Citizens Climate Campaign - Take Action Now - Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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Citizens Climate Campaign	Take Action Now
Actions Speak Louder Than Words	Walk Against Warming - Sydney, 2008

On Friday 3rd July the Sydney Morning Herald carried two articles relating to climate change.

The first spoke of a report prepared by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), commissioned by the CSIRO, to examine Australia's energy sector and look at ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The study looked at five scenarios for NSW, ranging from building more coal-fired power stations through to a large energy-efficiency campaign combined with more renewable power.

It found that building baseload power using coal was much more expensive than focusing on energy efficiency and tapping into a network of small "co-generation" power sources sprinkled in the suburbs.

The second article stated that the Rees government has dumped key elements of its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which had included setting a state-wide efficiency target and mandatory standards to force big business to use less energy.

The recent NSW state budget announced -

an investment of $205 million for the expansion of the state's second largest coal-fired power station at Eraring, and

the bulk of a $20 million taxpayer handout to one of the state's biggest coal companies, Centennial Coal,as a freight subsidy to help it export more coal.

The government has also recently approved plans for massive expansion of coal mining under Sydney's drinking water catchment.

However the NSW Minister for Climate Change, Carmel Tebbutt,
claims that the state is still "a leader in climate change action".

The government continues to shift the responsibility of reducing greenhouse emission to Australian taxpayers with high-profile programs, like BASIX, which cut energy use in new homes, and funding schools to switch to low-energy lighting in spite of findings that is not a cost effective way to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Carmel Tebbutt at the Walk Against Warming - Sydney, 2008

Send the following prepared message to the Hon. Carmel Tebbutt, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, by clicking here.

Including comment of your own would show your personal concern about this issue, and would make it look different from the hundreds of others we hope will be sent.

The prepared email reads -

The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt,
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment.

Dear Ms Tebbutt,

When is the NSW government going to stop putting all the responsibility for emissions reduction onto NSW taxpayers?

When is the NSW government going to put the responsibility for the bulk of this state's greenhouse emissions onto the real culprits, the heavy greenhouse gas polluters and the coal industry?

Will NSW taxpayers also be required to pay the costs of adverse impacts on Sydney's water supply and damage to the Princes Highway by subsidence from mining, as predicted by the mining company in its environmental assessment?

Name:
Address:

Finally, one of the most powerful messages we, as individuals, can send to the government is through our consumption patterns.

If we vote with our feet and walk away from polluting coal power, by signing up for green electricity, we would effectively show both the government and big business that we are determined to have a clean energy future.

If you know someone who is still not convinced about taking action on climate change, please forward this email to them.

It is important that more people are better informed, even if they take no action.

Regards from the Citizens Climate Campaign Committee