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What You Can Do. Write a letter updated April 2008 |
By cutting your greenhouse gas emissions, you make a small positive difference to the planet, and you set an important example to those around you. However using your political influence to force change at the political and corporate levels is a vital aspect of combating climate change. If we want to see an effective response from our government to climate change the reality is it must remain a top 5 voting issue. In non-election years we need to keep the pressure on our governments by joining and supporting environmental organisations at all levels, writing to politicians and business leaders at all levels, raising awareness in the workplace, with community groups, and among family and friends. If enough of us are motivated and proactive about halting dangerous climate change, we will move the bounds of acceptability for governments and industry, and make delay less and less viable for the few interests it serves. The gravity of the challenge presented by climate change to this generation and those who follow us, is monstrous. CCBR is all about informing supporters in our local community about how they can make a difference. We can guide you on effective action at the level of engagement that suits you. Whether that be making small or large changes at home and at work, or, lobbying politicians to legislate for rapid change towards a clean energy future. There are 21 new coal ‘projects’ (i.e. mines) in the planning stage in NSW currently! (http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/asp/register.asp) From one coal project alone (Anvil Hill), Centennial Coal will extract enough coal to fill 10,000 Olympic swimming pools, every year for 18 years. Another, the Moolarben coal project on the Goulburn River, is linked to the construction of a new coal-fired power station in Ulan, in the Central West. The greenhouse gas emissions from combustion of this coal will increase the global temperature for many decades to come … Be Heard – Write a Letter…… Proforma letter to your MP - thanks to ACF "Who On Earth Cares" campaign http://www.whoonearthcares.com/woec/home.action : ______________________________________________________________________________________ 9 April, 2008 Ms T. J. Plibersek, MP
Dear Ms Plibersek, Congratulations on being elected as my local representative. As we have seen with the recent Federal Election, climate change is an issue many Australians are deeply concerned about and want strong leadership on. I care about climate change because I have kids and want to leave them a world that's worth inheriting. What concerns me most about this issue is that we only have a short window of time to act. To reduce my greenhouse pollution, I have personally committed to: - Switch my household power supply to accredited GreenPower - Install a water efficient shower head - Set my washing machine to wash my clothes in cold water - Turn off computers and screens overnight at work and home - Eat one less serve of meat a week - Avoid one domestic air flight this year and purchase carbon offsets - Drive 20 kilometres less each week - Reduce my household electricity and gas usage by 20% I want Ordinary Australians are doing what we can, but we also need your leadership. I am really pleased that We need to do everything in our power to make sure that global warming does not exceed 2C, otherwise we will see more droughts and bushfires, and lose our Smarter use of energy is the quickest way for I ask that you raise these important questions with your party and let me know your party's position on them. Please acknowledge receipt of my letter. I look forward to receiving a prompt response to my questions. Sincerely, ______________________________________________________________________________ (Note: please change to match your electorate if you are not in SYDNEY) In opposition to new coal projects, write to:- The Hon. Frank SARTOR, MP Level 34 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Phone (02) 9228 4700 Fax (02) 9228 4711 office@sartor.minister.nsw.gov.au The Hon. Morris Iemma Premier, Minister for State Development, and Minister for Citizenship Level 40 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Phone (02) 9228 5239 Fax (02) 9228 3934 thepremier@www.nsw.gov.au Here are some previous letters we have sent : _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Sample Letter: #1 <date> Critical Infrastructure and Special Projects
This is a submission against the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group's proposed new Coal Export Terminal at Newcastle (06_0009), and Centennial Hunter's proposed Anvil Hill coal mine (06_0014). The CET and Anvil Hill mine must not be approved. These co-dependent projects would massively increase Hunter coal exports, and accelerate dangerous climate change, which the Premier has called NSW's greatest threat. Approving Anvil Hill mine would be the greenhouse equivalent of doubling the number of cars on NSW roads. Approving the new Coal Export Terminal would be the equivalent of doubling NSW's coal consumption. They would also have unacceptable localised impacts, such as destruction of habitat for over 30 threatened species of flora and fauna.
Sincerely, <name> <address>
__________________________________________________________________________ Sample Letter: #2 <date> Major Development Assessments
This is a submission against the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group's proposed new Coal Export Terminal at Newcastle (06_0009), and Centennial Hunter's proposed Anvil Hill coal mine (06_0014). The CET and Anvil Hill mine must not be approved. These co-dependent projects would massively increase Hunter coal exports, and accelerate dangerous climate change, which the Premier has called NSW's greatest threat. Approving Anvil Hill mine would be the greenhouse equivalent of doubling the number of cars on NSW roads. Approving the new Coal Export Terminal would be the equivalent of doubling NSW's coal consumption. They would also have unacceptable localised impacts, such as destruction of habitat for over 30 threatened species of flora and fauna.
Sincerely, <name> <address> __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sample Letter: #3 Dear Premier Iemma CC: Minister Sartor. RE: climate change impacts of Anvil Hill mine proposal must be considered It is unacceptable that assessment of the proposed Anvil Hill mine in the NSW Hunter Valley will fail to address this mine's enormous contribution to climate change. The 10.5 million tonnes of coal per year proposed to be mined at Anvil Hill would contribute over 25 million tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year for the life of the mine. This is more than Australia's entire annual transport emissions! I demand that the NSW Government consider the Anvil Hill mine proposal in the context of the urgent need to cut global greenhouse pollution. Failure to do this would be reckless and irresponsible, and would condemn the world to runaway dangerous climate change. Sincerely, ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ For more information on Moolarben: www.savethedrip.com o Anvil Hill: www.anvilhill.org.au The very technologies that we need to stop dangerous climate change are being starved while the climate-changing coal industry is booming… Every year about 80 million tonnes of climate-changing coal leave Newcastle. In the next 5 years, more massive coal mines are planned to open and more coal infrastructure will be built. Ultimately, Newcastle’s exports will increase by up to 50 million tonnes a year. This compares to Australia’s total coal consumption of 67 million tonnes and NSW’s consumption of 30 million tonnes. If this expansion occurs, it will accelerate the onset of dangerous climate change and see NSW actively fuelling its greatest threat. At the same time, the renewable energy industry in NSW is on its last legs. Next year the Federal Government’s mandatory renewable energy target (MRET) will expire. Unless other measures to promote investment are introduced, growth in the renewable energy industry will stall. If the NSW government legislated a state renewable energy target of 15% by 2012, and 25% by 2020, it would spur up to $3 billion in investment in clean energy projects and 2,000 new jobs in NSW. Not only would this provide us with clean energy, but we could start exporting clean energy instead of climate-changing coal. In opposition to lack of investment in renewable energy industries write to:- Hon. Ian MACDONALD, MLC office@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au Minister for Natural Resources, Primary Industries & Mineral Resources Level 30 Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place Sydney NSW 2000 Phone (02) 9228 3344 Fax (02) 9228 3452 Hon. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister http://www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm Prime Minister Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Hon. Ian Campbell, Senator for Western Australia senator.ian.campbell@aph.gov.au Minister for Environment and Heritage Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Ph: (02) 6277 7640 Fax: (02) 6273 6101 Electoral office: GPO Box B58, Perth WA 6838 Ph: (08) 94211755, (08) 9325 4227 Fax: (08) 9325 6857, (08) 9325 7906
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