As the debate rages in Australia about the merit of putting a price on carbon, millions of people in East Africa are already suffering the impact of climate change. In the Horn of Africa, the countries of Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Dijbouti are facing a devastating drought with little but food and water distribution programs standing in the way of starvation. Most people in the region are already poor and living directly off the land. They cannot expect to grow their own food again until, at the earliest, 2012 when the rains may return. Until then, they are completely dependent on aid provisions.

Closer to home, the CSIRO's Dr Mark Howden projects that by 2050 Australia could become a net importer of fruit, vegetables and wheat. He says that as a result Australia will become less food secure.

Refugees wait to go to a camp in the Ethiopia as drought strengthens its grip on countries in the Horn of Africa Credit:Reuters

Climate scientists have warned us again and again that more extreme weather patterns are to be expected in a world of accelerating climate change. To manage this we need to do two things: drastically reduce our carbon emissions and prepare ourselves for dealing with the climate change that is now unavoidable as a result of past carbon emissions.

Despite the fact that Australians know all too well the impact of extreme weather events such as heavy rains, and long periods of drought, and despite the fact that Australia's fragile ecosystem is predicted to be heavily affected by even a small change in the average temperature, little has been done until now to control our steadily increasing carbon emissions. The federal government has put forward a proposal that puts a price on carbon and stimulates investment in clean energy. This is an important first step and the government should be congratulated for this. And those who oppose the proposed carbon tax need to really ask themselves at which point they will accept to take the first step, as imperfect as it may be, to tackle one of the greatest challenges we face.