The time for climate change action is now: Expert

Australia must act now to meet the challenges of a climate changed world according to a leading expert from The Australian National University. In his report The Critical Decade, released by the Australian Government's Climate Commission today, Professor Will Steffen argues that the decisions made in the next ten years will determine the severity of climate change experienced by future generations. The report also argues that there is no doubt that the Earth's climate is changing due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. It is also clear that the world is already seeing the social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change. Professor Steffen said that the next ten years until 2020 is the critical decade for action on climate change. ?Over many decades thousands of scientists have painted an unambiguous picture: the global climate is changing and humanity is almost surely the primary cause,? he said. 'The risks have never been clearer and the case for action has never been more urgent.