Australia's Carbon Footprint 2008

Here are some details about Australia's carbon emissions.

- Australia's net Greenhouse emissions totalled 576 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2006, or about 1.5% of world emissions.
- Emissions in 2006 were 4.2% higher than 1990 levels, despite a 47% increase from stationary energy.
- Australia emits 28.1 tonnes of carbon per person, one of the highest per-capita levels in the developed world and five times more per person than China, due to use of coal for electricity.
- Transport and Energy account for 69.6% of Australian emissions, or 400.9 million tonnes.
- Stationary energy, which includes electricity generation, petroleum refining and gas processing, accounts for 49.9% of emissions, or 287.4 million tonnes.
- Transport accounts for 14% of emissions, or 79.1 million tonnes. Road transport and passenger cars accounted for 12% of national emissions.
- Agriculture created 15.6% of emissions, or 90.1 million tonnes.
10.9% of Australian emissions, or 62.8 million tonnes, come from sheep and cattle, due to gases produced when they digest food.
- Land use and forestry account for 6.9% of emissions, or 40 million tonnes, down more than 70% from 96.5 million tonnes in 1990.
- Carbon dioxide represents 74% of Australian emissions (427.8 million tonnes), methane 20.5% (118 million tonnes), and nitrous oxide 4% (24.2 million tonnes).
- The energy sector is the main source of carbon dioxide (86%), while agriculture is the main source of methane (59%).
- Australia is the world's biggest coal exporter, with coal used to generate about 77% of Australia's electricity. Poland, China and South Africa also rely on coal for more than 75% of electricity generation.
- Australia has the world's largest reserves of uranium and is a major uranium exporter, but has no domestic nuclear power.
- Limited carbon trading already exists in Australia. The New South Wales state introduced a Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme in 2003, which forces electricity suppliers to meet Greenhouse targets by investing in projects to offset emissions. The Australian Capital Territory has a similar scheme.

The fact is, Australia is significantly behind the rest of the developed world thanks largely to the govenment's unholy alliance with the coal industry. The sooner those in power showed some balls and actually made some serious decisions about finding meaningful alternative energy sources as a replacement for coal-fired power plants, the more respect the rest of the world might have for the country.