DOCTORS are demanding the Federal Government puts policies in place to avoid "climate catastrophes", after the release this week of the IPCC report into climate change.
Newcastle-based Dr John Van Der Kallen, national chair of Doctors for the Environment, said the message was clear.
"The very clear take home message from the report is that there is still a chance of keeping global warming to the manageable level of below 1.5 degrees, if we take action this decade," Dr Van Der Kallen said.
"This report is, however, a wakeup call about the stark reality of the state of the planet and the incalculable risks to the health of all Australians ... if we fail to take bold and rapid action.
Government policy is the primary determinant for whether Australia will do what's needed to stay within that target, he said.
"The policy void around making the transition from coal and gas, which are major sources of climate pollution, to renewables is a political problem, not a scientific or technological one.
"Coming just before COP26, the important climate meeting in Glasgow in November, this report will give our government the most up-to-date information about climate change so that they go to the COP26 negotiating table with credible plans based on the science.
"The impacts of burning of fossil fuels on a grand scale are evident. In recent years, Australia has seen record-breaking catastrophic bushfires, while the world has also seen record-breaking wildfires, extreme heatwaves and devastating flooding."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a UN body set up in 1988 to assess the science around climate change and its assessment reports, published every five to eight years, have heavily influenced international agreements.
President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Omar Khorshid, joined the call to arms saying the IPCC's latest findings should come as a warning.
He has called for the government to act on the scientific findings of climate experts, in the same way it has relied on and acted upon medical experts' advice on COVID-19.
"Doctors are frustrated by the slow pace of the Australian Government's response to climate change, and while it has relied on science to direct its policy responses during the pandemic, it's reluctant to embrace the science on climate change," he said. "It's clear we need a more ambitious response, including significant emissions reductions efforts."
Dr Khorshid pointed to the fires in Greece and California, drawing a parallel to the experiences of Australians in bushfires which have caused countless deaths, injuries, respiratory problems, as well as increased stress and anxiety.
"Climate change is causing increases in extreme weather, which can lead to death, food insecurity, and mental ill-health. Floods like those we saw in Germany and Belgium just weeks ago also carry the risk of water-borne and infectious diseases."
