No new coal campaign. Safe Climate is currently waging a “No New Coal” campaign. Launched on 10/10/10, it’s a campaign to get 10,000 signatures on a petition and hold Ten Actions of different kinds in 10 weeks. The reason for the campaign is that the Barnett state government has approved three new coal-fired power stations and is refurbishing another two. All five new power stations will add to WA’s greenhouse pollution. This is absolutely insane when there is already too much carbon in the atmosphere. Further, Beyond Zero Emissions have demonstrated that it is feasible for Australia to supply all of its power needs from renewable energy by 2020.
You can find out more about the effects of new coal-fired power stations from the following Fact Sheet. Our website (on the top right) shows our current progress towards 10,000 signatures on the petition. A big thank you to everyone who has signed the petition and helped us collect signatures so far. We deliberately chose an ambitious target (10,000 signatures in ten weeks) because stopping these new coal-fired power stations (along with polluting gas developments) is at the front line of combating climate change in WA.
We need your help
We have to win this campaign and we need help to do it! It will simply be impossible for the existing Safe Climate Activist base to collect 10,000 signatures by ourselves. But if every person on our contact list were to collect just one page of signatures, we’d easily achieve the target. Collecting signatures is an easy way to get involved in this campaign and that’s why were asking you to join us with this first step. Please download a petition, get your friends, workmates, or people at your local shopping centre to sign it. Then return it to Safe Climate by December 6 (even if it has only one signature – yours – on it). Other important parts of the campaign include the Renewable Energy Forum on Saturday 13 November; and the Safe Climate is a Human Right rally when the petitions will be presented. The forum will be important for talking about the renewable energy options that already exist and the rally will be a chance to demonstrate the level of support for serious climate action.
We risk a 75% increase in greenhouse emissions
Even greater than the pollution from the coal-fired power stations is the pollution from north west gas developments such as Gorgon and James Price Point gas hub. This coal campaign is only the beginning, but it is imperative that we begin to bring serious community pressure now. If all of these projects go ahead, it will result in a 75% increase in WA greenhouse emissions. Australian emission reduction targets in the range of 25% to 40% by 2020 are too low to avert serious climate disaster. (We need to aim for zero emissions as soon as possible.) However, if these polluting coal-fired power stations and gas developments go ahead, it will be impossible to even meet the federal government’s proposed “target” of 5% reduction by 2020.
Community Action can make the difference
The important point to remember is that it is possible for community action to force governments to change their policies. That’s what we’re aiming to do with this campaign. If you don’t like the idea of global suicide, please help us take this first step to avert it. Print out a petition, get it filled in and post it to us, Safe Climate Perth c/- PO Box 204, NORTHBRIDGE 6865, or bring it to the November 13 Renewable Energy Forum or the December 11 rally. For more info on how to get involved, contact Safe Climate or phone 0417 319 662 or 0400 878 322.