Members of Orange Climate Action Now (OCAN) demonstrated outside Federal Member for Calare John Cobb’s office yesterday against the Rudd Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).
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The demonstration was part of a national day of action by climate change groups, who are expressing opposition to the scheme in its current form.
OCAN chairperson Nick King presented Mr Cobb with a letter urging the Rudd Government to revise the CPRS and its carbon reduction target of five to 15 per cent by 2020.
The letter is to be delivered to Climate Change Minister Penny Wong.
Mr King said the carbon reduction target set by the Government did not adequately reflect the urgency of climate change.
“A five per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 is not an appropriate target, it’s got to be much more than that and much quicker,” he said.
“We’re asking for at least 40 per cent, which is a figure that is backed up by the scientific community.”
Mr King said the Rudd Government also needed to pursue a workable scientific solution to climate change that it could take to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.
Orange City Councillor and president of Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Orange (ECCO) Neil Jones added the demonstration was part of an ongoing program to raise public awareness of climate change.
“We have to send a message to our politicians of the need for strong leadership and global action on climate change,” he said.
Mr Cobb said although he didn’t agree with all the views expressed by OCAN, he would be happy to deliver the letter.
“I certainly agree that Kevin Rudd’s CPRS won’t do a lot of good,” he said.
Mr Cobb has expressed opposition to the scheme on the basis that it will decrease the competitiveness of Australian agricultural exporters in overseas markets as well as allowing increased access to Australian markets for foreign agricultural imports.
