Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change

Results of meeting with Kelvin Thomson

July 24, 2011 at 4:48 pm morelandclimategroup Leave a comment

For three long months we got out amongst the people of Moreland and even WE were surprised at how many people who were frustrated with the lack of government support for renewable energy.
80% of the people who stopped to talk to us though the government should be doing more and sent messages to our leaders like:

Support 100% renewable!

Please do what’s best for the country not what’s best for industry
Just make some decisions and stop fluffing – the time is now.

For the full report, including a full list of all comments please see: https://climateactionmoreland.org/2011/07/19/stop-puffing-wind-all-over-the-place-189-conversations-about-renewable-energy-in-moreland/

After being featured in the Moreland Leader, it was time for our conversations to join over 14 000 others from around the country in Canberra, for a presentation to the Multi Party Climate Change Committee, and then on to talk to the press.

We knew it was getting pretty tough in the carbon price negotiations with renewable energy fighting it out with gassy coal mines, steel works, coal fired power (did we mention coal?) and aluminium smelters for government assistance and support. We’d heard there were rumours that the government was planning to spend as little as 5% of the carbon price revenue on renewable energy.

Which had us pretty worried.

Our meeting with Kelvin, or trying to start a back bench revolt

Now Climate Action Moreland likes a photo opportunity with our local member as much as the next community group. Admittedly our photo opps are usually of us protesting outside his office, but this time we were playing nice. Well sort of.

You’d told us that the government wasn’t doing enough. And we thought the 5% for renewable energy was a pretty raw deal.

So, as part of presenting our survey results, we asked Kelvin to make a public announcement about how much of the carbon price revenue he thought should go to renewables. We helpfully suggested that 50% would be about right.

He said 20%, which was Professor Garnaut’s recommendation. Read here a full report of the meeting, including Kelvin’s whole statement and our press release in response. Kelvin was one of only three backbenchers from around the country who was prepared to make this public statement, so good on him.

So .. where to from here?

A lot of work, including from the 100% Renewables campign, went into securing a pretty good deal for renewable energy in the carbon price package. We’ve carefully mapped the package to CAM’s campaign priorities, and you can read the full report here.

First up, we are glad that the talking is done. Now we know the ground rules, our job is to make sure these promises actually translate into action on the ground.

Renewable energy is a real winner in the carbon price package. And we reckon great credit is due to the grass roots community groups of 100% Renewables and Beyond Zero Emissions – two campaigns that CAM has taken an active role in. We’re also pretty happy about the plans to close Hazelwood, because we campaigned hard on this issue last year.

But like us, you’re probably a bit discombobulated the debate on climate in this country right now, and the well funded and just-a-tad hysterical scare campaign of Tony Abbott.

Now is the time to get out into the community and make the case for climate action.

This is where you come in. Around Australia there are around 300 grassroots climate action groups just like CAM, who, just like CAM, rely on volunteers. And who according to Christine Milne are often more gutsy and effective then lots of others out there talking about climate.

So we’d love to see you at the next Climate Action Moreland meeting. Which conveniently is 7pm, next Tuesday, 26 July at the Edinburgh Castle on the corner of Sydney Road and Albion Sts.

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