The Greens say report from the Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO should end the debate on whether climate change is real. But some scientists say the research confirms that time has almost run out for any impact on the warming trends.
Liz Hobday has our report.
LIZ HOBDAY: While the last two years in Australia have been the coolest for more than a decade, the latest climate snapshot shows the world is warming; with the 13 warmest years on record occurring since 1997.
John Connor is the chief executive of the Climate Institute.
JOHN CONNOR: Well look this is a stark reminder about why we are taking the measures in the carbon pricing and the battles that we've been having that Australia is one of the developed countries most at risk from climate change. And CSIRO has put out this research showing that global warming is real, the burning of fossil fuels and carbon emissions as a prime cause of that.
LIZ HOBDAY: Greens senator, Christine Milne, says the snapshot should finally end the debate on whether climate change is happening.
CHRISTINE MILNE: What we ought to be able to do now is say that's it, no more discussion about whether climate change is happening or not. What this report says, it's real, it's happening and we should now take the opportunity to look at how we not only adapt to the changes that are already occurring but how we can mitigate or stop things getting worse.
LIZ HOBDAY: The snapshot also shows that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels grew by almost 6 per cent during 2009-10. While John Connor it may still be possible to make a transition to an economy that produces far less carbon, he says Australia should have acted earlier to develop policies to deal with the problem.
JOHN CONNOR: Look the clock is absolutely ticking. And I think the window for a smooth transition is not closed, it's just about closed, and I do think we're going to have a bumpy ride. Read the full report here.
Source: Liz Hobday, ABC News, The World Today.
