SAMPLE LOCAL-GLOBAL CLIMATE ISSUES QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ELECTION CANDIDATES
The Australian coal exports are worth about $55 billion annually and the Domestic and Export Australian coal industry is worth about $100 billion annually. This huge national income from coal clearly impacts upon public attitudes to the Climate Emergency as reflected in Climate Change Scepticism by media and politicians; the effective absence to date of action to actually REDUCE Australia's world leading coal exports and world leading annual per capita fossil fuel-derived CO2 pollution; and the mounting threat to the Great Barrier Reef, the Murray- Darling River system, Australian ecosystems in general, species survival, older Australians, and to the World and the Biosphere in general.
For some key, expert, scientific commentary on the threat to Australia and the World see ACF Report "Saving Australia's Special Places" (reviewed in The Age, November, 2008: http://www.theage.com.au/national/snow-beaches-jobs-to-vanish-new-pointers-to-a-parched-land-20081 ) and Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (top world expert on climate change and coral; University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia) on the Science Show with Robyn Williams (see: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2007/2115399.htm ) on the threat to coral reefs exposed in a multi-author paper in the top scientific journal Science (see: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/318/5857/1737 ), QUOTE : “ [Science coral paper ] that's really wrapping up essentially ten years of science. It's bringing together the two great threats to coral reefs, global warming and ocean acidification. What we find out is that the threat is much closer than we thought in the past, and in fact the magic number may be 450. When I say '450'; 450 parts per million of carbon dioxide and we lose them” (see: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2007/2115399.htm ).
Yet the Australian Government and its advisers are aiming for an atmospheric CO2 concentration “target” of 450-550 ppm.(parts per million) – ignoring the scientific advice that coral goes above 450 ppm due to ocean acidification and warming; that the ocean phytoplankton and the Greenland Ice sheet go above 500 ppm (with mass die off in the oceans and huge sea level rises); and that 550 ppm is globally utterly catastrophic (see: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/man-made-co2-driven-global-warming-science-information and “Climate Emergency, Exceptionalism & Ignoring Downunder. Letter to Eminent Australians over Public Honesty”: http://mwcnews.net/content/view/25702/42/ ).
It is accordingly VITAL that citizens concerned about the Climate Emergency attempt to publicly PIN DOWN the Climate Change views of Local, State and Federal Election candidates.
Thus, for example, the survival of the Great Barrier Reef is not negotiable – it is a unique, irreplaceable Public and indeed Global asset and no Human has the right to destroy this Wonder of Nature in the interests of the profits of a few. This fundamental position is enunciated by the Climate Emergency Network (CEN) (see: http://www.climateemergencynetwork.org/ ) in its statement of Core Values: “We have no right to bargain away the lives of others. Our goal is a safe climate future for all people, all species, and all generations.”
Below is the ultimately supplanted DRAFT of a QUESTIONNAIRE to establish the views of candidates in forthcoming Local Government in the City of Banyule, Melbourne Local Government elections – it was ultimately replaced with a mostly Local-oriented questionnaire but it may be of use to Climate Action Groups wanting to get the views of Local, State and Federal Election candidates.
In the end 3 local Conservation and Environment groups opted for a mostly Local Issues-focussed questionnaire which has been posted on the website of the Yarra Valley Climate Action Group (see: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/Home ) as a FINAL “Environmental Questionnaire to Banyule Council Election Candidates”: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/environmental-questionnaire-to-banyule-council-election-candidates .
We urge Climate Action Groups around Australia to make use of this resource and follow the example of the Yarra Valley Climate Action Group in the Interests of an Informed Citizenry, Democracy, Australia and the Planet.
DRAFT LOCAL-GLOBAL CLIMATE ISSUES QUESTIONNAIRE FOR ELECTION CANDIDATES
The questions can all be answered very succinctly on the sheets provided and will be “scored” from the environment conservation perspective of these community organizations (questions 1-20 are each of equal value and the subordinate parts of questions are each of equal value). Any question or sub-question not answered will score 0. The final “score” will be reported publicly to local media as a percentage, with 100% as the maximum possible pro-environment score. Copies of Answers will be made available to local media.
The survey is in 2 parts - Section A, dealing with local environmental issues and Section B, dealing with state, national and global environmental issues. An Overall Score will be given as well as scores for Section A and Section B..
This survey has an additional important community education function. Details and documentation of Climate Change-related statistics in this questionnaire can be found in the Climate Emergency Fact Sheets and other informative documents provided as a public service by the Yarra Valley Climate Action Group (YVCAG: http://sites.google.com/site/yarravalleyclimateactiongroup/Home ) and the national umbrella organization Climate Emergency Network (CEN: http://www.climateemergencynetwork.org/ ) to which the Yarra Valley Climate Action Group and many other Australian Climate Action Groups belong.
Section A – Local Environmental Issues
1. On a scale of 1 - 10 - How seriously would you rate Climate Change (1 being “sceptical” and 10 being “biggest challenge of our lifetime”)?
2. Name not-for-profit, professional, sporting and other groups, including local groups, of which you are a member.
3. Name the environment groups of which are you a member.
4. List actions you support to achieve Banyule Council's greenhouse gas reduction target.
5. List other environmental initiatives you think Banyule Council should pursue in relation to water, energy, conservation, open space, pollution etc.
6. List public transport options you think Banyule Council should undertake or support (e.g. in relation to through traffic, noise, pollution, rail services, protection of open space).
7. List transport services you think Banyule Council should provide to pensioners, students, and those unable to afford a car.
8. What do you think of:
(a) commercial/ advertising signs in areas of public open space?
(b) dogs off leash in open space?
(c ) selling existing assets to fund new developments?
(d) protection of local native flora and fauna?
(e) expansion of local public open space?
9. Noting that our region rates very highly in Australian urban liveability and environmental comparisons, where do you stand on the proposals for a new freeway link through:
(a) Banyule?
(b) Nillumbik?
10. Do you approve of Local Government:
(a) use of existing Public Open Space for new community facilities?
(b) purchase of land to increase Public Open Space?
Section B – State, National and Global Environment Issues
11. Top US climate scientist Dr James Hansen and colleagues at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies say that we have reached a tipping point for massive environmental damage (e.g. possible complete loss of Arctic summer sea ice within several years) and state that we must reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration from the present circa 390 parts per million (ppm) to a safe and sustainable level of no more than 350 ppm. Do you support (Yes/No):
(a) Dr Hansen’s “negative CO2 emissions” policy?
(b) Zero emissions?
(c) 60% reduction on 2000 emissions by 2050?
(d) 90% reduction on 2000 emissions by 2050?
(e) no reduction targets?
12. Top world coral scientists are concerned about current coral die off and say that world coral will die from elevated ocean temperature and acidity above 450 ppm atmospheric CO2 concentration. Top UK climate scientist Dr James Lovelock FRS says that above 500 ppm CO2 the ocean algae perish (with massive food chain die off in the oceans and runaway climate change) and the Greenland ice sheet goes (with sea level rises of 7 metres if only the Greenland ice sheet melts). Do you support (Yes/No):
(a) Dr Hansen’s target of less than 350 ppm?
(b) 450 ppm?
(c) 500 ppm?
(d) 550 ppm?
(e) no set targets?
13. Nobel Prize winner and former US Vice President Al Gore has recently called for 100% renewable energy within 10 years: “Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years”. Do you support (for Australia) (Yes/No):
(a) 100% renewable energy within 10 years?
(b) 90% renewable by 2025 (New Zealand policy)?
(c) 50% renewable by 2020 (policy of Cape Verde in Africa)?
(d) 20% renewable by 2020?
(e) no set targets?
14. Top climate scientist Dr James Hansen says “we face a climate emergency”.
Australian Medicine and Physiology Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty says “we are in real danger”. Top Australian medical scientist and Victorian Governor Professor David de Kretser AC says “There is no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest problem confronting mankind at this time and that it has reached the level of a state of emergency”. Do you think (Yes/No) that:
(a) we face a climate emergency?
(b) we are in real danger?
(c) there is a state of emergency?
(d) we do not have to worry?
(e) we face global cooling?
15. The Australian Climate Emergency Network (CEN; an umbrella organization for numerous Australian local Climate Action Groups e.g. the Yarra Valley Climate Action Group) has set out a number of basic understandings that are enunciated in the quotations below. Do you agree (Yes/No) with the following:
(a) “our Earth is already too hot”?
(b) “the danger is now, and accelerating”?
(c ) “current targets in relation to carbon emissions are dangerously inadequate and will expose our world to unacceptable risks”?
(d) “the window of opportunity for effective action is rapidly closing”?
(e) “we need to move at a pace far beyond business and politics as usual”?
16. The Climate Emergency Network (CEN) has stated some core values set out in quotations below. Do you think (Yes/No) that:
(a) “we have no right to bargain away the lives of others”?
(b) “our goal is a safe climate future for all people”?
(c) “our goal is a safe climate future for all species”?
(d) death of the Great Barrier Reef is acceptable?
(e) Do you think that mass species extinctions are acceptable in the interests of a strong economy?
17. The Climate Emergency Network (CEN) has stated some core objectives as set out in quotations below. Do you think (Yes/No) that:
(a) “The Global Community must concurrently halt man-made greenhouse gas emissions”?
(b) “The Global Community must concurrently remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere”?
(c) “The Global Community must concurrently actively cool the Earth?
(d) “Large scale transformation of the economy to a post-carbon society” [is needed]?
(e) “Governments must recognise and declare a Climate and Sustainability State of Emergency”?
18. About 200,000 people die each year world-wide from the effects of pollutants from coal burning-based power generation. About 30,000 Australians (7 million people globally) die each year from various carbon-burning processes (notably from vehicle accidents, smoking and pollution from carbon fuel-based power generation, transport and heating). Do you think (Yes/No) that:
(a) clean energy should rapidly replace coal-based power?
(b) that pollution deaths are an unacceptable social burden?
(c) that societally-imposed pollution deaths are unacceptable?
(d) that self-imposed pollution deaths (e.g. from smoking and car exhausts) are acceptable?
(e) that it is up to individuals to avoid pollution sources?
19. Fossil fuel burning and global warming (perhaps 3-6 degrees C this century according to top climate scientists) have an extremely deleterious impact on older Australians (they are at greater risk from heat waves and will be differentially impacted by economic losses from the inability of a carbon-based economy to provide environmentally safe GDP growth required to “grow” superannuation funds and pensions). Do you agree (Yes/No) that:
(a) renewable energy can provided environmentally safe GDP growth?
(b) fossil fuel-based energy provision is unable to provide safe GDP growth?
(c) we should leave the Planet better than we found it?
(d) we must avoid climate change putting older citizens at risk?
(e) we should do what is economically best for us and leave later generations to face up to changed conditions?
20. Major sources of Australian domestic and exported greenhouse gas pollution (mostly carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and methane) include agriculture, livestock, forestry, land use, transport and Australia’s world-leading coal exports (43% of total). Will you personally demand of Local, State and Federal Governments (Yes/No) that there should be:
(a) an urgent shift to renewable energy-based power and public transport?
(b) urgent protection of old growth forests (recently shown to be 3 times more effective in CO2 trapping than hitherto thought);
(c) urgent protection of coral (worth $7 billion per annum and 63,000 full-time jobs in Australia; worth $375 billion pa globally)?
(d) urgent protection of the environment (the economic benefit from protection of the environment has been expertly estimated at over 100 times the cost of protection)?
(e) an urgent shift to local heat and power co-generation (combined heat and power, CHP, as increasingly being taken up in the UK, US and Europe)?
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