Australia's Climate Change Bill - What do we want and when do we want it?

Before my wife Therese and I left Sydney to commence our 'treechange' here on the Mid North Coast, Therese had been very active in the then fledgling Climate Action Coogee (CAC)group. We are now members of the local group here, Climate Change Australia - Hastings, one of many grassroots groups united under the Climate Change Australia banner.

So it is with some pride that I'm able to report what has been happening with Climate Change Australia, and where they are at.

Commencing in Coogee in November 2006, Climate Action Coogee has grown into a 200-strong group of climate activists, with a core who actively plan CAC events and campaigns.

The group's current crowning achievement is the Climate Protection Bill, written by it's members in February – March 2007 and now endorsed by 65 climate action groups nationwide as well as 1000 individuals including three climatologists. This document is now in the Australian Parliamentary drafters’ office being turned into a bill, and Independent Parliamentary Member Tony Windsor has agreed to table it in the Australian Parliament as a Private Member’s Bill. Penny Wong, the Federal Minister for Climate Change, has now agreed to meet with the group about the Bill, after previously rejecting a similar request for a meeting 6 months ago. 

The Bill sets out comprehensively the current consensus of what is Australia’s roadmap to preventing our continued contribution to catastrophic global climate change. A copy of the current 19 points can be found here. The group plan to enter another consultative process once the Bill emerges from the drafter's office, to ensure it meets the current wishes of its endorsers.

The draft Australian Bill has been inspired by the UK Climate Change Bill which was developed by Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where local climate groups lobbied their own MP's to sign their support for the Bill before the 2005 UK election. 130,000 people contacted their local MP, and 400 MP's voted for the Bill, which led to the development of a draft Climate Change Bill in early 2007 and set the UK in line to become the first country to propose legislation setting binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions. The complete Australian Bill in it's current form can be viewed here.

Prior to the Australian 2007 Federal election, Climate Action Groups met with their local members (and Climate Action Coogee met with Peter Garrett and Malcolm Turnbull, local candidates) to seek their support for the Bill. This push, whilst unsuccessful in introducing the Bill into parliament, was a huge step in raising awareness of the Bill and notifying politicians of the sort of actions the community was demanding on climate change. These actions were all occurring in a climate of denial by the incumbent government, namely the Prime Minister, who has since declared that he misread the community mood on this issue.

To publicise the Bill CAC has initiated an exciting new event being a “Climate Ride”, where climate action groups, bicycle user groups and individuals around the country can ride their bikes to Canberra, the national capital, on 1 September 2008. Called Cycle 4 Climate Protection, the intention is to deliver 10,000 signed postcards in support of the Climate Protection Bill into the hands of the Members of Parliament!

For details of how you can support this initiative, like starting a petition, contacting your local Member of Parliament and media, or indeed joining the 'Climate Ride' go to Support The Climate Bill. You can even download the postcard here.

WHAT DO WE WANT, AND WHEN DO WE WANT IT???

Comments

[Andrew the Organic Maven]

Thanks for letting us know about the alterations to your site address. All the links in this story have been updated.

However, the story with the original links was picked up through Reuters and has been gaining quite a few visits. Doubt that they will alter the links in their copy, but you can see it here - http://tinyurl.com/5g7thx

Thanks again and keep up your great work.

Cheers

[Erland Howden]

Hi, Thanks for posting information about the Climate Protection Bill. I just wanted to let you know that the ClimateMovement.org.au website has been rebuilt so the links you have provided in this post are now out of date. Everything that you've linked to is still online and accessible from www.climatemovement.org.au/climateprotectionbill

Cheers,
Erland Howden
Climate Movement Australia