Climate Push for bike lane trial on Sydney Road Brunswick
Sydney Road Option 3 bicycle lanes (Source: VicRoads)
Moreland Council will be submitting a submission to the Department of Transport for a 6 month separated bike lane trial on Sydney Road between Glenlyon Road and Brunswick Road. An important reason driving this is the need to ramp up the use of sustainable transport on Sydney road to address transport emissions, to encourage mode shift away from car use to public transport and active transport in the City of Moreland.
At the August Moreland Council meeting Council debated proposals for the VicRoads Sydney Road Improvement project and the officer recommendation for a submission to the Department of Transport advocating Option 3 with separated bike paths and increased space for pedestrians.
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Brunswick MP highlights solar homes program needs urgent restructure
Solar installs in contraction due to poor implementation of Solar Homes Package
Brunswick Greens MP Tim Read has highlighted in state parliament the urgent need for the solar hones program to be restructured.
This is a flagship program by the Labor’s Dan Andrews Government for residential uptake of solar panels and growing renewables in Victoria. But the program is so popular and demand is being capped so that it is driving renewables installation businesses to the wall. The industry and jobs are in contraction.
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Melbourne airport third runway will induce aviation emissions growth
Stop Melbourne Airport Expansion
Report of a workshop at Craigieburn with Melbourne Airport Corporation on development of the third runway – main focus was runway will induce more aviation emissions, climate impact, climate damages by Climate Action Moreland Convenor, John Englart.
Submission: Setting Victoria’s climate targets for 2025 and 2030
Submission on Victorian Climate Targets
Executive Summary
We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the recommended emissions targets for Victoria as contained in the Interim Emissions Reduction Targets for Victoria (2021-2030) report prepared by the Independent Expert Panel.
We argue that the science strongly indicates we have a climate crisis and that Victoria (and Australia) needs to declare a climate emergency, to focus resources on ambitious emissions reduction and climate adaptation.
While we appreciate the work of the expert panel, we think the recommended targets are still too low, even by their own assessment of the targets required to meet the 1.5C temperature target as contained in the Paris Agreement.
Reducing emissions needs to address equity issues, so we also call for transition programs that address equity, both on the local level and as part of addressing the problem globally. As a matter of global equity and justice Australia as a developed country should decarbonise faster than the many developing countries that need to address poverty and social issues and already have low carbon footprints.
We particularly highlight that the Expert panel failed to address the growth in aviation emissions as part of transport emissions, and the expansion of Melbourne’s airports which induces growth in these emissions. This is a difficult niche area to decarbonise, but the first step should be to stop airport expansion which will cap the growth in aviation and aviation emissions.
This submission (PDF) was a collaborative work by members of Climate Action Moreland and follows the suggested question survey for consultation.
John Englart
Convenor, Climate Action Moreland
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Just Transition: An Idea Whose Time has Finally Come?
Following the recent federal election, which suggested that the electorate is becoming more polarised about coal, everybody seems to be talking about “just transition”. Colin Long, the Just Transition Officer at Trades Hall, told us he has been inundated with calls. The National Union of Workers kicked off with a statement. The ABC is talking about it. Environment Victoria has released a blogpost, and has made it a focus of their Beyond Coal campaign. And some in Labor are talking about a Green New Deal.
Photo by Marc Kjerland / Flickr
Climate Action Moreland has long argued for just transition to be a key demand of the climate movement. But we need to do more. We can start by fleshing out what this means and how we should incorporate it into our campaigns.
LaTrobe Valley Coal Power pollution poses health threat – World Environment Day
Mercury pollution emissions from Australian coal power stations compared. Source: The Age
June 5 is world environment day and here we publish a question on pollutants from the coal fired power stations in the La Trobe Valley, asked by Brunswick Greens MP Tim Read in March.
Why aren’t these toxic pollutants such as mercury and Sulphur Dioxide more highly regulated and restricted? The technology exists to capture these and other pollutants, but the state government so far hasn’t ensured that the companies responsible fit the filtering technologies which are widely used overseas.
The EPA is currently drafting licence amendments and the licence review process report for the coal power stations. Increased limits, real time monitoring and regulation of pollution needs to be an important part of new licenses for the three energy companies: AGL Energy, Energy Australia, and Alinta.
Call to action: Global #Climatestrike on September 20 – Melbourne
A call for a global climate strike has been made for 20 September by the international student strike for climate and Fridays for Future campaigns. The call has been endorsed by global NGO leaders, celebrities and scientists, including Jennifer Morgan from Greenpeace International, Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein from 350.org, Professors Michael Mann, Will Steffen Tim Flannery and Lesley Hughes. You can pledge your support to join the global climatestrike.
Watch this space for details for the associated event in Melbourne. – Facebook Event
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