Political Engagement Archives - Page 2 of 2

20151205 Philippa Rowland to speak at UN summit in Paris

Posted on November 19, 2015 by warren

A woman stands on a grey rocky surface, with mist and ice in the background.

Philippa Rowland, one of the founding members of Clean Energy for Eternity, is Paris-bound, keen to play a role in shaping a safer climate future for the world. Philippa intends to bear witness at a pivotal time in the world’s response to a warming atmosphere.

“If we turn the corner now we still have time,” she said.

“There’s a lot we can do as individuals. We can do so much more as communities, but unless we can also have an influence on policy, we can go backwards quite fast.”

It is that focus on changing policy that drives Philippa towards France as a representative of the community-based Climate Action Network.

Philippa is deeply honoured to be playing a role in Paris, building on her experience at the 2009 UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Paris must succeed where Copenhagen failed. What is needed is a new international agreement on climate change, applicable to all countries, that kept global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

“Climate change is now a lived experience, one of the shocking things about climate change is the injustice at the fact that the impact falls hardest on those who are unable to deal with it”. In the lead-up to the talks, countries have flagged proposed pollution cuts and clean energy measures in order to meet a binding target.

“We know they’re not enough, but it’s more a sense that people are offering up what they can do,” she said.

“There is an opportunity to actually tap into what a better future can look like and put your energy into creating that better future.”

Ms Rowland is more hopeful of a positive approach under new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull than under Tony Abbott’s leadership.

“There’s a sense that we may become a country that stands up to its own responsibility,” she said.

20150712 Setting Australia’s emission reduction target

Posted on July 12, 2015 by warren

As nations prepare for the Paris UN Climate Conference in November, there are quite diverse groups calling for meaningful emissions reduction targets and action to limit global warming to the international agreed target of 2⁰C. Check out the following:

LGNSW’s submission to UNFCCC Taskforce into Setting Australia’s post-2020 target for greenhouse gas emissions.
An open letter from farmers to the Liberal party.
Comment on policy responses to protect health in a changing climate from the medical journal The Lancet.
Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment which warns of ‘serious consequences’ if the world does not act on climate change.
A Dutch district court has ordered the Netherlands to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 25% lower than 1990 levels by 2020.

20150309 Narrabeen environmental election Q&A

Posted on March 23, 2015 by warren

About 80 people attended a Q&A session organised by CEFE Northern Beaches at the Narrabeen Tram Shed on March 9 2015. Upper house candidate Justin Field represented the Greens, James Wheeldon, candidate for the seat of North Shore represented the ALP and Rob Stokes Minister for the Environment represented the Coalition. CEFE’s John Davis moderated. The questions came from CEFE members and other local environmental groups. They were given to the panel members in advance and each had the same time to answer.

TramShed Q&A CEFE 2 col

See videos of the answers to som of the questions below

20081106 Snowy Mountains climate forum

Posted on March 23, 2015 by warren

We have the solutions

One of the strong messages highlighted by Dr Mark Diesendorf (Uni of NSW) at the Monaro/ Snowy Mountains Renewable Energy Forum held in Berridale on Nov 6 08 was that we do have the necessary technologies available right now to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% within just a few decades given social and political will to make it happen. Dr Mike Kelly (Federal Member for Eden-Monaro) agreed that action on climate change was necessary and praised his electorate for its forward thinking and action on the issue so far.

This praise is well justified as illustrated by Philippa Rowland whom informed the forum that our region has procured $100,000 in Green Precinct funding for Clean Energy For Eternity to conduct a feasibility study to establish Australia’s first community owned 2MW solar farm in the Bega Valley. This farm will not only move the Bega Valley shire towards achieving a 50% reduction in GHG emissions, but also provide an investment opportunity in the SE region by prospective investors from all over Australia.

The forum also heard that wind power also has the potential to provide great ecological and economic benefits for our region due to the availability of this resource on Monaro. As an example, CEFE’s founders Dr Nott pointed out that the proposed Boco Rock windfarm would generate a total investment of $20 million as well as produce enough renewable power to account for at least half of Cooma Monaro shire’s energy needs.

But the possibilities don’t end there, as David Shapiro (Future Energy) illustrated with his presentation about the (smaller scale) Hepburn Community Wind-farm in Victoria which has now launched its prospectus and is accepting investment by shareholders, thanks to the commitment and vision of a community willing to take leadership and create local solutions.

Real solutions that reduce GHG emissions and safeguard our children’s future ecologically, socially and economically are needed to tackle climate change, and the forum demonstrated that we are well placed to do so. Look out in future CEFE columns for more detailed information on Community Renewable Energy Farms.
Antia Brademanns

Report from Summit Sun in advance of above forum…
Our views will count
DENISE DION Summit Sun

Local people will have the opportunity to directly influence the Federal Government’s White Paper on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) at a meeting in Berridale, Thursday November 6, Member for Eden-Monaro, Dr Mike Kelly has said.

Dr Kelly said that local views on climate change and the carbon pollution reduction scheme will be fed directly to Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong’s office for input into the White Paper due out at the end of the year.

Dr Kelly and Clean Energy For Eternity (CEFE) will host the Berridale meeting in an effort to garner opinion on the Government’s current Green Paper on CPRS and also to look at solutions to climate change issues.

The climate change forum will give members of the public a chance to hear first hand about the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and give their views, feedback and suggestions on the scheme and strategies for tackling climate change, Dr Kelly said.

“After these meetings in Bega and Berridale I will be taking the feedback from these meetings back to Minister Wong,” Dr Kelly said.

CEFE founder, Dr Matthew Nott, said: “This is a huge opportunity for us to help shape policy through Mike Kelly. I understand that the comments will go directly to Penny Wong’s office and that she has made a special allowance to include this feedback.”

Ms Wong’s office confirmed that there were numerous levels of consultation going on and that they expected to be releasing Treasury modelling on the CRPS at the end of this month.

Dr Nott encouraged everyone to attend the Berridale meeting November 6, 5.30-7.30pm.

Sue Edmondson, CEFE, Snowy Mountains committee member said that the meeting wouldn’t be a talk fest on the problems of climate change but rather a chance to hear ideas and practical solutions from inspiring speakers.

Dr Matthew Nott, the founder of CEFE, will give an update on windfarm development on the Monaro.

Dr Mark Diesendorf from the University of NSW will talk about why action is so urgently needed and the renewable energy solutions.

David Shapero will talk about the Hepburn experience of developing a community owned windfarm in Daylesford, Victoria.

Dr Kelly has called climate change the single biggest challenge this country has faced since World War II and has said that he wants to use the forum to ensure the community has a voice and an opportunity to comment on the CPRS Green Paper.

20150309 Election Forum Narrabeen Tram Shed

Posted on March 18, 2015 by warren

TramShed Q&A CEFE 2 col

See videos of the answers to som of the questions below

20091212 CEFE goes to Copenhagen

Posted on February 27, 2015 by warren

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

CEFE’s Philippa Rowland joined thousands of other climate activists from around the world at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in Decemeber 2009

20100809 Election forum in Bermagui

Posted on February 26, 2015 by warren

20061008 CEFE makes its presence felt in Canberra

Posted on February 26, 2015 by warren

Human signs, speakers, flags and banners!

Read the CEFE Invite to Organisations

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

20061113 Moruya Launch Meeting

Posted on January 30, 2015 by warren

t was standing room only at the Moruya RSL Hall.

On 13 November 2006, about 550 people gathered at the Moruya RSL to listen to Clean Energy For Eternity propose a community target of 50/50 by 2020. The

target was adopted unanimously, and was subsequently sadopted by the Eurobodala council.

20060821 Bega Launch Meeting

Posted on January 30, 2015 by warren

On 21st August, 400 residents of the Bega Valley Shire met in the RSL Club to hear speakers on climate change. Chaired by Mayor Tony Allen, this meeting unanimously endorsed a resolution setting targets of 50% reduction in energy and 50% adoption of renewable energy by 2020. The Clean Energy Working Group set up will report back to the Bega community in February 2007.

The exact words of the resolution were

“We the people of the Bega Valley support the objective of meeting a target of a reduction in our energy use by 50% and generation of 50% clean energy by the year 2020 in order to tackle climate change. Further, we request that the Bega Valley Shire Council commit to working with the community to meet these targets and to establish a working group with the aim of reversing greenhouse emissions within the shire. The working group will report back to the community within 6 months.”