Australia ‘world’s worst polluter’

Study finds per capita carbon dioxide emissions more than US and China.

power station pollution
Coal-fired power stations are among the biggest contributors to global warming [GALLO/GETTY]
But it came in ahead of many countries with larger populations and “on a per capita basis, Australians are some of the largest CO2 emitters in the world, producing more than 11 tonnes of power sector CO2 emissions per person per year”, the report said.
The US, the world’s largest overall CO2 emitter, emits nine tonnes per person each year, it said.
 
Global warming has become a key issue in Australia’s upcoming election and Kevin Rudd, the opposition leader tipped to become the next prime minister, has promised to ratify the Kyoto treaty on climate change.
 
On Thursday, just hours after the report was published, Greenpeace protesters stormed a power plant north of Sydney and chained themselves to machinery to draw attention to the issue.
 
“We demonstrated what this country needs to do – close those coal-fired power stations and use cleaner energy,” organiser Stephen Campbell, a protest organiser, said.
 
Fifteen protesters were arrested and charges of trespass and malicious damage were expected to be laid against them.
 
The power plant’s operators said generating operations were not affected by the protest.
Source: News Agencies