Global Climate Change Action

See attached file

http://greens.org.au/content/top-ten-reasons-vote-green-2010

1. The Greens stand up for what’s right, not just what’s easy. Whether it’s protecting the environment, introducing universal dental care, opposing the war in Iraq or advocating for refugees to be treated humanely, the Greens are driven by values, not polls.

2. It’s the Party everyone’s heading to. The Greens are the third largest political party in Australia, with five national Senators, 21 State MPs and more than 100 local Greens councillors already playing a positive and constructive role across Australia. More than a million Australians voted Green in 2007, and we're the fastest-growing party in the country.

3. Break the deadlock in the Senate between the Government and the Opposition. Last time the Government of the day also got control of the Senate, we got WorkChoices. Or, Tony Abbott's Coalition could easily win control of the Senate, which would deliver Australians nothing but three years of deadlock. We deserve a Senate that will work for us and deliver strong, sensible action – not just spin.

4. Provide future generations with clean air, clean water and a stable climate. The Greens will tackle climate change by putting a price on carbon for big polluters in the next term of government. It’s time we created new clean energy jobs and started investing in the economy of the future.

5. Make legislation better. When the Coalition tried to block the stimulus package that kept Australia out of recession, the Greens passed it with added environmental and small business benefits. The Greens will do the same thing to improve the mining super profits tax.

6. The Greens have vision. When Bob Brown first spoke to the Senate about climate change 14 years ago, his Labor and Liberal colleagues actually laughed at him. Now the Greens are the only party working to end all forms of legal discrimination against Australians based on sexuality. The Greens focus on what’s right for the next generation, not just the next election cycle.

7. An environmental party. The Greens have always worked to protect Australia’s magnificent natural environment for future generations – whether that’s protecting our native forests and their wildlife, or our pristine beaches and marine ecosystems.

8. An environmental party and much, much more. The Greens stand for much more than just cutting carbon pollution, securing our water supplies and protecting our environment. Think better public schools, more funding for hospitals and fixing our broken mental health system. The Greens also drive great new ideas, like building high-speed rail between Australia’s major cities, which is now gaining momentum but would never have gotten up otherwise.

9. For a more powerful vote. Another Labor or Liberal candidate will just vote the way they’re told. With the Greens, every vote is a conscience vote. If you’re disappointed with Labor but don’t want Tony Abbott, you can send a powerful message to Julia Gillard. And if your Greens candidate doesn’t win, your vote will simply go to the next candidate of your choice at full value.

10. Bob Brown. A genuinely decent politician and the most experienced party leader in Parliament.

Australia: Report shows how to reach 100% renewable stationary energ - The /Zero Carbon Australia/ (ZCA) report is the culmination of 12 months of pro bono work by engineers, scientists and postgraduate university students, [Climate Change Action Group]

A Perth uranium conference has been told the industry could see up to six new mines opened in Western Australia by 2020.

Email your message to PM Julia Gillard via GetUp!
cc your letter to the media:

lett...@theaustralian.com.au, lett...@theage.com.au, edle...@afr.com.au, lett...@canberratimes.com.au, king...@abc.net.au, lett...@couriermail.com.au, lett...@smh.com.au, lett...@wanews.com.au - see facebook Fan Page link on the left for easy copy and paste list).
---
sample letter..

13 June 2010

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown says that Labor has only itself to blame for getting into bed with the Liberals over climate change.

"It was serious misjudgement. And it is no good Labor waking up the morning after being done over by the Liberals and accusing the uninvolved Greens of "purity"," Senator Brown said.

"The fact is Prime Minister Rudd has refused to talk with me or fellow Greens over climate change or anything else, since April 2009.

"Labor ought to have taken up the Greens proposal for a carbon tax. It is not too late to do it - We would welcome negotiations.

"A 72% majority of Australians want the government to negotiate with the Greens in the Senate for climate action."

Results of a national Galaxy Research telephone poll of 1,100 respondents taken in April show that 72% of Australians are in favour of the government working with the Greens, independents and other senators to introduce a levy that will ensure the biggest polluters pay for climate pollution.

Only 20% were opposed to the government negotiating with the Greens.

Senator Brown was responding to criticisms on morning television today by Labor Ministers Anthony Albanese and Lindsay Tanner.

Media contact: Erin Farley 0438 376 082

Greens climate change proposal

The Greens are putting forward a constructive proposal to get Australia moving through the quagmire that currently exists on government climate change policy. At last, we have something on the table that is do-able and easy to comprehend and digest for Mr & Mrs Average.

The Greens propose a two year carbon price of $23 a tonne to the top 1000 polluters. This would provide a $5 billion dividend for households and further revenue to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and other emissions reducing options. This proposal will create a surplus rather than deficit in the first two years.

I am urging the ALP to support the Greens climate change proposal immediately and move on it quickly with a start date of July 1, 2010.

Addresses and webforms (click to reveal):

lett...@theage.com.au, edle...@afr.com.au, lett...@theaustralian.com.au, lett...@canberratimes.com.au, lett...@dailytelegraph.com.au, lett...@smh.com.au, lett...@wanews.com.au
The Mercury: http://www.themercury.com.au/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-submit.html
Herald Sun: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/letter
Courier Mail: www.news.com.au/couriermail/editorial/letter
Adelaide Advertiser: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/send-letter
Bundaberg News Mail: http://www.news-mail.com.au/contact/feedback/
ALP Climate Change Minister Wong Contact form: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/homepages/contact.asp?id=00AOU
Prime Minister Rudd:
http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks

Richard Downs and Harry Nelson
NT Intervention - coming together - standing together
"our journey together - with an open heart"

Clothes, food and other supplies can be sent to:
PO Box 1360 Tennant Creek NT 0861
or your financial assistance to:
Alyawarr Inkerr-Wenh Aboriginal Corporation
BSB 085995 A/C 821104317
NAB Alice Springs Branch

visit: http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com for more information
or join the facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30267091&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=...

Greens Propose:
Rather than locking‐in the weak targets proposed by the CPRS, potentially until 2026, the Greens propose a two year fixed carbon price at $20 per tonne, based on the Garnaut Review proposals, as an interim measure in the transition to a functional and effective emissions trading scheme.

This will provide $5 billion dividend for households and includes assistance to small business and emission intensive trade exposed industries.

Unlike the Government's CPRS, the proposal would result in a surplus of approximately $2.97 billion over the two years rather than a deficit of $849 million, which could be directed towards climate mitigation and adaptation infrastructure

read more:
http://bob-brown.greensmps.org.au/webfm_send/333

From Australian students to social movements, affected and indigenous peoples: in solidarity for climate justice
To people’s assemblies in Copenhagen and around the world,

We are writing to express solidarity and support for the major principles outlined in the Peoples’ Protocol on Climate Change, including the principles of social justice, sovereignty, respect for the
environment and an equitable, just response to climate change.

Australian Students Environment Network (ASEN) acknowledges in particular the sovereignty of First Nations Peoples from around the world, and the historical and ongoing injustices borne by Indigenous communities.

We recognise that climate change is inherently a social justice issue. It is a problem that has arisen from a fundamentally unjust global system, and its effects on the people of the Global South are disproportionately large in comparison to the contribution those people have made to climate change.

In taking action on climate change, we feel that it is important potential ‘solutions’ do not perpetuate the injustices of the systems that have contributed to the climate change problem.

Additionally we recognise that the costs of addressing climate change should be equitably distributed, reflecting the historical debt owed by those who have profited from the causes of climate change.

In Copenhagen, the Australian Government and Australian corporations are pushing low and unfair targets; supporting big polluters and an expansion of coal mining and exports; and false and unjust projects of carbon trading, ‘offseting’ and technofixes. We condemn their efforts; and instead are acting – as part of a global movement for climate justice – to keep remaining fossil fuels in the ground, and for effective, just and participatory solutions.

ASEN is committed to ongoing solidarity with communities experiencing the impacts of climate change and of unjust ‘solutions’ to climate change; such as carbon trading and ‘offset’ schemes, nuclear power and large‐scale geoengineering ‘technofixes’.

Alongside others in Australia, we are organising with Indigenous peoples; participating in solidarity protests for climate justice in the Global South, hosting climate justice forums, taking direct actions through Climate Camps targeting the expansion of the Australian coal industry.

We seek direction from and collaboration with communities facing the injustices of climate change as to how we can best continue to support you in the struggle for climate justice. We look forward to strengthening the links between ASEN and the global grassroots climate justice movement.

Yours in solidarity,
Loki and Ann‐Marie from the Australian Student Environment Network

The Australian Student Environment Network (ASEN) is a grassroots network of students from 38 university campuses around Australia, who are active on environmental and social justice issues.
i...@asen.org.au
www.asen.org.au

Dear Climate Change Minister Penny Wong,

What incredible power you hold in the palm of your hands.
Power that was given to you by the people of Australia, who you must honourably represent.
A very large and important responsibility.

I ask you to lead Australia to a sustainable future, one of clean energy supplies and jobs for all. I ask you to NOT CAUSE the extinction of millions, perhaps billions, of species. Please do not commit premeditated murder.

What road will you take Climate Change Minister Penny Wong?
The road of honour, or the one lined with gold...?
--------
Walk Against Warming march in Melb... accounts vary between 10,000 - 40,000 marchers. See and hear the people Penny Wong...
REPRESENT THEM!
http://globalclimatechangeaction.org/WAW09pix
--------
Finally, are you aware of the Climate Justice Fasters?
Please ensure these wonderfully brave young people will grow old and fat.
Paul's Blog Day 36 - only water:
http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-36-paul/
Day 30 - only water:
http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-30/
--------
Thank you for your attention.

Huge thanks and acknowledgement to Peter Campbell for sharing his wonderful images.
Full set of images from http://picasaweb.google.com.au/peterc.150/20091212WalkAgainstWarmingMelb...

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Saturday, 12th December, 2009, register here:
http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/

Sixty six million years ago in a land called Gondwana the dinosaurs on
earth were facing a catastrophe. The scientific dinosaurs had been
researching the possibility that an asteroid could swing in from outer
space and cause catastrophic change on earth. However due to the
limitations of dinosaur science, the scientific dinosaurs couldn't prove
that such an event was imminent. As time went on, signs that an asteroid was entering a near-earth orbit were becoming increasingly apparent, such as an increase in meteor showers and occasional flashes in the night sky as the asteroid tumbled in space and reflected light down onto earth. The scientific dinosaur community was becoming increasingly worried about the signs that catastrophe was imminent but still they could not give a definitive time or place for the catastrophic event.

Meanwhile the dinosaurs continued to flourish as the top life-form on
earth. Life was good overall and many dinosaurs attributed the situation to divine providence, having been taught that they were the chosen beings to rule the earth and all other life forms, including a relatively new group called the mammals, only existed to be subservient to them. Other dinosaurs however began to get a little edgy at the increasing rate of scientific dinosaur research indicating a catastrophe was imminent. They formed a global alliance to investigate possible ways to mitigate the effects of the (still unproven) imminent catastrophe. The scientific dinosaurs recommended that all dinosaurs band together and dig tunnels throughout the earth stocked with provisions so that if the catastrophe that was imminent but as yet unproven did materialise, the dinosaurs would be saved, albeit at some cost to all the dinosaur species.

As the research continued and the science grew more compelling, most
dinosaurs had accepted the need to give up some of their food and leisure time to contribute to this plan to save the dinosaurs as a life form in the event of the as yet unproven catastrophe coming to pass.

There still remained a sizeable percentage of dinosaurs who believed that contributing to the dinosaur saving efforts was an unnecessary burden on their lifestyle as the science had not yet been proven. Other dinosaurs tried to convince the sceptical dinosaur minority with the need to at least come on board as an insurance policy, but most would not be swayed, in particular the powerful sectors of the dinosaur economy that controlled the vegetation franchises around Gondwana.

Meanwhile, deep in the forgotten corners of the jungles, in hollows in the rocks, and on precipitous cliff faces, the mammals had noted with alarm the scientific dinosaurs' research and not having many vested interests in the dinosaur economy of Gondwana, began to prepare for the predicted catastrophe by setting aside a portion of their small mammalian economy to dig tunnels and set aside a stockpile. As most mammals agreed, the efforts were only insurance, and if the catastrophe did not happen, their efforts would actually be useful in times of drought or flood. A surprising thing began to happen in the mammalian economy that had not been forecast by even the most eminent mammalian economists. As the mammals dug into the earth
and began to stockpile resources, life improved for all mammals.

Despite the quite significant drain on the old mammalian economy, a new mammalian economy was opening up and the two economies were runiing side by side, all mammals were gainfully employed and they began to nip at the heels of the dinosaurs as a result.

The dinosaurs held conference after conference to thrash out how to deal with the yet unproven imminent catastrophe, and although small groups of dinosaurs were reaching consensus, overall the dinosaurs as a group could not usurp the power of the vested interest dinosaurs who would not accept the imminent catastrophe science without more proof, and who believed that diverting resources into insurance against the catastrophe would be an untenable burden. Even as reports of how the mammals were benefiting from their experiments in actually doing something constructive were filtering in, the old guard was still convinced that the imminent catastrophe research was nothing more than an underhand plan to wrest economic control
from the righteous owners of the planet.

Eventually after years of wrangling, compromise and promises, all the
dinosaur species agreed to attend a Gondwana-wide conference to finally take positive unified and irrevocable action to nut out ways of
proportioning efforts by each dinosaur species towards a common goal of drawing up plans to start the process of getting ready to dig tunnels under the lush green and warm landscape ready for habitation if the as yet unproven imminent disaster did come to pass. Before the conference some of the species had their share of the work promised and enshrined in dinosaur legislation, while others, in particular the major species, were having trouble with their own vested interests hell-bent on sabotaging the whole process.

Even before the conference started, the Stegosaurus surprisingly announced they would not commit to any tunnels until the T-Rex had announced their tunnels, the Brontosaurus promised to build one km of tunnel for each 10 km of tunnels built by all other species, and the Allosaurus flatly refused to come to the conference as they had 'killing to get on with'. The Allosaurus revolt prompted the Brachiosaurus to delay their commitment until they had proof that the Diplodocus were reaching their targets, and so on and so on.

As sixty five million years ago approached, Gondwana was a divided
continent, with small groups of dinosaurs making rather pathetic attempts to dig a series of life saving tunnels, while the majority of dinosaurs, particularly the large species that had grown fat and lazy through their control of the vegetation franchises, were making desultory attempts to quieten the incrtheir easingly vocal scientific dinosaurs.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The scientific dinosaurs were proved to have been right all along. A massive asteroid swung into earth's orbit and as the evidence mounted, it became obvious that it would strike the earth in a matter of
years.

Then all dinosaurs, even the powerful vested interests, realised
that something had to be done, and began to pour a massive effort into 'saving the planet'. What they didn't realise in their little dinosaur
brains was that the planet was fine, it was they who were in trouble.
The mammals noted the dinosaur's research and retreated into their
well-prepared bunkers and tunnels and waited.

On the morning of the 6th of Glock in the dinosaur year 180 million, the main asteroid slammed into the earth off the coast of India followed shortly thereafter by a smaller fragment that wiped out the Yukatan Peninsular in present day Mexico, and the rest, as the mammals like to say, is all history.

The vast majority of dinosaurs were wiped out by the massive climate
changes that followed. The few dinosaur species that had made enough preparations to survive were sorely weakened and were finished off by the mammals. As the earth recovered slowly, the mammals were able to take over a world that had previously been such a paradise for the massive dinosaurs.

Sixty five million years later, the earth faced another imminent
catastrophe. One selfish group of mammals had taken over the planet and were in imminent danger of falling victim to their own laziness and
stupidity.

Just as the dinosaurs had experienced, there were calls for rapid action, but once again the vested interests were able to stymie any
meaningful action until it was too late. If only the dinosaurs had been
able to pass their history on down through the aeons, and if it had been available at the Copenhagen conference in 2009, life on earth might well be markedly different to what it is today.

Extracted from "The Rise and Rise of Our Species Through Human's Misfortune and Happenstance" by Senior President Gloogo Xzzsetriv, Land Dolphin Supremo, published tidal year 125894 in the New Bahamas.

Interview with The Australian Ambassador & Phil

Phil: What are the expectations of the Australian Government around a legally binding deal?
Louise: We want a binding deal. We will put our all our effort behind the Danish government. They have a bold strategy.
Phil: So the Government is still hopeful of a legally binding outcome from Copenhagen?
Louise: No. Not a legally binding agreement at Copenhagen. We expect a high level political endorsement, a set timeline to cement a new treaty and fast start funding for adaptation and mitigation in the developing world

Phil: Some people have noted that the negotiations have reached the conditionality for us to increase our bottom range target from 5% on 2000 levels to 15%. Does the Government plan to increase its lower range?
Louise: That is a cabinet decision. I cannot speculate. The Australian Government is working hard to achieve the most ambitious outcome we can get collectively.

Phil: There is lots of talk about the Prime Minister being a ‘friend’ in the negotiations. Who exactly is he a friend of, a political agreement? Our neighbours in the Pacific who stand to lose much from the impacts of climate change?
Louise: The Prime Minister is a friend of the Danes. He is working very hard to help them ensure they get a great outcome. He is, of course, a friend of our neighbours as well. .........

posted to QEAN YahooGroup by: Eleanor Smith
Sun Dec 6, 2009
Inspiration for the Walk Against Warming next Saturday...
x e
- - -
http://liammacuaid.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/climate-change-demonstration...

For a long time the gap between the size of the movement against climate change and the scale of the issue for humanity has been a real
contradiction. Previous demonstrations in London pulled numbers in the
low thousands and the trend over the past three years had been down.

That changed today with the series of events organised by The Stop
Climate Chaos Coalition http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/the-wave.
Press reports of 20 000 are rubbish. It was not easy to gauge but a
figure of over 50 000 seemed more realistic.

It could be that today’s demonstration in London marked the arrival of
climate change activism as a mass movement. There were large numbers of contingents from universities, churches and NGOs. There was a small but visible trade union presence and it was evident that many of the people there had been brought by organisations of different sorts, in a way that was reminiscent of the early days of the Stop the War demonstrations. The litmus test of how broad a movement’s reach is might be the fact that the organised left makes up only a tiny fraction of its participants and that was true today.

Unhappily I had left my spangly blue wig, boa and face paint on a bus yesterday and so wasn’t able to participate in the blue theme of the
day. Yet countless thousands of people had daubed their faces or were
wearing blue clothes or boas. It’s one way of giving a sense of belonging to a large group and shows that there was a high level of organisation and coordination in a way that was different from most
other demonstrations.

The demands of the official demonstration reflected the politics of the
coalition and have a distinctly NGO flavour. “Protect the Poorest, Act Fair & Fast, and Quit Dirty Coal now, to inspire the deal the world needs.” These are more abstract than what the Campaign Against Climate Change was raising for in its rally at the start of the event. It calls for a million green jobs and 10% cuts in carbon emissions by the end of 2010 and neither pretend to offer a critique of capitalist productivism.

Yet you can’t help thinking that for most people on that demonstration
these nuances are pretty irrelevant. At the moment they are simply
thinking “climate change is real and serious and the world’s rulers are
not doing anything about it.” That’s why they took to the streets.

We can predict with near absolute certainty that the deal that is stitched up in Copenhagen next week will not rise to the challenge of
what has to be done to prevent capitalism’s changes to the planet’s
climate. The positive thing is that it finally looks like that a movement on the scale necessary emerged from its chrysalis today.

Oh and the Climate Camp has set up in Trafalgar Square
http://twitter.com/ClimateCampLdn.