Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

As usual, from Senator Roberts, that was a contribution completely lacking in science and completely lacking in compassion. Since Labor came to power two years ago, they have approved 26 new coal and gas projects in Australia. I want to step back and look at the context within which those 26 new coal and gas approvals from Labor, in just two years, have occurred.

For the 10,000 years prior to the Industrial Revolution, we were on a pretty constant 280 parts per million of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere. In 1958, when observations started in Hawaii, we were on 315 parts per million. So from the Industrial Revolution to 1958, when we were at 315 parts per million, it's an increase of about 35 parts per million. From 1958 to 2024—we find ourselves today at over 420 parts per million. Between 1960 and 1970, the rate of increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere was less than one part per million per year, and the rate of increase now is over 2.5 parts per million per year.

We are failing. We are collectively failing, and billions of people are going to pay the price. The only antidote to this depressing fact is action and disruption. We have to disrupt and we have to act. If we don't disrupt, billions of people are going to pay the price.