2023-10-18
The Greens implore Labor to heed a groundbreaking Southern Ocean report and fund Antarctic science over fossil fuels.
More than 200 scientists from 19 countries today released a new assessment of trends in Southern Ocean ecosystems, in what is being hailed as “an IPCC report for the Southern Ocean”.
The Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean report was released to coincide with this year’s international meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart.
Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
“This groundbreaking report clearly states that the long-term maintenance of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean can only be achieved through urgent global action to address climate change and ocean acidity.
“Australia has a 40% claim to Antarctica territory, so it’s in the Australian Government’s best interest to take this report's advice seriously. Yet as one of the world’s biggest world's largest consumers and producers of coal that is still approving new coal and gas projects in 2023, Australia still has a devastatingly long way to go before being considered a global leader in tackling climate change.
“The Southern Ocean and Antarctic are integral to understanding global weather patterns. Around half of the carbon dioxide taken up by the whole ocean is absorbed by the Southern Ocean, meaning more than ever our planet depends on us protecting these regions.
“Instead of funding fossil fuels, the Albanese Government should be funding Antarctic science, starting with increasing funding and cleaning up the Australian Antarctic Division.”