When you walk, politicians listen! Last year’s successful Walk Against Warming helped put climate change on the election agenda.

Join the Walk Against Warming this weekend

Following Rudd’s election win in 2007, 86% of Australians said they want new government policies that will shrink Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions (1).

But those new policies haven’t happened and our greenhouse emissions are still way too high. Instead, Mr Rudd is backing weak policies that compensate big polluters.

So, let’s pound the streets again this weekend and ask Mr Rudd to live up to his election promise. We want the government to commit to cutting emissions now!

Here’s a good policy for starters, Mr Rudd

Ever heard of a feed-in tariff? A feed-in tariff is money paid to you for generating your own renewable energy. For example, if you put solar panels on your roof, a smart government pays you for the electricity you make. (In the US, they’re known as renewable energy payments.) A well-designed feed-in tariff policy pays off your solar panels in a few years and encourages growth in renewable energy.

The Germany government has smart feed-in tariffs. As a result, Germans have almost 100 times more solar panels than Australians. It’s helped create a multi-billion dollar industry, employing around 250,000 people.

Australia doesn’t have a national feed-in tariff policy… yet.

Read more on our blog or briefing.

Taking matters into our own hands (or feet)

As Australians prepare to Walk Against Warming this weekend, community climate action groups have also taken matters into their own hands. Independent MP, Tony Windsor, yesterday tabled the Climate Protection Bill, which was initiated by the Coogee Climate Action Group in New South Wales and originally written by 65 climate action groups around Australia. The Bill was inspired by the UK’s community-driven Climate Change Bill (which was driven through Parliament by public support). As Mr Windsor’s Bill is introduced this week, stay tuned for more.