Chilean volcano and Burmese cyclone underscore need for adapting to climate change in a warming globe

By Dr Ray Wills, CEO, WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc.

Volcanoes can influence climate in short time scales by injecting reflective sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere that cool the earth.

The most spectacular case of volcanic eruption during the past century was the eruption of Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo in 1991 which emitted 20 million tons of sulphur dioxide to create a brief period of climate cooling by about 0.5 C, an amount similar in magnitude to the accumulated trend in warming during the last 100 years.

Once the cooling effect of the Pinatubo eruption subsided, global temperatures returned to their previous levels and then continued to rise, driven by global warming.

The most recent example of a volcanic eruption that started on 2 May 2008 in Southern Chile has injected material into the atmosphere in a 15 km high plume. The Chaitén Volcano last erupted 9000 years ago, according to the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Programme.

The Chilean volcano may affect the world’s climate, creating a temporary cooling episode like Pinatubo and may potentially have an impact regionally on the formation of El Nino and La Nina off the coast of South America, thereby influencing circulatory patterns that ultimately have a great impact on Australia’s weather patterns.

Cyclone Nargis

On a different line, the impact of the Cyclone Nargis in Burma, with the destructive storm and resulting storm surges devastating the large coastal communities living less than one metre above sea level, illustrate the risk that combined increased sea levels and increased storm intensity will have on low lying communities around the world.

Over 100 million people live less than one metre above sea level all around the world.

The cyclone in Burma must create action around the world to plan and prepare for the future, as destructive cyclones are likely to occur more often unless all nations sped up their efforts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that are driving global warming.

Responding to climate change and global warming

“Both the volcano eruption in Chile and the Burmese cyclone underscore the need for Australia and the world to be prepared to respond to both naturally induced changes in our weather systems, and to also create action to prevent human induced changes in climate,” says Dr Ray Wills, CEO of the WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc.

“The challenge of climate change should be the catalyst for changing the way we think about and plan infrastructure, reform our economy, and in particular how we source energy. Energy is the key to climate change and our response demands integrated forward-thinking initiatives on sustainable energy,” says Dr Wills.

“The Western Australian Government is to be congratulated by quickly moving to over $3 million in aid to Burma, as announced by Treasurer Eric Ripper yesterday (9 May 2008). As we plan and build for the future, we must realise there will be increasing demand for this kind of assistance, and that we must also act now to ensure our aspirations to build economies are based on sustainability and don’t end up costing us the Earth,” says Dr Wills.

Media Contact:
Dr Ray Wills   0430 365 607

Editors notes:
1.    News on Chile volcano eruption - http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=au&q=volcano+chile++pinatubo&btnG=Search  
2.    News on Burma and climate change scenarios - http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=au&q=burma+cyclone+climate+change&btnG=Search
3.    The Western Australian Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA) is the business peak body for the sustainable energy industry in Western Australia. WA SEA is a diverse chamber with more than 150 members from almost all sectors of industry including many of the largest energy businesses in Western Australia.  www.wasea.com.au.
4.    Dr Ray Wills has had a wide-ranging career at different times as researcher, planner, adviser, manager and academic. Dr Wills has substantial expertise in ecology, sustainability, climate change science and the effects of expected future climates on Australia, and is recognised by business, government and community leaders in WA as an authoritative commentator on policy and functional responses to mitigate and adapt to global warming. In addition to his role as CEO of WA SEA, Dr Wills is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow with the School of Earth and Geographical Sciences at the University of Western Australia.

 WA Sustainable Energy Association Inc. (WA SEA)  
 www.wasea.com.au   ceo@wasea.com.au  
 Phone: (08) 9481 3169   mob 0430 365 607
 POSTAL: PO Box 1483, WEST PERTH BC 6872
STREET: Home Ideas Centre, West Perth 6005

WA SEA is the peak body for the sustainable energy industry in Western Australia.