Look After your Planet!

Look After Your Planet!Individual actions make a difference, too. Try cutting
It seems that nearly every day we hear somethingdown on petrol consumption by using public
about Global Warming. Australia's drought is now thetransportation or carpooling with friends and
worst in our history. Intense storm cells lashing partscoworkers. When possible, ride a bike or walk to
of South East Queensland, frequent Category 4 andyour destinationyou'll be keeping the planet and the
5 tropical storms worldwide, fierce bushfires, meltingeconomy healthy and also yourself too!
glaziers, flooding, the list goes on. With the everNuclear Australia
increasing threat of global warming, we need toAustralia is the owner of the world's largest uranium
know how we can look after the planet as it is thereserves. Most of the energy in Australia is supplied
only one we have. If we don't make changes now,by burning coal or petrol. Currently, 78 per cent of
what hope will our young children have for theirAustralia's water is boiled by coal. Coal, is a fossil fuel
future on this planet?and creates greenhouse emissions. Nuclear energy is
Electricity causes 35 per cent of Australia'sa way to boil water without producing greenhouse
greenhouse pollution which makes it the biggest singleemissions.
source of Australia's greenhouse pollution.All of the uranium mined in Australia is exported.
Here are a few tips on what we can do to help coolEvery country that buys uranium from Australia must
our planet.sign an agreement that the uranium will be used only
Switch off the TV, VCR, microwave and stereo atfor peaceful purposes (like generating energy).
the power point instead of leaving them in stand-byWhy aren't we using our own uranium?
power mode.A great debate has recently opened up in Parliament
Purchase appliances with the highest Energy Staron Australia's nuclear policy. John Howard has
rating.suggested an inquiry into Australia's energy uses,
Run air-conditioning units only when needed andincluding the proposal of going nuclear.
adjust the temperature control to 25 degrees.Those who are for a nuclear Australia argue that the
Defrost the freezer regularly and set theintroduction of nuclear energy is cleaner. It could
temperature to -18°C.possibly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help
Only use your dishwasher when it is full.the environment. Nuclear energy could also provide a
Consider solar lighting for your porch and garden.cheaper solution to rising petrol prices and could
Decorative solar garden lights are now available increate jobs for thousands of people.
inexpensive kits.Scientists say that only five per cent of emissions
Dry washing on a clothesline. Your clothes will smellwould be cut by 2050, which is well below the target
fresh, look better and wear longer.number that has been set to reduce climate change.
Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescents. TheyThe opposition doesn't forget the nuclear disaster of
provide just as much light and they use 75 per centthe Chernobyl power plant meltdown in 1986. They
less power.argue that such a disaster could happen again. Others
Install movement sensors in outdoor areas, theyworry that if Australia goes nuclear, our uranium
provide security while saving money and energy.supply could run out in less than 60 years.
Turn off your hot water system when you go onPersonally I am against the idea of Nuclear Power in
holidays.Australia. It has some benefits but the overall risk of
Switch off the light when you leave the room.a nuclear disaster and the possibility of it falling into
Greenpeace believes the problem that we face isthe wrong hands to make nuclear weapons are too
that the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) formuch of a risk. There must be a better and safer
energy, which is changing the climate. The fossil fuelsolution.
industry is resisting change, funneling millions of dollarsThe Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster on April 25th -26th
into advertising and campaigns to oppose global1986 is the world's worst nuclear power accident. It
warming solutions.occurred at Chernobyl in the former USSR now
What's worse, our governments are listening toknow as Ukraine. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant
them!was located 80 miles north of Kiev. It had 4 reactors
Climate change is caused by human activity; it is theand whilst testing reactor number 4 numerous safety
warming of our planet. It's the worst environmentalprocedures were disregarded. At 1:23am a chain
and economic problem we face today. Most scientistsreaction in the reactor became out of control
and governments around the world now agree thatcreating explosions and a fireball which blew off the
climate change will damage or destroy many naturalreactor's heavy steel and concrete lid.
ecosystems and human communities.The Chernobyl accident killed more than 30 people
Our atmosphere is made up of a balanced blanket ofimmediately, and as a result of the high radiation
gases. The gas blanket traps in the earth's heat andlevels in the surrounding 20-mile radius, 135,000 people
sustains life on earth. This is known as thehad to be evacuated.
greenhouse effect. Industrial activities create moreHealth Effects from the Chernobyl Disaster-
greenhouse gases, disrupting the natural balance andThe five years (1981-1986) before the accident, the
increasing greenhouse warming.average thyroid cancer rate in young children aged
It's like we're putting a thicker blanket over thebetween birth and 15 years old was 4-6 incidents per
planet, causing it to overheat.million. The incidents rose from 4-6 per million to 45
Our greenhouse gas pollution comes from burningincidents per million between 1986 and 1997.
coal and gas to make energy. Deforestation alsoThere have also been reports of increases of specific
releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into thecancers in certain populations living in contaminated
atmosphere. After that, changes in our climate mayareas and among those who helped with the cleanup
become rapid, unpredictable and irreversible.of the accident.
Coal provides nearly 90 per cent of Australia's30 lives were lost during the accident or within a few
electricity and is also destroying the environment.months after it. Figures from the Ukraine Radiological
Coal use also causes significant health problems.Institute suggest that over 2,500 deaths were
Studies around the world show worrying incidencescaused by the Chernobyl disaster.
of asthma, lung diseases and cancers. We must stopPsychological Consequences-
our use of coal powered electricity! Clean, renewableThere have been significant increases in psychological
energy is the solution to climate change and to ahealth disorders and incidence such as:
better planet.Anxiety
Just as we rely on coal in Australia, we feed otherDepression
countries in our region. We export about three timesHelplessness and despair leading to, social withdrawal
as much coal as we currently use. The Newcastleand loss of hope for the future.
port has more coal leaving from there every dayOther disorders attributable to mental stress
than our entire country uses.The stress and trauma of the people involved during
The world relies on crude oil and it's running out!the evacuation and their concerns about their
The world's transportation and commercial industrieschildren's health came from the result of the lack of
rely heavily on oil. Unfortunately, in recent years,public information available after the accident. There is
we've been consuming much more oil than we'vemuch understandable skepticism over official
been discovering. Some scientists are suggesting thatstatements as people were not told the truth until
the Earth may have reached its peak oil.several years after the accident.
"Peak oil" is the point at which we consume moreFollowing the accident 116,000 people had to be
petroleum per year than we produce, and when peakevacuated and between 1990 and 1995 an additional
oil happens worldwide, it will no longer be worth the210,000 people were resettled. A new town was
time or money it takes to find new oil reserves.named for the personnel of the Chernobyl power
Some people believe there will be a war as the resultplant.
of a battle to gain control over the world's last oilVillages had to be decontaminated and major work
reserves. Saudi Arabia possesses both the world'shad to be carried out on infrastructure of water and
largest oil reserves and produces the largest amountgas. The closure of Reactor 4 and the "freeze" on
of the world's oil. The Middle East has about 50 perconstruction of new reactors reduced the availability
cent of the known remaining world oil reserves.of electricity supplies.
The truth is, peak oil could affect you more than youDemographic indications in 'contaminated' areas
realize. The average Australian consumes six and asuggest that these areas are experiencing a decline in
half litres of oil every day, three quarters of that isbirth rate. The work force has moved to
being used for transportation.uncontaminated areas resulting in a shortage of
Australia passed peak oil as a nation in 2000, andlabour and professional staff.
now imports 30% of all its oil. By 2010, it's estimatedThe affected areas suffered major disruption to
that that figure will be closer to 50%.normal life and economic activity in agriculture and
It's hard to say exactly what will happen once peakforestry production.
oil hits across the globe. Some scientists say that itAfter the Chernobyl accident radioactive material was
will be the end of civilization as we know it, whilewidely dispersed and was measured over a vast
others claim there will really be no difference at allarea. The effects have been felt over the whole of
due to recent advances in energy technology.the northern hemisphere.
No one can say exactly when the world's peak oil willIn some local ecosystems within a 10 km radius of
occur, estimates say sometime around 2015. Thethe reactor lethal doses were reached particularly
United States Energy Information Administrationwith trees and small mammals. However in 1989 the
believes the world supply of oil shale to be 2.6 trillionnatural environment of these ecosystems began to
barrels of usable oilthat's approximately 66 yearsrecover but there is still the possibility of long term
worth of fuel at current consumption rates.genetic effects.
The problem is, by relying on oil shale and other suchWith today's ongoing risk of terrorist attacks
sources of petroleum, we're merely delaying theworldwide and the growing threat of an attack in
problem. If we don't investigate other types ofAustralia, it seems going nuclear could be a disaster
energy, we'll have the same problem we do now inwaiting to happen. Nuclear power does have its
half a century. Although we can stretch our supplyadvantages but in an unstable world as we live in
for a while longer, we will eventually run out of oil.today I'm not sure it is a good idea. However we
There are currently efforts underway to reduce orneed to do something now to help fight the growing
eliminate oil consumption. Auto companies areconcerns of global warming and climate change. Our
developing hybrid cars that run partly offchildren deserve the rights for us to find a solution so
rechargeable batteries, and a new fuel calledthey can live in stable and safe environment in the
"biodiesel"future.