Author Archive
Walking: Making it Safer and More Enjoyable
Walking is a key form of sustainable transport. Indeed, it has so many benefits, including improving the environment, people’s health, and their sense of community. Encouraging more people to walk more often is one of the best ways a society can achieve a range of objectives.
Unlike for other transport modes, governments don’t collect good data on pedestrians that could be used to inform pedestrians strategies. Urban densification increasingly leads to competition over space allocated for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. So it becomes even more important to ensure that we understand how, why, where and when people walk, and how to address barriers to walking.
Brunswick Residents Network (BRN) sought to do this. In early 2021 they surveyed 992 residents from Brunswick (including East and West) on their walking habits and have reported on their findings here. They hope to use the findings to lobby Moreland Council to improve walking infrastructure. Of course, these findings will be applicable in other areas too.
(more…)Refuting Coalition claims on their climate policies: a guide
Many people are now writing to their local MPs demanding climate action. Coalition MPs are responding with claims of what they are doing. Here we make suggestions on how to challenge these responses – or much better, to use when talking with friends and family, who may be swayed by Coalition rhetoric.
This upsurge in climate concern is great. But please don’t just write letters to politicians. We suggest people join a local group. There are lots of groups working on various aspects of climate change. Contact us if you would like some suggestions. (more…)
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.
Peter Khalil MP supports gas, backtracks on climate emergency message #climateelection
Local residents at the Wills candidates forum on climate and sustainability were dismayed – horrified even – that local Labor MP Peter Khalil is now supporting government funding for the expansion of the fossil fuel industry in Australia.
Full house at Merlynston Progress Hall to hear Wills candidates policies
Peter Khalil was speaking to a capacity crowd at the Merlynston Progress Hall on Monday April 29. Within one hour, he had gone from calling for immediate action to address the climate emergency to endorsing the expansion of Australia’s natural gas industry. (more…)
Cooling the Upfield Corridor – Our Submission
Here is the submission that CAM has made to the Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan 2018-29.
Climate Action Moreland (CAM) is pleased to provide a submission to the Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan. CAM has long campaigned on addressing the Urban Heat Island Effect as a very effective way of adapting to the continuing and ever increasing effects of rising temperatures, drought and more intense rain events. Over the coming decades, Melbourne is expected to experience hotter temperatures, and more intense heat waves. This is likely to cause disruptions to public transport, energy supply failures, huge discomfort to Moreland residents and a considerable rise in deaths and co-morbidity. Local government plays a very important role in reducing this vulnerability and the Cooling Upfield Corridor Plan is a vital step in the right direction. (more…)
Submission: National Energy Guarantee needs to enable energy transition
Climate Action Moreland has made a submission to the Energy Security Board on the National Energy Guarantee. Our criticism/suggestions revolve around: the need for Demand Response to be prioritised; no undermining or restrictions on state emission reduction targets; Voluntary action must be considered additional to targets; no offsets should be allowed for the electricity sector; Flexible Compliance – Limit the Carrying Forward of Over-achievement; and Setting Emissions Target as an Absolute Value vs Percentage.
The Guarantee was considered by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Energy Council at its last meeting in November 2017 which agreed that further development work and public consultation should be conducted.
We think, in it’s current form, the National Energy Guarantee will embed coal and gas fired generation and restrict the growth of renewables, holding back the energy transition.
We need a rapid transition of the electricity sector as this sector is more easily decarbonised than other sectors, and will also enable the transport sector to then be decarbonised through electrification and battery power.
Our submission follows:
(more…)
The Finkel Review: Not Just a CET – It’s Actually About Keeping the Lights on
On June 8, the much anticipated Finkel Review (Blueprint for the Future: Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market) was released. Much has already been written about the merits of the proposed emission reduction mechanism (a “Clean Energy Target”) and whether this would satisfy the Coalition, why it didn’t advocate a stronger emission reduction target, nor a swift end to coal.
But this was not the aim of the Finkel Review. It was about fixing up the National Electricity Market (NEM). The alternative to fixing the NEM may well be a return to public ownership and control. Although this could be a good thing, it is not on the governments’ agenda right now. Agreement on an emission reduction mechanism was regarded as an important step in getting new private sector investment, mainly in gas-fired power stations, so the market would operate as intended.
Wills MP Peter Khalil states that Adani mine should not go ahead.
Climate Action Moreland, along with other concerned Moreland residents and groups, have been pushing our federal MP Peter Khalil (Wills) to oppose the Adani coal mine project. We invited him to our Moreland Says Stop Adani action on May 12 to address residents’ concerns. We made frequent attempts to contact him, but received no reply until an email today. The full text of this email is reproduced below. (more…)
Modernising Australia’s electricity grid – CAM’s submission to inquiry
Climate Action Moreland has made a submission to the House of Representatives Inquiry into Modernising Australia’s electricity grid. It is reproduced below.
Transitioning from Coal to Renewable Energy – CAM’s Submission to Senate Inquiry
Climate Action Moreland has made a submission to the Senate Inquiry on the Retirement of Coal-Fired Power Stations. It is reproduced below.
Our submission discusses and is guided by the following principles:
- Australia needs to rapidly transition to zero net emissions. The closure of coal fired power stations is an essential first step in this process.
- All of Australia’s communities need to plan a transition to a zero net emissions society based on 100% renewable energy and slashing energy wastage through energy efficiency and conservation.
- Communities that rely on coal power need a just transition plan that will not only mitigate the job losses experienced, but also help transform their economies to allow their communities to prosper in the future.
- In conjunction with the closure of coal-fired power, governments must complement these policies with strategies to ensure that our electricity systems are secure and reliable, and that electricity is affordable for all Australians.
- Rather than relying predominantly on market mechanisms, the transition will also require national planning, strong regulations and direct government investment and ownership.
Loy Yang Power Station – Photo by John Englart
Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change 