It's power to the people on climate change action

Canberra Times
Wednesday 29/7/2009 Page: 11

With government inaction, citizens will have to take the lead, Mark Diesendorf writes
Global climate change is accelerating. By failing to implement effective policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions, federal and state governments of both major parties have abrogated their responsibilities to the Australian people. This article snakes the case for citizen climate action. It also discusses the potential strategies and tactics of the climate action movement.

During the reign of the previous Coalition federal government, whistleblowers revealed how greenhouse and energy policies were actually written by the big greenhouse polluters, the so-called "Greenhouse Mafia". That government actually helped these vested interests to spread the myths and fallacies used to undermine effective action. Under Rudd Labor, the symbolism improved with the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the rhetoric changed to one of apparent concern. But the outcomes remain much the same as under Howard. For instance, after 18 months in office, almost all of Labor's election promises to expand renewable energy are still awaiting implementation. Two of these promises have been broken.

Furthermore, Labor's misnamed carbon pollution reduction scheme appears to be designed to lock in and expand greenhouse pollution from coal, oil, aluminium, steel, cement, forestry and agriculture. Instead of making the polluters pay, it would make households and small businesses pay for billions of dollars' worth of free emission permits for the biggest polluters. Meanwhile, medium-scale polluters would be able to offset their emissions by purchasing cheap credits of dubious greenhouse credentials overseas. There is no guarantee that the scheme would reduce Australia's emissions by a single megatonne.

While more billions of dollars are poured into carbon capture and sequestration, which will take 15-20 years to become commercial, several states are planning to build new dirty coal-fired power stations and coal mines. The principal hope for stopping this lemming-like rush to the cliff are the hundreds of community groups springing tip around the country and pushing for climate action.

They are a diverse bunch of bright flowers in the desert of dull government inaction: grassroots local groups dedicated entirely to local action; the climate divisions of large environmental and social justice non-government organisations; and professional, business, trade union, service and faith groups. They present a convincing case that we already have most of the necessary technologies and proposed strategies for making a just transition to a greenhouse-friendly economy. We just have to act.

The climate action movement is developing, testing and beginning to implement a wide range of nonviolent tactics that go far beyond street marches. These span educational activities, media, lobbying, building coalitions and alliances, legal actions, building alternative energy systems, sit-ins, and pickets. Additional possible actions include boycotts, naming and shaming, shareholder actions and coordinated withdrawals of deposits from financial institutions that are funding greenhouse intensive developments.

The movement is challenging a very wealthy and politically powerful force that has most federal and state governments and even a few journalists in its pocket. The Greenhouse Mafia make large political donations to both major parties and frequently threaten governments with blackouts and the transfer of major projects to overseas locations. At first sight it might appear that the citizens of Australia are facing a hopeless challenge.

Deeper thought reveals that the movement has at least three strategic advantages that it has not yet developed to full potential. Firstly, it already has mach greater numbers than the Greenhouse Mafia and its front groups. These increasing numbers will be able to exert substantial countervailing political pressure against the lobbying and misinformation of vested interests as the climate action movement becomes more organised.

Secondly, the movement has a wide diversity of groups and so can communicate directly with most of society, from farmers to workers to professionals. Thirdly, the movement has integrity, because it is working for the good of all humankind instead of for the profits of a few very wealthy corporations and individuals. Its recommendations are based on the best available science, instead of the pseudo-science trotted out by deniers. It adopts the ethical principles of a just transition to a better future for the disadvantaged.

Thus it has firm foundations for further growth. I have no doubt that the climate action movement will assist its to make the long-overdue transition to an ecologically sustainable and socially just society. But, whether it can do this in time to avoid irreversible changes to Earth's climate is still an open question.

Dr Diesendorf is deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales. This article is based on his new book Climate Action: A campaign manual for greenhouse solutions.