Carbon opposition

By Tania Martin
THE Upper Yarra and Dandenongs Environment Council (UYDEC) recently joined more than 30 environment groups across the country, protesting the Federal Government’s proposed carbon reduction scheme.
UYDEC co-ordinator Jo Tenner said the group was calling for the government to abandon the policy.
Ms Tenner said it failed to commit to adequate emission reduction targets and would lock Australia into a catastrophic climate change future.
“We are deeply concerned that the scheme does not commit to the emissions reduction targets that the research tells us are necessary to avoid dangerous climate change,” she said.
Ms Tenner said the government needed to address the issues of big industries such as coal and aluminium and their pollution levels.
“They must be made to cut emissions rapidly and immediately,” she said.
“Emissions are likely to continue rising under this scheme.”
UYDEC joined a group of concerned residents of the Dandenong Ranges recently (27 March) to discuss their concerns with La Trobe MP Jason Wood.
The meeting also coincided with protests by concerned groups across the country, calling MPs to reverse what they saw as a failure of the government to take more decisive action on climate change.
Ms Tenner said it was a disgrace that when faced with the threat of climate change, the country’s leaders were pandering to powerful fossil fuel and mining lobbies.
“They are continuing to ignore urgent scientific advice and widespread community alarm about the most popular issue of our time,” she said.
“We are calling for a moratorium on coal mining and coal-fired power stations, and an end to perverse subsidies for the fossil fuel industry.”
Mr Wood said one of the key problems with the proposed scheme was that it placed no restrictions on big polluting businesses.
He said big businesses should have to do more to cut emissions than smaller individuals.
Mr Wood said the scheme would offer the worst possible outcome for the environment.
“It’s a shocker with reduction targets of five per cent when all the data suggest a minimum of 20-30 per cent,” he said.
Mr Wood said he agreed with the environment groups and congratulated them for bringing it to the attention of the public.
“I will not be supporting this (carbon reduction scheme),” he said.