Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As we burn more coal and gas, our oceans warm and our climate changes. The science is unequivocal. The Pacific Ocean, in particular, is a giant cauldron for this planet's weather and climate. Right now, scientific models all around the planet are predicting an El Nino event in the second half of this year.

When the Pacific Ocean warms by half a degree, an El Nino is considered to be underway. A super El Nino is when the Pacific Ocean warms by more than two degrees Celsius. Right now, climate models are predicting a three degrees Celsius rise in the Pacific Ocean. The last two times this planet saw super El Ninos were in 1982 and 1983, and 1997 and 1998. Both those events led to trillions of dollars' worth of economic damage and disruption.

It seems that our weather system is at a historic breaking point. If this El Nino eventuates, as the models are forecasting, it will very likely make 2027 the hottest year on record. With climate change and with more energy in the system, we will see more severe flooding, more intense heatwaves and more extreme weather events. This means higher insurance rates, higher food prices, higher healthcare costs, higher power bills, and more illnesses and deaths, not to mention more mass coral bleaching on our precious coral reefs and a loss of biodiversity. This is all because we continue to burn fossil fuels. Now is not the time to be sacking CSIRO jobs in the environment and research unit that studies the changes in our climate and our oceans. Now is not the time to be ignoring calls for climate action, for the phasing out of fossil fuels and for a transition to clean energy. It couldn't be more serious. (Time expired)