fact

Each year, the average Australian household generates about 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas.

Households and Climate Change

Illustration of a Man Selling His Car and Taking Public Transport

“As you’ll see in this booklet, making greenhouse-friendly choices about day-to-day activities and purchases can cut greenhouse gases.”

What causes climate change?

Climate change is caused by an increase in the greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. These gases absorb heat leaving the earth and return some of it, making the earth warmer overall.
Before the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere were consistently between 260 and 280 parts per million (ppm). In recent times human activities have increased the concentration to 380 ppm—that’s an increase of more than a third!

What activities produce greenhouse gases?

burning fossil fuels—coal, oil or gas
using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels
some aspects of farming: raising cattle and sheep, use of fertilisers and some crops
clearing land
breakdown of food and plant wastes and sewage
some industrial processes like making cement and aluminium.

The main greenhouse gases generated by human activity are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as some manufactured gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and some of their replacements.
Water vapour is also a powerful greenhouse gas, but the amount in the atmosphere is not directly linked to human activity.

What are the effects of climate change?

Climate change and the ozone hole—they’re different problems!

The ozone hole is caused by chemicals combining with the ozone in our atmosphere, leaving less ozone to block out harmful types of radiation from the sun.

Some gases, such as CFCs, eat up the ozone layer and also add to climate change, but most of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change do not affect the ozone layer.

Research by the world's scientists, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, suggests that:

On average, the Earth's temperature has already risen by around 0.7°C over the past hundred years, and is projected to increase from 1.0°C - 6.4°C by the end of the 21st century.
Sea levels are rising as oceans expand and glaciers and ice sheets melt- by 2100 sea levels may rise by 18cm - 59cm.
Changes in climate patterns mean we will see some weather events and extremes such as heat waves, floods and storms, droughts and bushfires become more frequent, more widespread or more intense.
Adverse impacts on plants, animals and human health as climate patterns shift.

Australia is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including water supply problems, sea level rises, extreme weather events and a reduction in biodiversity in ecologically-rich sites such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Kakadu wetlands.

Globally, 11 of the last 12 years are the warmest since 1850, and 2005 was Australia's warmest year on record, 1.09°C above the average for the period 1961 to 1990.

Save money and reduce climate change

When you cut your greenhouse gas emissions by saving energy, you’ll also save money on energy bills.
Each tonne of greenhouse gas avoided will save between $130 and $470 depending on the type of energy used (exact savings will depend on the price you pay for each type of energy).
More money can be saved by cutting consumption of other products and services, the manufacture of which generates greenhouse gases, such as water, paper, metals, glass and plastics.
An average household can save several tonnes of greenhouse gas and hundreds of dollars each year.

But I’m just one person, how can my decisions affect the environment?

Some decisions have long-lasting effects. When buying a home, car or major appliance, that one decision will influence greenhouse gas emissions for many years. For example, buying a car that uses 2 litres per hundred kilometres less fuel will save around 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas over its life.

Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions

tip

The most efficient new family fridge will save more than 2 tonnes of greenhouse gas over its life compared with the least efficient new model of similar size.