Rising Tide Australia

Cheap imports fuel coal exports...

Have you every wondered why we are so dependent on export coal? We’ve heard lots of arguments for buying products that are made in Australia, but did you know that buying overseas-produced products is also fuelling climate change? Cheap imported consumer products are driving up greenhouse gases, and you can help stop global warming by buying less.

How does buying stuff fuel climate change?

In two key ways:

• Firstly, a huge bill from imported goods leaves Australia with a trade imbalance, which we balance out by selling exports: usually primary produce like minerals, meat, wool, wheat and of course coal – our greatest single (dollar value) export commodity. So buying goods from overseas fuels arguments to keep on exporting coal.

• Secondly, we have all heard the feeble excuse that Australia can't help halt greenhouse pollution unless China and India do so as well, because those nations are accelerating their own greenhouse pollution at a great rate. But why is that? What is fuelling this growth? In large part, China in particular is ballooning its manufacturing industry, using lots of electricity in the production of goods it sells overseas… to us… building new coal-fired power stations to fuel the economic boom which is fuelled by our insatiable desire for…. cheap imported consumer product!

Are you a fossil fool? Don’t swap cheap imports for coal exports! Australia is paying for all this stuff with coal exports. That means terrible degradation of the Hunter Valley, cracked rivers, loss of remnant woodlands, and of course, spiralling greenhouse gas emissions. It seems so simple: you can help the world reduce greenhouse gas emissions by buying less stuff.

Next time you go to buy something, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I really need this thing?
2. Where did it come from?
3. How much greenhouse pollution has been created just to and transport this thing?
4. Do I already have enough?

Get some tips from Grandma!

We used to buy a lot less stuff from overseas. We used to keep stuff for longer, and mend stuff and share stuff with our friends. We used to emit a lot less greenhouse pollution than we do now, and in a lot of ways we were happier then. Maybe we can learn from our oldies about how to live with less and be happier. For some other great information and activities about the problem with too much buying, have a look at www.storyofstuff.com.