04/03/2020
SECOND EMAIL RESPONSE ABOUT THE CATASTROPHIC PODCAST PROJECT FROM Senator Nick McKim OFFICE:
Dear Kel
Thank you for your emails to Senator Nick McKim detailing your new Catastrophic Podcast Project. As Office Manager, I am replying on Nick’s behalf.
I have circulated your emails to Nick’s policy advisory team, so they will get back to you if they have any questions.
The Australian Greens share your concerns about the devastating effects of the climate crisis on the health, livelihoods and wellbeing of the Australian Community.
We are seeing the impacts of climate breakdown all around us. From drought, to unprecedented bushfires, to cities choked by smoke. It is threatening our health, our jobs, businesses, the environment and ultimately, the future we’ll hand over to our children and grandchildren.
On Monday, Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP introduced a Bill into the House of Representatives, seconded by the Member for Waringah Zali Steggall OAM, to formally declare a climate emergency, and to require every government department to be guided by the declaration and mandate the establishment of a ‘war cabinet’ to tackle the crisis.
With regards to Zali’s bill, the Australian Greens will be supporting Zali’s bill and are working with her to support its passage through this Parliament.
While we support the Bill, we will be continuing to advocate for urgent action to ensure we tackle the climate crisis. Specifically:
We are concerned that the Bill has no target for 2030. This is the critical decade and we need to act now. If we only opt for ‘zero by 2050’, we won’t be able to keep global warming below 2 degrees.
This Bill lacks a mechanism to ensure that we cut pollution. We know that without a plan to phase out coal, we don’t have a plan to tackle the climate crisis.
The Bill also doesn’t contain anything forcing the government to act. It is dependent on the government showing some goodwill, and there’s no sign of that yet.
Unlike the major parties, the Greens have a plan to ban new fossil fuel extraction, end the strip mining of our native forests, and phase out coal-fired power stations. Coal is the biggest cause of global heating and Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal. Unless we lead a global effort to quit coal and cut pollution, apocalyptic scenes like these will not only continue but get worse in the years to come.
The climate crisis requires an all-of-government response, but we have a climate denying, coal hugging government who will do everything to ensure that global heating only gets worse. What we need is a people powered movement, both in and outside the parliament, to get real action on the climate emergency, the jobs crisis and the inequality crisis.
Please consider joining us in fighting for a Green New Deal.
Thanks again for getting in touch with Nick and please be assured that the Greens will keep looking for opportunities to work with members of Parliament, especially the cross bench and Labor, to achieve the urgent action required to tackle the climate crisis.
Kind regards
Tracey
