Climate change, community wellbeing and social justice:

Implications for community sector action

Presentation to VCOSS & McCaughey Centre Conference: ‘Communities in a Changing Climate: Social and equity implications of climate change’, Melbourne, February 25 2009

Professor John Wiseman

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Overview

• Climate science: the case for emergency action • Climate change, community wellbeing and social justice • Vulnerability to climate change: Impacts on places and people • Australian community sector priorities: a just and democratic pathway to preventing catastrophic climate change The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Climate science: the case for action

Arctic summer sea ice loss: Predictions v reality

‘We are basically looking now at a future climate that's beyond anything we've considered seriously in climate model simulations’:

Christopher Field, Director, Carnegie Institute Department of Global Ecology, Stanford University, IPCC member. Feb 15 2009.

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Climate change tipping points

We are on our way to a destabilization of the world climate that has advanced much further than most people or their governments

realize.

Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Director, Potsdam Institute for Research on Global Warming Effects and Advisor to the German Chancellor, December 2008

The Arctic is often cited as the canary in the coal mine for climate warming… and now … the canary has died.”

Dr Jay Zwally, Glaciologist, NASA, December 2007 The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

The human impact of climate change: global challenges

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

The human impact: Australia and Victoria

‘Firefighters know that it is better to prevent an emergency than to have to rescue people from it. We urge state and federal governments to follow scientific advice and keep firefighters and the community safe by halving the country ’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.

’ Peter Marshal, National Secretary, United Firefighters Union February12 2009 The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Australian impacts: Heat

Heatwave left hundreds dead

January’s brutal heatwave may have killed 100 Melburnians - and more than 200 people across south-eastern Australia - an ‘’invisible tragedy’’ now the subject of investigations by the Department of Human Services and the Coroner’s Office.

The Age, February 22, 2009

Eleven of the hottest years in history have been in the last 12, and we also note, particularly in the southern part of Australia, we're seeing less rainfall, All of this is consistent with climate change, and all of this is consistent with what scientists told us would happen.

Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change, January 29, 2009 The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Australian impacts: drought

Living with what has been 10-15 years of dryness for some areas is about a lot more than failed crops and skinny sheep. It is also about losing your neighbours, your friends, your employees and your family to the mines, the city or foreclosure. It is about losing your local shops, services, schools and sports clubs. It is about growing isolation, having no water in the house, and worrying about your children. It is about not being able to sleep, to talk, to move because of the uncertainty and stress.

Lauren Rickards, RMCG Consulting: ‘Agriculture under water scarcity: What does it mean for farmers?’ February 2009

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Australian impacts: floods

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Impacts of climate change on the sources of health and wellbeing

Sources of health and wellbeing … •Food •Water •Energy •Housing •Transport •Work •Health services •Social support The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Impacts of climate change on mental health

• Impact of extreme weather events and natural disasters • Impact on key determinants of mental health – Freedom from violence and discrimination – Social and economic inclusion • Sense of hope for the future

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Climate vulnerability and resilience

•

Vulnerability:

T

he susceptibility of a system to disturbances determined by exposure to perturbations, sensitivity to perturbations, and the capacity to adapt.

(Nelson, Adger and Brown, 2007) • Vulnerability- and resilience - to climate change: – Related to existing social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities.

– Needs to be informed by local knowledge – Will not be evenly distributed The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Vulnerable communities

•Coastal areas •Flood-prone areas •Bushfire-prone areas •Alpine areas •Rural and remote areas •Areas dependent on fossil fuel intensive industry •Areas dependent on agriculture, particularly irrigation •Areas dependent on nature based tourism The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Wangaratta, Victoria

Impact of climate change on Wangaratta…

-Hotter and drier -Fewer – but more intense – rainy days -Impacts on industry, employment, health, community?

The current drought - the most severe recorded - is having

‘a strong impact on the community’s economic and social wellbeing in the immediate future and is causing concern about the impact of climatic change and the long term future.”

(Rural City of Wangaratta, Community Wellbeing Plan 2007)

‘Future reliability of irrigation allocations is expected to be decreased significantly

.

The picture is of catchments and water supplies under stress. The upper catchments of the north east are net suppliers of water. Water scarcity will bring huge pressure on these resources.’

(Rural City of Wangaratta, Submission to Sustainable Water Strategy, 2008) The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Vulnerable populations

• Low-income • Isolated older people • People with mental illness • People with disabilities • Newly arrived migrants and refugees • Indigenous people • Unemployed and low-skilled workers • People needing frequent medical services The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Importance of well informed engagement, debate and action

Importance of high quality up to date information about climate change trends and implications – and about energy use and emissions

Community Engagement and Climate Change:

Benefits, challenges and strategies VCOSS, COTA and McCaughey Centre, for Department of Planning and Community Development

Liveable and Just:

Improving the capacity of local government to respond to climate change in ways which are healthy, just and sustainable McCaughey Centre with VLGA, BSL, DSE supported by Victorian Sustainability Accord S. Grampians and Glenelg PCP

Climate Change Adaptation: A framework for local action

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Conclusions

• • • • The scientific and moral case for emergency action to prevent catastrophic climate change is overwhelming. Current carbon emission and climate change trends will have profound and devastating impacts on health and wellbeing. The most disadvantaged people and communities will be most vulnerable.

Business as usual is not an option. We need to ensure a just outcome for both current and future generations.

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

• •

Implications for action

Equitable adaptation to climate impacts already locked in is essential. However the

highest priority

must be urgent action to

prevent catastrophic climate change

. - This requires rapid action to reduce carbon emissions and to draw down carbon.

- The transition program to a zero carbon economy needs to be on the scale of the Apollo Program or the investment needed to fight World War II and achieve post war reconstruction.

- All countries must play their part. Australia and Victoria have a special responsibility and a unique opportunity to lead by example.

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Community sector implications

• At a time of rapidly rising demands driven by the global financial crisis …climate change will also drive Increased health and wellbeing impacts – particularly for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and populations.

• Increased financial and workload demands on community sector workers and organisations.

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

Community sector priorities

• • • • • Research – on climate change impacts, vulnerability and resilience.

Climate literacy - Informed community debate about the implications of most up to date and credible climate change science.

Advocacy - Emergency action to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Policy development - Building just and democratic transition pathways.

New and expanded services – To meet new demands and provide support for fair and equitable adaptation.

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

The key challenge…

To build - at emergency speed - a just and democratic pathway which leads to the prevention of catastrophic climate change – and to effective and sustainable adaptation.

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health

The McCaughey Centre VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing Melbourne School of Population Health © Copyright The University of Melbourne 2008