climate change

Akbayan Partylist, through its #Akbayanihan Relief Drive, is again calling on the public for donations and volunteers to help the victims of super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

According to reports, the storm’s path decimated entire towns leaving hundreds of thousands of families displaced and injured, with the death toll expected to climb as high as 10,000.

We have seen the horrific devastation. Let us now close ranks and help each other.

Donations in cash and kind

Newsletter date: 2 November 2013

Contents:

* The Stringer: Bunna Lawrie will not give up on whale dreaming Country
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Mirning Country - the whale people - at risk from Native Title
* Michelle Lovegrove, SBS Aboriginal: Challenge to Native Title on Their Country - Mirning Say - You Must Listen
* Michelle Lovegrove, SBS Aboriginal: Far West Coast Native Title Claim Pushing Ahead Despite Unrest
* NIRS: Nullabor native title dispute
* Background to Mabo and Native Title

* Emma Murphy, Green Left: Indigenous people most affected by climate change

Researchers from the University of Hawaii have estimated the year when we depart the climate variability we have historically known for cities around the globe. For Sydney that year is 2038. But we are well on the way to that with recent record temperatures and heatwaves. The global oceans past their climate departure point in 2008. They are now wholly outside their historical variability. While polar regions are warming at 2 to 3 times the global average, the study highlighted that the greatest impacts will be felt in the tropics where minor climate variation can put it outside of it's historical bounds. This will have a major impact on biodiversity hotspots and ecosystems in the tropics.

Widespread October bushfires in NSW are unusual, but have happened before, such as in 1991. This year there was an Early start to Australian bushfires, record temperatures in early September.

It is now the 7th time this bushfire season a total fire ban has been declared in Sydney. Very Unusual. If the fire weather is this bad so early in the season, it can get worse over the coming months as Summer heats up, especially if we have extreme summer heatwaves similar to 2013.

Update: Sunday 20 October: Premier Barrie O'Farrell has declared A State of Emergency across NSW for 30 days as weather conditions are now forecast to be worse than anticipated. Indefinite Total fire bans, and increased powers for emergency personnel. The State Mine fire in the Blue Mountains has burnt 38,000 hectares and is burning on a broad front from Lithgow to west of Bilpin.