Mia Dyson joins local community leaders calling for clean energy.
Local Geelong musician Mia Dyson has joined a long list of local leaders and celebrities in an open letter published in the Geelong Advertiser on 25 November 2014 calling on Victorian state election candidates to commit to clean energy action in the lead up to the 29 November poll.
The Geelong region community leaders join a further 1,700 voters across the Geelong, South Barwon and Bellarine electorates who have pledged to vote for candidates who commit to clean energy and climate change policies prior to Saturday’s election.
“I’m really concerned about the future of our region – and the world – in the face of climate change, and renewable energy is the quickest solution to cutting our greenhouse pollution,” said Mia Dyson.
“But we aren’t hearing enough from our politicians about how they’re going to solve this problem. So We want commitments on cutting our greenhouse pollution from our politicians before the election next Saturday so we can decide who to vote for.”
Hailing from Torquay, Dyson has been touring the world with her blue and roots music, winning accolades around Australia and globally.
Other community leaders to sign the open letter include ex-Cats footballer, Andrew Bews, CEO of Diversitat and Addie columnist, Michael Martinez, and former Geelong Mayor, Barbara Abley AM.
“Geelong could have a bright jobs future if it invests in the clean energy sector now – it’s one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy”, said Dan Cowdell, GetUp’s Geelong organiser.
“This election we’ve seen a groundswell of community support for action on clean energy. Eighty per cent of people we have spoken to have signed up to the Vote Clean pledge.”
GetUp! – a grassroots group with 650,000 members Australia-wide – has been running a Geelong ‘Vote Clean’ campaign for the last few months asking voters to pledge to vote for pro-clean energy candidates at the upcoming state election. The campaign has:
• Collected voter pledges from 1,700 residents in Geelong, South Barwon and Bellarine electorates.
• Knocked on 2,200 doors in these electorates and had conversations with voters about clean energy and climate action.
• Engaged over 100 local volunteers who have spent hours working on the campaign doing everything from data entry, to doorknocking to phoning people.
» Source: www.geelongsustainability.org.au/cleanenergy
» Read more: www.geelongsustainability.org.au/voteclean
Geelong Advertiser – 25 November 2014:
Voters want clean energy
» www.geelongadvertiser.com.au
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Geelong Advertiser – half page advertisement – 25 November 2015:
Open letter to the candidates for the Victorian state election:
Will you commit to clean energy?
“Dear candidates of Geelong, Bellarine and South Barwon electorates
Four out of five Victorians want more clean, renewable energy. Over the past 10 weeks, 1,700 voters across your electorates have pledged to vote only for candidates who support clean energy and commit to protect our environment.
The numbers are clear. Voters want real action. To get the support of the majority of voters in our region, local residents want you to:
• Make renewable energy accessible and affordable for Victorians, and wind back our state’s restrictive wind farm planning laws.
• Reduce Victoria’s carbon pollution by reinstating a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 20% by the year 2020.
• Improve energy efficiency of our homes and communities by extending the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target.
We ask that you make public your commitment to these policies before election day – 29th November – so that our region can vote for clean energy and the future of our region at the ballot box.
If you’re successful in being elected, we expect you and your party to implement these policies and targets. With your help, our region can champion serious investment and support for clean, renewable energy, and take meaningful steps to cut Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Gas, coal and oil prices will keep rising, but energy efficiency and renewable energy in the Geelong region can help build a local, modern renewables sector with sustainable jobs for the future. Geelong is at a critical stage in its history to take advantage of this opportunity.
A future based on clean energy benefits our economy, health and environment. It will also help mitigate the impacts of climate change which is a serious issue for our children’s future, and for the prosperity of our region.”
Sincerely,
Andrew Bews – former Cats footballer
Michael Martinez – CEO, Diversitat
Barbara Abley AM – former mayor
Michael Thomas – Australian Army
Mia Dyson – musician
Fran McAloon – president, Ocean Grove Coast Care
Shirley Power – singer
Leanne Dowling – principal, South Geelong Primary School
Jackie Boyle – teacher, Sacred Heart College
Colin Mockett – entertainer
Greg Jones ASM – CEO, Bongo Transit
Dr Tim Denton – GP, Surfcoast Medical Centre
Dr Quentin Farmar-Bowers – academic
David Ball – Geelong Port Secretary MUA
Heinz L. Dahl – managing director, NexTgen Wind
Vicky Perrett – Sustainable House Day
Suzie Brown – CEO, Rusty Brown Consulting
Mark Sanders – architect, Third Ecology
Aaron Lewtas – president, Surf Coast Energy Group
Sue Hopkins – Green Mums
Barton van Laar – president, Bike Safe
Dan Cowdell – president, Geelong Sustainability
Anthony Gleeson – Frack Free Geelong
Tony Grgurevic – president, Bicycle Users Geelong
Nicole Krasic – environmental engineer
Leigh Ewbank – Yes2Renewables (Friends of the Earth)
Stacie Bobele – Plastic Bag Free Torquay
Jacinta Morahan – president, Surf Coast Air Action
Mik Aidt – Centre for Climate Safety
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» 13 Questions to the candidates of Geelong region – and how they replied
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“Now we have got the evils of two lesses”
“We are left behind. The Australian government is at odds with the stance of G20.”
John Hewson, former Liberal leader
The Coalition’s climate change policies have left Australia lagging dangerously behind international competitors according to former Liberal leader John Hewson:
By Eric George, Business Spectator, 19 November 2014: ‘Hewson slams Abbott on climate’
Australian Wind Alliance: Election info
The Australian Wind Alliance sent an email with the following information:
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With Victoria’s wind energy industry at a standstill, wind jobs being cuts and farmers and regional communities across the state left in limbo, wind energy has become a key issue in a number of Victorian electorates. While the primary cause of the uncertainty has been federal government recalcitrance over the Renewable Energy Target, state policies still play a big role and there are significant differences between the parties. We’ve put together a summary of the Victorian major parties’ policies regarding wind energy, for you to make up your own mind and tomorrow you get your chance to choose.
*Some sitting MPs have suggested making exemptions for small community owned projects Australian Wind Alliance has been busy in the Premier’s electorate of South West Coast around Portland and Warrnambool. If you’re in that electorate, here’s a summary of what the various candidates have to say – www.windalliance.org.au Our friends at Yes2Renewables have also summarised the parties’ differences on their own scorecard – www.yes2renewables.org No matter what the outcome, Australian Wind Alliance will continue to work with whichever government is elected to make sure wind energy continues to deliver jobs, investment and clean energy throughout the state. Happy voting! Andrew. Australian Wind Alliance |