Climate Emergency Petitionstorm
Mobilising public and private resources to restore
a safe climate for the common good
In February 2016, global temperatures spiked to well over 1.5°C above pre-industrial times, just weeks after the Paris resolution aimed at not exceeding that benchmark. (See: Climate Reality Check)
Ask the Australian parliament to declare a climate emergency
and mobilise resources accordingly
Australians are great at pitching in to help and mobilising resources in an emergency. Remember the Queensland floods of 2011? Three-quarters of the council areas within the state of Queensland were declared disaster zones. Government funds were made available and a large workforce was mobilised to deal with the emergency.
Volunteers were quick to offer assistance. More than 55,000 volunteers registered to help clean up the streets of Brisbane, with thousands more simply pitching in to help in all affected areas. All over Australia kind-hearted individuals and community groups took the initiative to send supplies and raise emergency funds.
Declaring an emergency is a significant step. It mobilises government and community resources and funds that are not normally available and inspires the public to act for the common good.
To Members of the House of Representatives and Senators
We call on the Australian Parliament to declare a climate emergency and to mobilise resources to restore a safe climate.
1. In February 2016, global temperatures spiked to well over 1.5°C above pre-industrial times, just weeks after the Paris Climate Agreement set an aim of not exceeding that benchmark. Climate scientists say that we are facing a climate emergency, and that the future of ecosystems and human civilisation now hang in the balance. Our Great Barrier Reef is dying as the oceans heat up and recent fires in Tasmania burned ancient world-heritage forests.
2. Declaring a climate emergency is a vital step in building support for the very large changes required to restore a safe, cooler climate.
3. A society-wide mobilisation of resources is required at a scale and speed not seen since the Second World War. Carbon emissions must be reduced to zero within a few years, not several decades, and we must draw down all the excess carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere using measures that include mass tree planting. We must rapidly transition from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy, replacing fossil fuel jobs with jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The climate restoration is an enormous task, but given the risks to ourselves and future generations we must rise to the challenge.
» For more information about climate emergency goals, see the report Striking Targets
Use the form below to sign the petition to Parliament
If you wish, you can also add your climate actions. We’ll add the data from the climate action counters when we submit the petition because we believe it is powerful to show that the public is already mobilising itself.
When you sign the petition, you can also
report what you do to reduce emissions
Government-led resource mobilisation is only half of the solution. The other half is what you and I do. During the Queensland floods, Aussies were taking neighbours and strangers to safety, sharing resources, and doing whatever was needed right from the start of the emergency simply because they could.
Individuals and community groups are already taking initiative and using their own resources to restore a safe climate. Tell Parliament and everyone else what YOU are already doing to show how we are mobilising together for the common good.
Eight examples of actions
for reducing carbon emissions
• Minimise transport emissions
For example, walk, ride, take public transport, use an electric vehicle, avoid air travel. Instead, use video conferencing, skype for business, etc, whenever possible.
• Move your money out of fossil fuels
For banks see www.marketforces.org.au, for superannuation see www.superswitch.org.au.
• Put your money into renewable energy
Invest in renewable energy, or donate to community solar projects – see www.corenafund.org.au.
• Power your house with clean energy
Install solar if you can, or buy renewables-friendly electricity. Disconnect from gas – see www.greenelectricityguide.org.au.
• Make your house energy efficient
See www.energyfreedom.com.au
• Eat less meat
For example, meat-free days, vegetarian, vegan
• Be a conscious consumer
For example, buy only what you need, and buy things that last. Recycle. Upcycle.
• Plant trees
For drawing down excess carbon in the atmosphere. For example Earth Day, Trees for Life
Help build support
for a climate emergency declaration
• Share this petition on social media
• Include a link to the petition in e-news to members of your group
• Embed the petition on your group’s website
• Get out into the community to seek support for the climate emergency declaration
• Build support within the political party that you favour most
• Lobby politicians/councillors to support the making of a climate emergency declaration
This petition is part of a petitionSTORM
which means it is co-published at a number of websites.
» See more on www.climatesafety.net
If you would like to embed / co-publish this petition page on your website, please check www.climatesafety.net/toolbox, or contact us at mobilisation@climatesafety.net.
Enquiries
Margaret@CORENAfund.org.au
MikAidt@climatesafety.info
Philip.Sutton@green-innovations.asn.au
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Find out more about a rapid transition to 100% renewable energy
Signed on Day 1
Three Darebin councillors and two candidates in the next council election have signed the Climate Emergency Petition, together with 160 Darebin citizens, asking federal parliament to declare a climate emergency and restore a safe climate.
» See more on www.climatesafety.net
One comment
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Did anyone notice the heading tucked away on page 10 of last Saturday’s Age? (26/3/16) – ‘Time is running out for climate’. Everyone knows we have to take emergency action if a small baby’s temperature goes up a degree or two. But do we know what to do when the ‘baby’ is the whole earth life system?
Yet the biggest power everyone has right now is to vote in the next election for clear-eyed parliamentary representatives who are publicly resolute about the costs of not acting and who have a real and concrete plan for rapidly winding down coal, oil and gas production to transition Australian industry to energy based on solar and other clean power sources.
The Turnbull government’s recently quietly launched productivity Growth Centre for oil, gas, coal seam gas, coal and uranium (Age 24/3/16) and the emails revealed by FOI showing they wanted CSIRO to cease ALL public good climate work (Age 4/4/16) augur badly. There’ll be no viable economy without a viable climate.