benefits.

Black carbon, or soot, is a powerful climate forcer ( up to 5,000 times more potent than CO2) that not only contributes to warming but also has detrimental effects on air quality and public health.

Implementing measures to reduce black carbon emissions from sources such as domestic solid fuel combustion in our municipality (wood heaters, fire pits, wood/charcoal BBQs, food smokers, pizza ovens) etc is vital action we can all take in curbing the rate of global warming, and can result in both environmental and health co-benefits.

Methane, for example, is another potent greenhouse gas with a much higher global warming potential than CO2 over the short term, which is not only emitted locally from our gas infrastructure but also whenever we burn solid fuels indoors or outdoors.

In our community, concerted efforts to address these Short Lived Climate Pollutants through education and awareness campaigns, advocacy to state and federal government on policies and regulations are imperative.

By taking holistic action that considers a range of greenhouse gases and pollutants, we can make meaningful strides towards a more sustainable and resilient future for all of us. Let’s work on this together!

We need to rethink our relationship with fire.

Think of all the ways we are permitted to burn solid fuels (wood/charcoal etc) in our neighbourhoods… all these emissions - apart from wood heaters - are unquantified by EPA Victoria.

Yet the EPA Victoria figures on hazardous fine particle pollution from 10% of Victorians in metro Melbourne who use wood-heaters as their main source of heating is staggering. These emissions exceed particle emissions from ALL vehicles on the road PLUS ALL industry emissions PLUS ALL aviation emissions! And at a state level wood heater emissions exceed fossil fuel emissions!

Even the seemingly innocent firelighter that many use to start indoor and outdoor wood fires… the black carbon emissions from just firelighters was found to exceed the black carbon emissions from all other biomass fuels combined!

Let’s work together to address the most important climate emissions of all - the ones we create in our own homes and backyards!

Let’s plant more trees and choose to stop burning them