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A Statement By Peter Gardner A "Climate Emergency" Independent Candidate In The Seat Of Gippsland

"Human induced global warming is being felt now in the form of more extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, storms and related events such as bushfires.

By Peter Gardner - 9th August 2013 - Back to News

The changes are being driven by burning fossil fuels that took millions of years to form. In burning carbon combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide(CO2) – a powerful greenhouse gas that lasts in the atmosphere for many years. Scientists have established a close correlation between levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the earth’s average temperature. This year carbon dioxide topped 400 parts per million in the atmosphere up from 280 ppm before the start of the industrial revolution. When CO2 levels were that high previously the earth’s average temperature was 2-3 degrees Celsius warmer and sea levels were 23 metres higher.

In the face of established science the major political parties appear hell bent on developing coal and coal seam gas(CSG) in Gippsland. Is the constituency of the National party big business and obscenely wealthy miners or is it farmers, workers and country residents? In the last week the Liberal/National government of Victoria has narrowed the tenders for a massive development of brown coal at the same time as doing their best to discourage renewable energy. A Federal Liberal National government appears poised to abolish the Climate Commission, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Clean Energy Council. The new Esso gas conditioning plant at Longford will emit one million tonnes of CO2 straight into the atmosphere every year with no environmental offsets. The Federal member for Gippsland Darren Chester is in favour of CSG as it will bring jobs – so of course did asbestos mining, or does growing opium poppies for heroin. In fact the burning of fossil fuels is far more threatening to us all. And the transformation to renewable energy – such as by a massive Snowy Mountains scheme – will provide far employment than all the mining projects put together.

If you are worried by the antagonism of the Liberal Nationals to renewable energy or the mindless development of coal and coal seam gas by the major parties or suspect that climate change is far worse than either the media or the politicians tell you send a message to both Labour and the Nationals in Gippsland by voting 1 Peter Gardner."

Peter

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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