Jennifer Alden says that despite years of warnings from the Greens, environmental groups, scientists and many farmers, the old political parties have failed to act decisively on climate change.

“The rural community is bearing the most direct impact of our changing climate”, said Jennifer Alden. “And experts are now re-doing their sums, as it seems possible that temperature and rainfall changes may be happening faster than originally predicted by CSIRO scientists.”

“The Greens have been pushing for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a transition to renewable energy for years,” said Jennifer Alden. “But even as our water resources come under stress because of climate change, the Bracks Government has extended the life of
Hazelwood, Australia's most polluting power plant, for another 25 years.”

“The Liberals were climate change sceptics until a couple of weeks ago - and they still want to scrap the Victorian Renewable Energy Target," said Jennifer Alden. “It’s clear the Liberal Party doesn’t care about climate change and the hardships being endured by farmers and rural communities.”

“The Nationals also want to burn more brown coal – and hold off on building renewable energy sources,” said Jennifer Alden “This is no way to deal with climate change and its potential to impoverish us and make life a living hell for our children and grandchildren. The Greens are the only party ready to seriously address climate change.”

In State Parliament after November 25, the Greens will work to:
- reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2015 and 80 per cent by 2050,
- tighten the 5-star housing standard,
- introduce a carbon levy to fund new efficiency and renewable energy projects,
- shut down Hazelwood, our worst polluting power plant, by 2015, and phase out brown coal altogether in the longer term,

For more information and comment, please contact:
Jennifer Alden on (mob) 0427 430 233
email: jenniferalden@vic.greens.org.au,
or
Dave Lane on (mob) 0419 156 213

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