Those who know anything about Australia will despair at the current government's climate change and post-carbon society policies - in fact it has none of the latter as argued forcefully today by Ian Dunlop.
I am immensely impressed with the leadership that John Hewson continues to provide in this space both nationally and globally - especially w.r.t to carbon divestment. Those organisations joining this global movement are to be commended as they embody what is both systemically desirable and morally responsible. The following letter from John via GetUp summarises the arguments:
Dear Ray
Yesterday, there was some deeply disappointing news concerning our fight for a strong renewable energy powered future.
The renewable energy industry -- brow beaten after years of intense
lobbying from the big 3 dirty power companies and a vicious offensive
from the Coalition, struggling with significant job losses and decline
in investment -- caved and reluctantly accepted a huge cut to the
Renewable Energy Target (RET). They did this to save their industry,
which is under attack. The outcome of this deal would be far from ideal,
but our government wants a fate for the industry that is even worse.
The death of the renewables industry, and the (short term) rise of the
dirty 3: Origin, AGL and Energy Australia.
As a former leader of the Liberal Party I've seen first hand the
undue influence big corporations can have over politicians and public
policy. It's time to shift the balance away from the big energy
companies and their dirty and expensive power habits to Australian
consumers who want cheaper and cleaner power.
The dirty 3 companies are the main reason the Abbott Government is
squibbing on its clear election promise to keep the RET at 41,000GWH. All
three are complete hypocrites. They claim to support renewable energy
while walking the corridors of power, lobbying to undermine it.
And, unlike renewable energy backed companies, they've been getting
away with screwing households on their electricity bills by hitting
customers with almost obscene profit margins as energy retailers too.
We don't need government legislation to break the strangle hold
these big power companies have on our household energy, or our own clean
energy futures. The dirty energy companies might want to protect
their huge investments in coal, gas and coal seam gas, but we can --
right now -- stop them in their tracks.
How?
Join me in sending a powerful message to politicians and the dirty
power companies that Australians want renewable energy and we're
prepared to vote with our feet to get it. Switch your home or
business power, it takes less than 5 minutes and you'll be joining the
greenest power company in Australia: click here to switch now
It's the one thing they will not be counting on, and right now it's
the very best thing that you can do if you support renewable energy, our
clean energy future and the job creation and investment it brings.
Yesterday's outcome is indisputably bad for all of us; for future
investment in large scale renewable energy projects and job creation,
for our clean energy future and for our power prices.
How did we even get to the point where even the industry that fought
so hard for the RET is now accepting a drastically watered down stake
in their own future success? You can point the finger squarely at the
influence big companies like AGL, Energy Australia and Origin have on
public policy, companies with a vested interest in bolstering the status
quo of fossil fuel dominance and who have ensured the Coalition break
their pre-election promise not to cut the Renewable Energy Target. [1]
These companies only really care about one thing - and that's their profits. So let's hit them where it hurts and switch to a company that supports clean energy and is backed by 100 percent renewable power.
Will you join me and thousands of GetUp members switching their energy supplier, and showing your support for clean energy? Click here: it takes just five minutes online to switch off the dirty 3 energy companies.
Sincerely,
John Hewson AM.
PS Want to know more about the campaign or about Powershop? click here to find out more.
[1] "Tony Abbott launching a full frontal attack on the Renewable Energy Industry", Guardian Australia, February 6th 2014
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