The 2010 Walk Against Warming in Deakin

Lighter Footprints members attended the 2010 Walk Against Warming event in Mitcham, in the electorate of Deakin.

The event changed in 2010 from mass rallies to distributed gatherings in selected locations, including several marginal seats in the 2010 Australian federal election.

For more photos and videos of the Deakin event see http://www.greenlivingpedia.org/2010_Walk_Against_Warming

Marginal electorates of Deakin, McEwan and Melbourne were targeted in an attempt to motivate both Labor Government and the Coalition opposition to adopt policies during the final week of the Australian federal election that will result in immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

So far, both the major parties rate a dismal fail on climate change policy and are keeping it off the campaign airwaves for the 2010 federal election, despite it being "the greatest moral challenge of our time" (Kevin Rudd) and "delay being denial" (Julia Gillard).

Labor has refused so far to countenance the carbon tax proposed by their own advisor Ross Garnaut, and Tony Abbott has ruled out putting any price on carbon emissions (by either a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme) if he wins the election and forms the next government.

Some additional information about party policies on climate change can be viewed from the links below

•  http://www.voteclimate.net/scorecard
•  http://www.voteclimate.org.au/2010_Aus_Federal_index.html

Citizen’s assembly in Kooyong last night rejected both Labor and Coalition policies

Over 200 people attended a forum to meet the candidates in the federal seat of Kooyong last night.

One question from the audience in the Q&A type forum and hosted by Walkley Award winning Age journalist Liz Minchin asked people to raise their hands if they thought Labor, the Coalition or Greens were doing enough on climate.

While there was a handful of support for Coalition policies, ironically there was not a single supporter among the crowd for the current Labor approach including the proposal on a citizen’s assembly announced by the Prime Minister this week. Around 70% supported the Greens proposals for climate action.

Three candidates for the lower house seat, one Senator and two Senate candidates formed the panel that faced tough questioning from both their host and the audience.

Josh Frydenberg (Liberal candidate for Kooyong), Steve Hurd (ALP candidate), Des Benson (Greens candidate), Scott Ryan (Liberal Senator), Richard Di Natale (Senate candidate for Greens), and Antony Thow (Senate candidate for ALP) attended the forum organised by community group Lighter Footprints.

Carolyn Ingvarson, Convenor of Lighter Footprints, said the response revealed the level of dissatisfaction in the community on the climate proposals from the major parties in the federal election campaign.

“This response supports the findings of our report on community attitudes earlier this year. This showed people are very disillusioned with the quality and nature of the debate in political circles, and the focus on political point-scoring rather than appropriate action. Those who do understand the profound implications indicated by the science want to see action right now,” Ms Ingvarson said.

“It is also interesting to see the direct response of the community to the proposals by the political parties. If these potential politicians take away the knowledge that an open meeting in a conservative area wants much more action on climate change - that can only be good.”

For copies of the report from the Rewrite the Future: Climate Conversations forum, click here.
Media enquiries or for further information, call Carolyn Ingvarson: 0411 115 186.

Videos

Des Benson, Greens candidate for Kooyong



Richard Di Natale, Greens senate candidate



Steve Hurd, Labor candidate for Kooyong



Josh Frydenberg, Liberal candidate for Kooyong



Anthony Thow, Labor senate candidate



Senator Scott Ryan, Liberal

“Meet the candidates” Community Climate Forum for the Federal election 2010

What: “Meet the candidates” Community Climate Forum for the Federal election 2010

When: Wednesday 28 July @ 7.00pm
Where: Chandelier room, Hawthorn town hall, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
Who: Candidates for Kooyong and a senator from each major party

Entry: $5 donation.

Age journalist Liz Minchin, a Walkely award winner and co-author of a book on climate change Screw Light Bulbs, will run a Q&A session that will put climate change policies of the major parties under the microscope and allow the public and candidates to quiz one another. This should prove both entertaining and illuminating and we are very pleased to have her services..

The battle for the senate is crucial for passing climate change legislation so we are particularly pleased to have the senate candidates who will be fighting it out for Victorian senate positions in attendance.

Please put this date in your diary and come with friends and neighbours to demonstrate that this electorate does care strongly about climate change and that we want real action.

The Kooyong candidates attending are:

• Josh Frydenberg (Liberal)
• Steve Hurd (ALP)
• Des Benson (Greens)

The three senate candidates attending are:

• Richard Di Natale (Greens).
• Antony Thow (ALP)
• Scott Ryan (Liberal)
  

Report clears "climategate" scientists

There have been a few blog posts about the report by Sir Muir Russell (.pdf file) into the so-called "climategate" affair. (This controversy has gone over the horizon somewhat; it all happened last November when email messages that were hacked into from the university computer network were released to the media. The messages were supposed to show that scientists at the university had ignored or suppressed data that disproved the anthropogenic climate change hypothesis.)

From Andre Revkin's post on Dot Earth:
"The Independent Climate Change Email Review is finished and, within its constrained mandate, has cleared climate scientists and administrators at the University of East Anglia of claims of malfeasance rising out of the contents of folders of e-mail messages and files extracted from computers there and posted around the Web last November. Two other inquiries with slightly different focal points also cleared the scientists and school."

From Gavin and Mike's post on RealClimate:
"The main issue is that [the report authors] conclude that the rigour and honesty of the Climate Research Unit scientists is not in doubt [ ... ] Secondly, they conclude that none of the emails cast doubt on the integrity and conclusions of the IPCC, again, something we have been saying since the beginning. They also conclude as we did that there was no ‘corruption’ of the peer-review process. Interestingly, they independently analysed the public domain temperature data themselves to ascertain whether the could validate the CRU record. They managed this in two days, somewhat undermining claims that the CRU temperature data was somehow manipulated inappropriately. (Note that this exercise has been undertaken by a number of people since November – all of which show that the CRU results are robust). All in all, none of the various accusations and insinuations that have been floating around the blogosphere have been sustained."

The report has received some coverage in the local media, but with nowhere near the same fervour as the original allegations. Mud sticks.

Co2 and communication

A couple of recent articles:

• Climate control: is Co2 really in charge? Well-written article from New Scientist takes as its starting point apparent inconsistencies in the relationship shown to exist between atmospheric CO2 levels and warming (i.e. high CO2 leads to high temperatures). Good information about methods to determine previous CO2 levels and climate sensitivity.
• Scientists from Mars face public from Venus. NYT article about the challenges facing scientists communicating with the public. Will more information alone change people's attitudes? Or do scientists have to bone up on social science to learn about how people form and hold beliefs?
  

Submission to Boroondara Council on Cycling opportunities for East West link in Boroondara

Further to my address at the Services Special Committee Meeting (Boroondara) on Monday 21 June, the Lighter Footprints group strongly supports the creation of safe East-West cycling routes in Boroondara.

Lighter Footprints suggests that:

• Council raise the priority of developing a safe East West route (or routes) in light of the significant local demand for safe cycling in Boroondara along this direction.
• Sections of a safe East West route would be used by families, school and university students and children for both local and transit bicycle and pedestrian trips.
• Many busy local shopping centres and precincts such as Maling Road, Union Road, Camberwell Junction and Glenferrie Road could all be connected by such a route.
• The use of the Box Hill railway line easement from the Yarra River to Surrey Hills station be noted by Council for possible cycle route development in a revision of the Boroondara Bicycle Strategy.
• Council recommend to the Victorian Government Department of Transport and Minister for Roads & Ports and Major Projects Tim Pallas that a study be urgently undertaken to assess East West route options for safe cycling along the Box Hill railway line easement through Hawthorn, Camberwell and Canterbury and adjacent arterial roads such as Burwood Road, Rathmines/Canterbury Road and Riversdale Road.
• The scope or East West cyling routes not be limited to a single route.  For example, safe cycling lanes (e.g. Copenhagen lanes) along Burwood Road Hawthorn could be supplemented with off road routes along sections of the railway line easement.
• Several thousands of cyclists could eventually use a safe East-West route daily, with a commensurate decrease in car usage, road congestion and carbon emissions.

The Boroondara Sustainability Network and the Boroondara Bicycle User Group also strongly support development of a safe East-West cycle route through central Boroondara.

Please note that the latest draft Principle Bicycle Network plan recently circulated by VicRoads to Councils for comment shows a priority bicycle route marked along Burwood Road Hawthorn. This a major concern as this road is currently unsafe for bicycles.

Some more information on route options:

• East west link information and history:  http://boroondarabug.org/wiki/Eastern_Rail_Line_Trail
• Project proposal: http://www.greenlivingpedia.org/Melbourne_eastern_cycle_route
• Principle Bicycle Network http://www.greenlivingpedia.org/Principal_Bicycle_Network_Melbourne

Peter Campbell, on behalf of Lighter Footprints

Submission to Boroondara Council on GHG targets and strategies

Further to my address at the Services Special Committee Meeting (Boroondara) on Monday 21 June, the Lighter Footprints group strongly supports Boroondara's  "Our Low Carbon Future" (July 2009)  strategy document.

We support the statement that "Council has committed to stepping up its action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" ( Intro para., page 1) .

Lighter Footprints suggests that:

• To achieve the "Low Carbon Future" target of 30 - 40% reduction in GHG's by 2020 (Corporate target) , the Council needs to set a Performance target of  3 to 4% reduction each Budget over the 10 years from 2010 to 2020.    (reference page 65 of SSC Agenda 21 June 2010,  and also p.29 of DRAFT Budget 2010-11).
• Council consider engagement of a consultant to do an extensive energy audit of all Council facilities and one who can work collaboratively with Council stakeholders to develop the required 'Performance target' roadmap. (for example consultants with expertise in Energy Efficiencies Opportunities for major businesses - Federal legislation)
• Council accelerate its "Buildings Sustainability" program in 2010-11, by adopting specific measures (such as 6-star standards) to provide assets that will be assets rather than legacies, in a  'low carbon', 'low rainfall' future.
• Council adopt a fiscal approach whereby the additional 10% building cost is seen as an investment. An investment that ensures Council assets will be cheaper to operate for the next 25 years. The 10% capital cost for 6-star assets could be covered by phasing of cashflow in budget cashflow terms of one building 6 months later. For example, Hawthorn Library, Hawthorn Town Hall Arts Precinct and Camberwell Library & Office projects will cost $12.8m.....in order to achieve 6-star with 10% on-cost of $1.2 million, one building would be delayed 6 months.

The GHG target be achieved by  a strategic & systematic approach to :

• Energy efficiency of buildings, particularly for new and re-development  capital projects ;   
• roll-out of Cogen projects; 
• modernize HVAC (heating, ventilating, air-conditioning),  
• Procurement Policies e.g. Vehicles with low emission (including diesel), bikes, etc;
•  Eco-buy procurement forum;  
• T5 street lighting; Behavioural awareness training of all employees; 
• carbon-storage in form of trees and soil, other generated from comprehensive energy audit.

Michael Nolan, on behalf of Lighter Footprints

CLIMATE FORUM - meet your Kooyong and Senate candidates July 28

What: “Meet the candidates” Community Climate Forum for the Federal election 2010 

When: Wednesday 28 July @ 7.00pm
Where: Chandelier room, Hawthorn town hall, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
Who: Candidates for Kooyong and a senator from each major party

Entry: $5 donation. 

Age journalist Liz Minchin, a Walkely award winner and co-author of a book on climate change Screw Light Bulbs, will run a Q&A session that will put climate change policies of the major parties under the microscope and allow the public and candidates to quiz one another. This should prove both entertaining and illuminating and we are very pleased to have her services..

The battle for the senate is crucial for passing climate change legislation so we are particularly pleased to have the senate candidates who will be fighting it out for Victorian senate positions in attendance.

Please put this date in your diary and come with friends and neighbours to demonstrate that this electorate does care strongly about climate change and that we want real action.

The Kooyong candidates attending are:

• Josh Frydenberg (Liberal)
• Steve Hurd (ALP)
• Des Benson (Greens)

The three senate candidates attending are: 

• Richard Di Natale (Greens).
• Antony Thow (ALP)
• Scott Ryan (Liberal) 

Risks of carbon-based economy

"Continued reliance on oil is risky and expensive for business, say the authors of a new report from Lloyd's global risk assessment department, 360 Risk Insight, and UK think tank Chatham House.
The way forward for businesses, the report says, is renewable energy - but the chaos and uncertainty following the Copenhagen climate summit has stifled investment."
Read the rest of this report from the New Scientist's Short Sharp Science series.

Ready to try doorknocking on climate change?

Lighter Footprints is organising a Doorknocking Day in Boroondara this Sunday 6th June from 2-5pm.

This is an easy and fun way to talk to people in your community about climate change and the opportunities for action.

We will also be promoting our upcoming Meet the Candidates forum at the Hawthorn Town Hall on 28th July (facilitated by Age journalist and author Liz Minchin).

It’s easy! We will be doing it in pairs, you will get a script to help avoid being tongue-tied at the door, you will be provided with materials (brochure/petition), and we will have a short ‘training session’ before you set off. Climate Code Red author and climate campaigner David Spratt will be available to provide some door knocking tips and training to the Lighter Footprints group before we hit the streets.

How it works: We start after lunch and do about an half an hour of training. Then we all get a map with an area to cover, we knock on doors for about two hours and then get together for a coffee or drink and talk about how it went. It's that easy! People are friendly and usually very happy to take some information.

Where we start: We meet at 70 Through Road, Camberwell at 2pm for the training session this Sunday 6th June and to pick up materials (brochures etc). Meet back there again at 4.30-4.45pm for a drink and debrief!

Please RSVP to Fiona Armstrong, 0438 900 005, or fiona-armstrong@bigpond.com

Next doorknocking date: Saturday 19th of June from 2-5pm.