It is now beyond dispute that our climate is changing faster than at any other time in human history.
Significant increases in average global temperatures have been observed over the last half century, caused in part by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
This includes both naturally occurring greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as human-generated greenhouse gases such as sulphur hexafluoride, perfluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons.
Since 1750, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen 35 per cent, and the current concentration is higher than any time in the last 650,000 years. The level of nitrous oxide has risen 17 per cent and methane is up by 151 per cent.
Since 1900, global average temperatures have increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius.
The consensus is that human activities – particularly the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing – are the number one cause of climate change.
Electricity to homes and businesses around the world is provided through power stations that run on fossil fuels. In NSW, more than 90 per cent of our electricity is produced by coal-fired power stations. The more electricity and power we use, the more carbon pollution we are creating.
The Save Power campaign is part of the NSW Energy Efficiency Strategy to ensure we all minimise our impact on our environment by doing as much as we can to reduce power use by being more efficient and less wasteful.
Every power-saving activity we undertake helps reduce climate change and, if we all take part, we can make a noticeable difference to our environment.
Make a Power Pledge and see how many black balloons you can save - and see what you can save on your power bills!