climate change is happening now.
The world came together in Kyoto, Bali and Copenhagen to seek new solutions to Climate Change, and as the world looks beyond Copenhagen, the Brumby Government is already committed to action.
Our nation needs to take the first steps through a national Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme to help build the jobs and economy of the future.
The Greens voted with Tony Abbott and the Climate Change deniers to stop our Nation taking this historic first step of putting a price on carbon pollution.
what about our local community?
Our local bayside community is more vulnerable than most to climate
change.
From Elwood to Port Melbourne we face the reality of sea level rises. Our energy production, transport systems, planning systems, health and emergency services - in fact all areas of Government activity need to begin to plan for the reality of climate change.
ABOVE: Michael Blamey (Melbourne Today) produced this striking and alarming photograph of the Harold Street Groyne in Middle Park awash with a high tide.
what can we do today?
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) - putting a price on carbon - is an important first step for our nation. Failure to take action today will make future change so much harder.
That is why the Brumby Government is supporting the Rudd Federal CPRS laws.
The 20% renewable energy target is the strongest piece of
climate legislation we have. Without an emissions trading scheme Australia would need 12 climate laws of this scale to achieve emissions cuts of at least 25% by 2020."
- Australian Conservation Foundation
Under the scheme we would see for the first time a price on carbon - making polluters pay for their emissions and rewarding cuts in carbon output.
why are some calling this a tax?
Under the scheme we would see for the first time a price on carbon - making polluters pay for their emissions and rewarding cuts in carbon output.
Disappointingly the Greens joined with Tony Abbott, Nick Minchin, Barnaby Joyce and Steve Fielding to defeat this historic first step to reduce our carbon emissions.
You cannot cut emissions without a cost.
To replace dirty coal fired power stations with cleaner gas fired ones, or renewables like wind let alone nuclear power or even coal fired power with carbon capture and storage is all going to cost money."
- Malcolm Turnbull, defeated leader of the Liberal Party
In a world of Climate Change, Victoria is one of the most vulnerable regions. We need to take action to secure our environment and our economy by passing the CPRS.
message in the mail
Most
residents in Albert Park State District will have recently received
this mailer about the CPRS campaign in their letterboxes . If you
didn't, please feel free to download
it and distribute it to your friends
and neighbours.
Martin Foley MP
Martin is the State Member of Parliament for Albert Park State District. He
was elected as the ALP candidate in the 2007 by-election
to replace the former local member and then Environment Minister
John Thwaites.
Martin represents the diverse community living in the State District of Albert Park - from Elwood village to St Kilda Beach to Albert Park Lake to the Victorian Arts Centre to Port Melbourne's piers to the Westgate Bridge and all in between. Martin has lived in Elwood for most of his life.
Martin has adopted a strong stance on Climate Change within the State Parliament and the Labor Party. He aims to effectively represent and support the concerns of the local community and local Labor Party.
Martin is a member of the Labor Environment Action Network; he made a submission on constraining carbon to the Inquiry into Environmental Regulation in Victoria that you can read here; and he is a board member of the Centre for Policy Development.
Inside
Why the website?
This website is firstly part of a local campaign to alert residents to reality of climate change and how it can affect our community; secondly information to bring residents up to date with the latest developments in seeking solutions to reduce our carbon pollution; and thirdly your local state member Martin Foley MP invites you to join this local campaign to convince our federal lawmakers to put a price on carbon.
Climate Change is now unavoidable; but the option to do something today that will make a difference shouldn't be avoided. An Australian national CPRS is a small step on a global level, but an important first step and example to the rest of the world.