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Climate Warning Ignored: 20 Years Later, Bushfires Rage
10 Jan
Summary
- A 20-year-old climate change briefing to the Howard government was largely ignored.
- The briefing warned of unprecedented global temperature rise and extreme weather.
- Experts note the ignored advice underestimated current Australian heatwave intensity.
A previously unreleased briefing presented to the Howard government twenty years ago issued a severe warning about global warming. This federal public service and Bureau of Meteorology document highlighted that the global average temperature rise was "unprecedented in human history" due to greenhouse gas increases, partly from human activities.
The briefing detailed expected consequences, including more frequent heatwaves, droughts, fires, and rising sea levels. Despite its frankness, the advice appears to have been largely overlooked by the government at the time. This lack of action is particularly concerning given the extreme heat and catastrophic bushfire conditions recently impacting the eastern seaboard.
Experts have commended the briefing for its contemporary scientific advice but noted that it still underestimated the alarming rise in Australian heatwaves over the past two decades. The current extreme weather serves as a stark reminder of the ignored warnings from twenty years ago.
