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December 5, 2009
Is the Rudd Government on edge about climate change refugees from the Pacific Islands being given legal access to Australia due to rising temperatures and sea levels? Will the Rudd Government argue that the UN should redefine international law to give climate refugees the same protection as people fleeing political repression? Will they create a new visa category to be created for climate change refugees?
Yes, no, maybe is my immediate response without doing much by way of research.
Bangladesh, which is expecting its 165m population to increase by nearly 100m in the next 60 years, is the most vulnerable large country, with 60% of its land less than 5m above sea level.
The Independent
There is mounting evidence in India and Bangladesh and other low-lying countries that sea levels are rising faster than the global average of 1.2mm a year. Islands and coastal communities in the Ganges delta and the Bay of Bengal have recorded rises of up to 5mm a year. In Bangladesh hundreds of coastal villagers are forced to drink salty water as tides continue to rise and the sea intrudes on fresh water aquifers.
The conservative populists will shortly be saying that the upcoming U.N. summit on climate in Copenhagen designed to begin addressing problems like climate change refugees will mean the end of Australian sovereignty. They deny that the rate of change is significant, and has recently been caused by increased greenhouse gases from human activities, that the rate of change has become alarming and is probably unsustainable in the long-term.
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Australia's climate change ambassador, Louise Hand says that it is time for "bold action'' and strong outcomes on climate change.
Behind the scenes Australia is acting a spoiler--to push for expanded offset loopholes for polluters, recognition of carbon capture and storage and lowering the ambition for an extended Kyoto protocol.