Global Climate Change Action

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 $20 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

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.

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.

Senator MILNE (Tasmania) (1:55 PM) -As I rise to speak today, the earth, its people and its ecosystems are facing a planetary emergency driven by global warming and the Rudd government has demonstrated not only that is it not up to the task of addressing a global emergency but also that it has deliberately, willingly and knowingly turned its back on this generation, future generations and in particular all of those people in developing countries who are already suffering from climate change.

It is extraordinary that in human history one generation of humans has the power to impact overwhelmingly on all generations to come after. What we have seen here in this parliament today is a government thinking that a superficial political deal will suffice as a response to climate change.

Taking $6 billion away from Australia's households and handing it across to the coal industry-to coal-fired generators-is not an appropriate response to climate change. ...

"A different world"

Today (Wednesday June 17, 2009) I caught Senator Christine Milne on the ABC's National Press Club. Her words were inspirational. As such i searched the web looking for a transcript. Unable to find one, i wrote direct to her via her website = http://christine-milne.greensmps.org.au/.

I wrote: "Your words were music to my ears, thank you so much for singing them so earnestly. You have given me so much hope... hope that needs to be shared."

A few minutes ago I received her reply with a copy of the transcript and permission to publish.

It is attached as a pdf file.

Enjoy :-)

I was recently made aware of an extensive list of Scientists who refute Global Warming/Climate Change as a man made phenomena. These scientists do not dispute that Climate Change is happening, they argue that it is a natural cycle. They go on to ask governments to steer taxes into disaster preparation and continued growth to tackle the problem. The link is here:
http://www.rense.com/general79/d3m.htm

I have replied to them below:

I am not a scientist and my first glimmer of climate change came in 1998 when there was a really big heat wave. The shallow waters of Picnic Bay on Magnetic Island was too hot to walk into without burning your feet. I lived in the tropics of Qld, Australia, on an island surrounded by incredibly beautiful and diverse inshore coral reefs. Over the next two years many of these inshore reefs began to bleach and crumble. Then algae took hold. What was left (particularly in the shallower waters) was quickly suffocated by a forest of seaweed and turned into a muddy slush when the seaweed that fed off it ran out of fuel and was washed away by a minor cyclone. Said seaweed was then washed ashore and protected the trees roots (before it was cleaned up) which were badly exposed by the disappearing sand lines.

These sand lines continue to disappear on every beach I have visited in Qld over the last ten years or so. I don’t know where the sand is going, but it is rather amusing to watch the bulldozers attempt to put it all back year after year while the tides continue to grow higher and ever higher…

I watch this happening with my own eyes and try and understand why it is happening. It is very sad to witness first hand. It is not confined to any one particular beach but all of the beaches I have visited (even the ones with no continual human occupation).

I began to learn back in 1998 about global warming and climate change. Now, I do not dispute it. I just hope that there is time left for humanity to make the changes needed in order to survive as a species. Many have already lost their lives. I feel great sadness for their loss. Many more will perish in the not too distant future, particularly if we continue to deny what is happening before our very eyes.
see: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,25555143-1702,00.html

I want a future for my children. I would like to ask those who remain in denial, what harm is there to TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION NOW? Disaster mitigation strategies must be put into place to protect those most vulnerable.

Natural or man made...does it matter?

What harm (apart from loss of income to multi-national corporations) will become this planet we all share, if we move AWAY from polluting industries and INTO a clean energy future? Whether the climate change/global warming scientists "preachers" are all full of hot air, or the others are “big industry” paid liars, there will be A LOT LESS HARM DONE to humanity and the home we all share if we clean up our act now.

Might I add that it is also ignorant and foolish to ignore the impact of multi-national corporations on our planet. Their retrenched employees (often paid off with the minimum possible) which has been ... to date... to ensure their shareholders get a nice, fat, continual return on investment and control of market share, is ensured by the fattest and most heartless.

Take a look now at what is happening to those very same shareholders... their retirement funds not up in smoke but lining the pockets of a small handful of CEO's and crooked politicians.

Time is here and now to get out of bed with multi-nationals, crooked politicians and their reckless behaviours of despoiling our planet for a quick buck ... it just makes the thin starve and fat obese... whilst continuously ignoring the fate of our children's futures.

No matter who or what you believe, cleaning up our act and getting out of bed with multinational despoilers can do us no harm.

from GetUp:
http://www.getup.org.au/

"Time for common sense"
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/ClimateActionNow&id=638

It's time for some climate common sense. That's why we're launching this simple ask:

Invest more in renewable energy than you hand out to big polluters."

Yesterday Kevin Rudd announced more than a billion dollars in extra handouts and compensation to big polluters, bringing their haul to $8.4 billion this year alone.

In comparison, the Rudd Government has invested less than half that amount in renewable energy.

Letter sent to i...@qld.alp.org.au (Anna Bligh) & http://www.kevinpm.com.au/ (Kevin Rudd contact form)

Dear Prime Minister Rudd

I read that the ALP is considering walking away from using our taxes to continue funding research into clean coal, an unproven technology. I would applaud such a decision particularly if said funds went into clean energy solutions such as solar, wind and geothermal. Below is some information on Geothermal Energy, a proven (clean) base load energy supply.

Geothermal Report @ April 23, 2009

What is Geothermal Power?

Re Climate Emergency & Culture of Ignoring LETTER to VIPs, Media,
Academics & all State & Federal MPs

By Dr Gideon Polya
BSc (Hons) (Tasmania), PhD (Flinders) and Grad. Cert. Higher Ed. (La
Trobe),

I have been teaching Science students at Australian tertiary institutions for 4 decades (1972-2008, in the last 5 years as a part-time lecturer/demonstrator) and, of course, know that ignoring, lying, denial and obfuscation are inimical to teaching and learning and, in a wider social, national and global context, to rational risk management.

Dear Anne,

I am delighted that you will publish my Culture of Ignoring missive.

I was getting very despondent that only about 0.2% of the thousands of variously eminent and influential Australians I have written to had likewise agreed to inform others - and even more despondent hearing the expert opinion just now on ABC TV Lateline from our top coral expert Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg that 15% of the Great Barrier Reef has already gone and it is doomed with current behaviour.

Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (top world expert on climate change and coral; University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia) published a paper in 2007 in the world's top scientific journal Science (Coral Reefs under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification, Science 14 December 2007: Vol. 318. no. 5857, pp. 1737 - 1742 ; see:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/318/5857/1737 , and
commented thus on the ABC Science Show with Robyn Williams
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2007/2115399.htm : "This is a paper that's really wrapping up essentially ten years of science. It's bringing together the two great threats to coral reefs, global warming and ocean acidification. What we find out is that the threat is much closer than we thought in the past, and in fact the magic number may be 450. When I say '450'; 450 parts per million of carbon dioxide and we lose them." (for opinions of other top Australian climate scientist see: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/climate-emerg...
-what-outstanding-australian-scientists-say .

Please feel free to link, re-publish and otherwise disseminate the Climate Emergency Fact Sheets and all other documents placed on its website by our Yarra Valley Climate Action Group (see:
http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/Home ).

Best regards, Gideon Polya

(1) Submission to the SA EIS on the proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam mine by BHP Billiton.

To: Olym...@state.sa.gov.au
Copied to SA Planning Minister Paul Holloway mini...@saugov.sa.gov.au
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett Pete...@aph.gov.au

An list of objections to the Olympic Dam Expansion can be found: http://markparnell.org.au/campaign.php?campaignn=29

Submissions are due on or before Friday August 7, 2009.
****
I oppose the proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam mine for the
following reasons:

It is disconcerting to learn of the Roxby Downs Indenture Act which allows wide-ranging and totally
indefensible exemptions from key laws such as the SA Aboriginal Heritage Act, Environmental Protection Act 1993, Freedom of Information Act 1991 and Natural Resources Act 2004. The exemptions should be repealed and if the expansion is to proceed, the exemptions should not be extended to cover the expansion. It is wrong for such a highly dangerous operation to be exempted from these laws.

The Roxby Downs Indenture Act provides overrides and exemptions from the SA Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988, ie. BHP Billiton is in a legal position to determine what consultation occurs with Traditional Owners, who is consulted, and nature of any consultation.

The Indenture Act also allows BHP Billiton to extract massive and unsustainable amounts of water from the Great Artesian Basin for free despite the company's $17.7 billion profit in 2007-08.

BHP Billiton supports Reconciliation Australia's 'good governance' program and has provided over $2 million to Reconciliation Australia, yet the company will not relinquish its exemptions from the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988. The company's position is hypocritical.

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

Export of uranium is expected to increase from an average of 4,000 tonnes per year to 19,000 tonnes. In power reactors, 19,000 tonnes of uranium produces enough plutonium to build 2,850 nuclear weapons. The total amount of uranium at Olympic Dam would produce enough plutonium to
build over 340,000 nuclear weapons. Already there are enough nuclear weapons in storage and ready to detonate to enable the destruction of life on the planet many times over. There is no need for the development of any further nuclear arms. Unfortunately by exporting our uranium it is likely that our raw product will continue to feed the production of further nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has admitted that its rights of inspection are "fairly limited" and that it operates on a "shoe-string budget comparable to a local police department".

The mine expansion is heavily dependant on selling uranium and a uranium-infused copper concentrate to China. BHP Billiton also wants to export uranium to other nuclear weapons states including Russia even though there has not been a single IAEA safeguards inspection in Russia since 2001.

Radioactive Tailings Waste

There have been numerous spills and leaks and large numbers of bird deaths have been recorded in the vicinity of tailings dams. Photos taken by an Olympic Dam mine worker in December 2008 show radioactive tailings liquid leaking from the rock 'armoury' of the tailings 'retention' system.
BHP Billiton then threatened "disciplinary action" against any worker taking photos of the mine site. The company can also restrict the release of information because of the exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act 1991 as noted earlier.

Radioactive tailings wastes are exposed and open to the environment and currently amount to about 100 million tonnes. The tailings contain a toxic, acidic soup of radionuclides and heavy metals.

BHP Billiton plans to increase the production of radioactive tailings waste seven-fold to 68 million tonnes annually to cover an area of up to 44 sq kms to a height of up to 65 metres. This toxic mountain is designed to leak on average 3 million litres of radioactive waste a day. BHP plans to line only 15% of the proposed tailings facility.

High Level Nuclear Waste

Olympic Dam uranium will end up as high level nuclear waste. However no country has a permament repository for this waste let alone a better solution than dumping it in a repository. The most advanced high-level nuclear repository project was Yucca Mountain − a $10 billion
fiasco that was 23 years behind schedule when the project was permanently abandoned by President Obama earlier this year.

Water Usage

BHP Billiton proposes an increase in water consumption from 37 million litres daily (from the Great Artesian Basin) to over 250 million litres daily (up to 42 million litres from the Great Artesian Basin, the
remainder from a proposed desalination plant near Whyalla). That's over 100,000 litres every minute.

The water take from the Great Artesian Basin is a direct risk to the unique and fragile ecology of the Mound Springs that are listed as an 'endangered ecological community' under federal environment legislation and depend on the natural flows of water from the Great Artesian Basin. BHP
Billiton should be required to phase out, rather than increase, extraction of Great Artesian Basin water.

BHP Billiton wants to site the proposed desalination inappropriately in the fragile and low flushing Upper Spencer Gulf, posing a threat to the breeding ground of the Giant Australian Cuttle Fish.

Electricity Consumption

The expansion will see electricity consumption increase over six-fold from 125MW to 775MW. BHP plans to source this from a combination of the state electricity grid, a proposed on-site gas-fired plant, and a proposed on-site plant powered by waste heat. There is no requirement for BHP Billiton to source any electricity for the mine site from clean, sustainable, renewable, energy sources.

Greenhouse emissions from the mine are projected to increase from 1.2 million tonnes annually to up to 5.9 million tonnes. This will make it all but impossible for SA to reach its legislated emissions target of 13 million tonnes annually by 2050.

BHP Billiton promotes uranium as a fuel for low-carbon nuclear power but this is true only if compared to fossil fuels. Nuclear power is more greenhouse intensive (with the added legacy of the waste) than most renewable energy sources and most energy efficiency/conservation measures.

Diesel Fuel Use

An increase in the use of diesel at the Olympic Dam mine from 25 million litres annually to over 375 million litres annually is expected which will further increase during the five year construction period. BHP Billiton stands to gain over $65 million annually in diesel fuel rebates − more than the company now pays in royalties to the SA government from the existing underground mine operation.

Environment Impact Statement Flawed

Water consumption, radioactive waste production, energy consumption and greenhouse emissions may all be considerably higher than the figures presented in the Draft EIS because BHP Billiton has applied for approval to extract up to 1 million tonnes of copper product a year even though
the EIS only examines an expansion of up to 750,000 tonnes.
***

(2) This submission covers:

Australia’s Future Infrastructure Requirements Climate Change Infrastructure Investment and Water Infrastructure Requirements.
http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/submissions.aspx

m...@infrastructureaustralia.gov.au
A.Al...@aph.gov.au

Energy Investing – A sustainable future for Australia
Submission to National Infrastructure Priority List

We are writing to you as one voice from the abundant citizens’ climate change action groups that have formed across Australia. The existence of our many groups is the result of mounting anxiety in the population about the lack of effective action delivered so far on reducing our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Our members are drawn from the spectrum of this country’s people, from urban, rural and regional areas. They include small and large business operators and directors, parents, students, grandparents, farmers, migrants, and public service and other employees. Diverse and often dissimilar, we all share a common wish to see far more effective measures undertaken by our leaders to avert the dangerous climate change that scientists across the globe predict.

Global warming is happening much faster than was previously thought, our government’s policy and initiatives need to be reconciled with the emerging respected science and IPCC recommendations so that we avoid risking catastrophic climate change.

The existence of our many climate action groups across the nation demonstrates a widespread understanding about the need for sweeping, legislated changes to industry and society to tackle climate change effectively.

We are writing to clearly express to you that:

1. We are very much aware that there are substantial numbers of highly credible research papers and reports that demonstrate the viability of currently available, clean, renewable energy sources as being able to deliver the bulk of the energy needs of this country.

2. We are acutely aware of the significant contribution of the coal industry to climate change, both here and overseas, and are not convinced by the clean coal pathway. Exports of Australian coal contribute more to global greenhouse gases than all of Australia's emissions combined. Worldwide, there is no proven, working model for sequestering greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. The technology to provide ‘clean coal’ may never come to fruition, yet time is of the essence. We feel that any government that consents to the expansion of such a dangerous industry in this age is not acting responsibly, or in the public interest. With the above in mind we would like to see taxes invested into clean renewable energy supplies, in particular, heavy investment into Geothermal Power for base load supplies.

3. We remain opposed to the expansion of uranium mining and the nuclear industry for all the risks it continues to pose globally and locally.

4. Legislate a renewable energy target of at least 50% by 2020.

5. Cease the approvals of new or expanded coalmines, coal-fired power stations and coal export infrastructure, and instead use these taxes to support the development of alternative, sustainable industries in coal-mining regions, ie. Geothermal power plants.

6. Adopt a target of zero energy growth by 2010 with annual reductions thereafter, through increased energy efficiency and demand management.

7. Abandon any plans for the expansion of uranium mining and export.

8. No new dams on our rivers. Our rivers are dying. Dams do not create new water, they restrict river flow causing and creating greater problems in the long term - the perfect example is the Murray Darling. Going down a road which is clearly flawed is no way to lead this great nation into a positive future. We urge (a) less wastage, (b) greater investment into providing individual household roof water catchments ie. greater subsidies for water tanks and (c) re-use of treated water, particularly for farmland irrigation purposes.

We have every hope that your government will recognise climate change as a global emergency needing swift and decisive action to immediately curb this country’s escalating emissions, and the emissions that arise from our exports. We see a bright future for Australia and future generations if our leaders invest our taxes wisely.

Anne Goddard
Global Climate Change Action Group.
http://globalclimatechangeaction.org
http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/ClimateChangeAction/

climate emergency protest, Sydney - please spread the word - *Climate **emergency - **renewables **now**!*

· *No carbon trading loopholes!*
The government is taking a business-as-usual approach to the climate emergency. Carbon trading alone will be too slow; with free permits for the big polluters it won't work at all. It must not be linked to international "carbon offset" schemes; these do nothing to reduce domestic emissions and often support environmentally damaging projects. Under its plan, the government admits, emissions will rise for some years to come. From: [Climate Change Action Group]

Earth near tipping point, climatologist warns - Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2008, by The Toronto Star - Earth Near Tipping Point, Climatologist Warns - by Tim Harper [read more at the Climate Change Action Group]

FULL SUBMISSION AVAILABLE HERE:
http://www.stop-fueling-climate-change.org/docs/GPE388.1_FebReport_V5.pd...

SIGN GREENPEACE'S PETITION:
Sign Greenpeace's Petition:
http://www.stop-fueling-climate-change.org/?scr=em_O1

SUBMISSION SNIP:

"...To subsidise coal is to subsidise
climate change.

Coal is the most carbon intensive
of fossil fuels and its use is a
major contributor to greenhouse
gas emissions both in Australia
and overseas.

Yet the coal industry was given a total
of $308 million in rebates for fuel excise in
2005/6,4 an amount greater than
all federal funding for renewables.
Over the life of the Coalition
Government, these grants
contributed $1.9 billion to the coal
industry(5) at a time when their
profits grew hugely; rising from a
$5 billion pre-tax profit in 2004/5
to $10 billion in 2005/06.6

The coal industry can afford to
have this subsidy removed; the
climate cannot afford to have it
continue...."

Sign Greenpeace's Petition:
http://www.stop-fueling-climate-change.org/?scr=em_O1

One hour... let's join together and give our planet a bit of a breather for one hour.

On Saturday the 29th of March at 8pm where-ever you are ... turn off everything, show you care.

Look at the stars, imagine a world at peace.

Join me and millions of others across the planet at 8pm on March the 29th (Saturday night in Australia).

Join the event at Facebook and invite your friends:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8240986531
(626,828 attending)

Below are some letters sent, see also http://globalclimatechangeaction.org/geothermal for my latest letter to the PM and Anna Bligh on Geothermal energy.

Feel free to use some of the ideas in your own letters. Below this letter are a few paragraphs taken from the Australian Greens website: http://bob-brown.greensmps.org.au/support-greens-campaign-effective-clim... - to further inspire.

Thank you (in advance) to those who take the time to send letters. One letter represents 100 votes ... so letter writing is one way that individuals can make a real difference. Feel free to post your letters here. Thank you to those who have.

Sent March 2008.

Dear Mr Rudd

Welcome to the office of Prime Minister.

It is truly a wonderful thing to have a change of leadership, I thank my fellow Australians for finally voting out John Howard and breath a deep sigh of relief.

My Rudd, I have been gathering information on the issue of Global Warming/Climate Change with a dedicated global group of individuals for the last few years and for my own interest for at least 10 years. Our focus has not been on blaming, but on the best possible ways forwards to mitigate the worst effects of climate change and the immediate actions needed to be undertaken by individuals and governments.

Through our research, we have concluded that the nuclear power option would be highly deleterious in both the short and long term, not only to Australia, but to the entire planet.

It is my view, and the view of the other members of my group (numbering over 80) that Climate Change/Global Warming is the single most serious issue that our country (and our planet) currently faces.

As a father, I am sure you fear for the future of your children. As a mother of two, I know that I do.

As the newly elected leader of our great nation, I am sure you understand the great power that lies within your hands. You are the person who will be singly held completely and totally responsible, via the decisions you make, not only by your own children, but by the citizens of this nation and the planet. Your name will go down in history as the man who gave our children a chance for future, or a man who ignored the innumerable scientific warnings given to him.

Mr John Howard’s name has already been tarred with the latter. I am of the strong opinion that this is the main reason for his losing office.

Mr Rudd, our group formulated the wording of a petition to Government heads which exceeded its target of 1000 signatures just before the election. It can be found online here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/global-petition-for-the-implementation-...
I draw your attention to the requests made in this petition. They are not unreasonable requests, they are not "un-do-able" for a man in your position.

Many other local groups of citizens who are also deeply concerned about climate change (numbering over 80 groups) from right across Australia have also formulated, agreed upon and endorsed the wording of a joint declaration towards actions which would help to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. This declaration can be located via my website here:
http://globalclimatechangeaction.org/JD
I draw your attention to the wording in this Joint Declaration and respectfully request your feedback on the above two documents.

Mr Rudd, this note is sent to ask you directly, will you please take immediate and urgent action to mitigate the worst effects of climate change? With the utmost respect, will you:

1. Urgently develop government owned geothermal plants for energy production, which is a PROVEN, clean and sustainable energy production method, for base load supply,
2. Provide increased subsidies for the local installation of solar and wind power generation, subsidies not only for property owners but for those who rent as well,
3. Encourage the greater use of public transport by ensuring that these services are reliable and as energy efficient as is currently possible?
4. Phase out coal as a base load power fuel for Australia?
5. Phase out coal exports and increase investment into the development of clean energy production technologies?
6. Phase out nuclear mining and nuclear exports. Ensure that our nation does not go down the nuclear power path, heed the wisdom in the warning given to us by Australian Aboriginal Elders “the poison, leave it”.

Mr Rudd, taking the 6 measures which have been outlined above cannot harm the future in any way. In fact, for you to immediately implement such positive measures will not only enhance and improve the lives of your current citizens, it will prove you to be worthy of the great honour which has been given to you by the Australian people, the greatest honour that can be given to any Australian, that of the office of Prime Minister.

The issue of climate change is one that affects us all and should therefore be openly and honestly discussed with your voters and the general public. To ensure that your office gets this letter I have also posted it to your feedback form on your website.

On behalf of the members of the Global Climate Change Action Group and the members of Climate Change Action Groups across Australia, I eagerly await your reply.

Yours sincerely
Anne Goddard
Founder
Global Climate Change Action
http://globalclimatechangeaction.org

further inspiration... (Thanks to Bob Brown - Australian Greens)

* After 11 years of climate inaction, Australia cannot afford to delay any longer on emissions trading. The future of our children, grandchildren and their children is at stake.
* Climate action is URGENT. Urgent action is cheaper than delaying action and it provides the green jobs of the future.
* A weak 5% target won’t stimulate long term investment in the clean, green jobs of the future.
* The Greens are providing strong leadership by being prepared to support an amended CPRS which legislates for an unconditional emissions cut of 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, with a commitment to move to 40% if global negotiations are successful.
* A minimum 5% target is worse than useless when 25% is the bare minimum required by science and the global community.
* Treasury modelling shows 25% target is affordable; by 2020 Australia’s GDP will be roughly three times the size it is today whether we have a ‘worse than useless’ 5% target or the minimum effective 25% target.
* The government is already giving $7.4 billion in compensation to Australia’s biggest polluters, now they want to give them even more.
* Every dollar that compensates polluters is a dollar less for the community.
* The Rudd government faces a choice: it can ‘brown down’ its CPRS with the Coalition, making it weaker than it already is, or it can green the CPRS up with the Greens in the Senate.
* Australia will reduce its emissions by 4% on 1990 levels by 2020. The United Kingdom’s target is 34% on 1990 levels by 2020. It is clear who is leading the world on climate, and it is not Australia.

*Climate change | Social change conference*, -
April 11-13, 2008 Sydney

The need for social change has become an urgent part of preventing
catastrophic climate change. Can the market fix the problem? What is
the real record of carbon trading? How can we build a social movement
capable of averting this disaster? What models and experiences can offer
real solutions? [Further details: Climate Change Action Group]

Update: Joint Declaration
note: click "read more" for list of endorsing groups.

To: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd MP
Kevi...@aph.gov.au
PO Box 6222
Kingston ACT 2604
Parliament House
Fax: (02) 6277 8495

26 November 2007

Dear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

Congratulations on becoming the Prime Minister of Australia. We are very pleased that you will be making climate change a top priority of your first 100 days in office.

A joint declaration from the citizens’ Climate Action groups of Australia

We are writing to you as one voice from the abundant citizens’ climate change action groups that have formed across Australia.

Excellent u-Tube which explains, very clearly, why our global leaders should be taking immediate action to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Worthy of the wait even on dial up.

"most terrifying video you will ever see"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDsIFspVzfI&eurl

Views: 1,698,076 @ Nov 5 2007