Friday, 1 September 2006

Setting an example on climate change

Bega District News
25/08/2006 Page: 4

PEOPLE in the Bega Valley Shire are taking climate change very seriously indeed if the feeling at Monday night's meeting in Bega was anything to go by.

There was not a person in the packed RSL auditorium who was not in favour of the resolution that the shire meet a target of a reduction in energy use by 50 per cent and a generation of 50 per cent clean renewable energy by the year 2020.

Only one person wanted an amendment and that was to include the fact the Bega Valley Shire had been proclaimed a nuclear free shire, but that wasn't added.

However any mention of nuclear power was booed.

Having passed the resolution it will now be up to the working group to set up a practical way that the targets can be achieved.

Everybody knows that he or she can do something to help, even if only switching off lights, having shorter showers, walking not driving everywhere, driving slowly, having solar hot water fitted, buying energy saving devices, and using fluorescent lighting, etc.

The target group will have to look at the big picture, the really big picture, such as biodiesel or biogas plants, wind farms and an extension of solar energy to provide electricity for every appliance.

It's going to take a lot of research and work but as strategies are revealed more and more people will join in and work toward the targets.

It was mentioned on Monday night that Bega Valley Shire could influence other shires and it appears that has happened with Eurobodalla Shire now following our lead.

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