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The solution to climate change

The solution to climate change is... the decarbonising of the Australian and global economy.


Australia, and the rest of the world, have to get off carbon-heavy fuels. We need to start phasing out fossil fuels and turning to sustainable, carbon-neutral alternatives, and redesign cities and lifestyles so ecological sustainability is central.

 

The Climate Protection Bill, drafted by Climate Action Coogee members between February and May 2007 and now endorsed by climate action groups and individuals around Australia, sets out 19 points to achieve this, as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greenhouse Gas Reductions


1. [The first point was originally that Australia ratify the Kyoto Protocol - DONE!]

2. That Australian greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to 30% below the 1990 emission

levels by 2020, and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Actions to Achieve Greenhouse Gas Reductions

3. That the Government adopt a national strategy for greenhouse gas emission reductions

to meet the targets (see 2). This strategy will be developed through public consultation.

This strategy must address the tax deductions and subsidies provided to greenhouse-

intensive activities and industries.

4. That Government funding for research and development into demand side management,

energy efficiency and renewable energy is increased to achieve the targets (see 2).

5. That a national energy efficiency scheme is implemented.

6. That subsidies and tax breaks that support and encourage fossil fuel use are removed,

and this funding is instead invested in renewable energy research and development

7. That the percentage of Australia’s energy being sourced from renewable energy sources

is substantially increased (see 18).

8. That all Government agencies purchase electricity with 100% renewable energy

accredited under the National Green Power Accreditation Program.

9. That the Green Power Accreditation Program is reviewed.

10. That a carbon accounting scheme is implemented. This could be in the form of either a

Carbon tax or Emissions Trading Scheme, or both.

11. That new coal-fired power stations and new coal mines are prohibited, and plans to

expand existing coal mines and other actions likely to result in the emissions of large

amounts of greenhouse gases are thoroughly assessed for their greenhouse contribution

through a 'greenhouse trigger' in environmental law (see 16).

12. That the construction or expansion of a nuclear power reactor is prohibited.

13. That logging in old growth forests is prohibited.

Greenhouse Reporting

14. That the Prime Minister annually and publicly report on Australia's greenhouse gas

emissions and the progress of a national strategy for reducing emissions. This report

must include greenhouse gas emissions likely to result from the use of fossil fuels

exported from Australia.

15. That each Member of the House of Representatives annually and publicly report on how

they voted on decisions relating to climate change, and any action they have taken to

help address climate change.

16. That the Government carry out a 'greenhouse impact statement' before any Act,

regulation or statutory instrument is made, and report on this process annually.

Changing Environmental Law

17. Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

That the Government amend the main Commonwealth environmental protection law to

include a 'greenhouse trigger'. This law, the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity

Conservation Act 1999, should ensure that projects having an adverse impact on the

climate system are assessed and approved by the Commonwealth Government. Projects

to be assessed include:

  •  
    •  
      • the expansion of an existing coal mine;
      • a change in land use; or
      • land clearing;


which results in emissions of more than 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.


New coal mines will be prohibited. The following projects will be prohibited:

 

  • construction or expansion of a nuclear

 

reactor;

logging of old growth forests

* new coal mines.

18. Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000

That the law setting a mandatory target for renewable energy use is improved. This law,

the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000, should allow the renewable energy target to

continue indefinitely. The definition of 'renewable energy' must exclude wood waste as it

may cause the clearing of old growth forests. By 2010, electricity generators must source

an additional 10% of electricity each year from renewable sources. This will be reviewed

by an independent panel in 2010 and 2015. This will increase to 25 % by 2020. By 2050,

80% of all electricity consumed in Australia must be sourced from eligible renewable

sources.

Moving to a Clean Energy Future

19. That a 'Just Transitions' Committee be established to plan for an equitable and fair

transition for employees and communities affected by Australia’s commitment to a

comprehensive greenhouse reduction program.

This is an overview of the Climate Protection Bill. The complete legal draft can be

downloaded from www.climatemovement.org.au and go to ‘Climate Protection- Act Now!’

The initial draft Climate Protection Bill was written by members of Climate Action Coogee.

This version is the result of consultation with 30 community-based climate groups. These

community groups represent over 3,750 people around Australia. As of August 15, 2007, this

Bill is supported by 115 groups and individuals.

How you can support this Bill:

  1. Sign on your support for the bill at http://climatemovement.org.au/component/option,com_fabrik/Itemid,418/
  2. Download POSTCARDS supporting the Climate Protection Bill at the website above, print them at a printers, then get your friends, family and workmates to sign them and send them to us in time for the RIDE TO CANBERRA IN MAY to deliver them to Minister for Climate Change Senator Penny Wong.
  3. Download a LOBBYING KIT at the above website and use it to lobby your local politician to support the bill
  4. Join Climate Action Coogee in riding to Canberra in May to deliver thousands of postcards to Climate Change Minister Senator Penny Wong - email climateactioncoogee@gmail.com to join in!

 


SECAC in the news

Global warming threatens our future

11 Jan 10 @ 11:00am by Rowan Cowley

 

South East Climate Action Coalition’s Dr Nina Hall says the time for decisive action on climate change is right now.

“Climate change has demonstrated itself recently through the fact that
we have just experienced the hottest decade for a long time, as well as
the massive Victorian bushfires and the North Coast floods this year,”
Dr Hall said. “Unfortunately, scientific predictions for the future
only suggest more extreme weather events.”

Dr Hall said the Federal Government’s proposed carbon pollution
reduction scheme was a step in the right direction, as it put a price
on pollution. But she said it was deeply flawed, “as it gave away free
polluting rights to the companies and activities that have contributed
to this exact problem”.

Pointing to the seriousness of the sitution, Professor Matthew
England, of the University of NSW, said the Great Barrier Reef could be
lost and the Murray-Darling Basin could become unviable for agriculture
if a serious global effort to reduce greenhouse emissions was not made.

Prof England was one of the authors of The Copenhagen Diagnosis, a
document that was presented to the COP15 UN Climate Change Conference
on December 15.

“The temperature in any given year does not prove or disprove global warming,” Prof England said.

“The most important thing to consider is the decade-to-decade trend,
which over the past century shows clear warming and in fact an
acceleration in warming.”

He said global temperatures had risen 0.6C since 1975, whereas they
rose by only 0.2C from the time direct measurements of temperature
began in the 1850s until 1975.

He said if global warming reached 2C, it would almost certainly mean
a significant reduction in Australia’s agricultural output and more
severe bushfire seasons for NSW and Victoria in particular.

“Without an emissions reduction of any sort, we will certainly break
2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century and likely much more. If I
was a betting man, I would say temperatures will rise by about 4
degrees Celsius by the end of the century, based on the slow progress
made so far in tackling emissions reductions.”

The Federal Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will be reintroduced to Parliament next month.

(From the Southern Courier, January 11 2010: http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/warming-threatens-o...)