Global Warming
Human activity is resulting in the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases. Such gases trap the sun's heat in our atmosphere and upset the delicate balance of the Earth's climate. Small changes in the temperature of the atmosphere cause accelerated melting of the polar ice caps and rising ocean levels, changes in rainfall patterns, destruction of delicate ecosystems such as coral reefs and increased extreme events such as droughts, hurricanes and cyclones. In South Eastern Australia, a decade long drying and warming trend is suspected to be a result of global warming.
Electricity production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 49.9%1 of Australia's greenhouse emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity.
One way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to replace fossil fuels with a natural, renewable source of energy such as wind. Initiatives to combat climate change, such as the Kyoto Protocol, have allowed wind energy to become the world's fastest growing energy source, with currently over 10,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity installed globally every year. The Western Australian Government has chosen to support renewable energy by investing in wind energy, bringing to the State new job opportunities as well as clean electricity.
1http://www.climatechange.gov.au/inventory/stateinv/pubs/states2006.pdf