Huffington Post - Cam Klose & Charlie Wood, 350.org Australia
Australia's
fossil fuel industry has suffered vast losses in public and corporate
support, its destructive activities rightfully condemned by the
community. Yet, despite this, the Federal Government - the same one that
has repeatedly called for an end to the 'age of entitlement' -
continues to prop up this polluting and, increasingly, economically
unviable industry.
With the Federal Budget due to be released on Tuesday and the
election set for July, the coming weeks will shed some light on the
positions of both major parties in regards to the fossil fuel industry,
and whether they are willing to break free from its dirty and corrupting
influence.
Unfortunately, the signs are not looking great.
We know that
mining for coal, oil and gas across Australia is destroying local
communities, particularly indigenous communities.
Australians from the Hunter Valley, the Pilliga, the Darling Downs
and along the Reef Coast in Queensland have seen the country they love
dug up, poisoned, and left tarnished by the ugliness of such industries.
All the while compromising the health of residents, before being
abandoned once the resources are gone.
Once a small
but vocal minority of people speaking out against mining corporations,
the actions of these communities have now become a veritable and diverse
movement of people. They are united by their anger and frustration at
the injustice brought upon them by the fossil fuel industry with their
Government's complicity.
People are
rightly asking: why are governments putting the destructive fossil fuel
sector above communities? And they are pressing on the big question:
why, when we know what climate devastation fossil fuels bring, are will
still digging them up, exporting them, and burning them at record
levels?
Currently, it
seems that neither of the major political parties have the backbone to
stand up to an industry that flows rivers of gold into their coffers.
And therein lies the problem.
Next week the Government will hand down its third budget, crucial in the context of the upcoming election.
Budgets are
often portrayed as mere fiscal documents that outline the health of an
economy by reporting on revenue and spending, which distills into the
ever-pursued surplus or the loathsome deficit. In reality however,
budgets are political manifestos that embody the ideologies, values and
priorities of a government, indicated by how funds are accrued and
allocated.
As a signatory
to the recent Paris Accord, the Australian Government has a
responsibility to take meaningful action on climate change. We are
currently run by a Government of mainly-white-men Government, who are
pretending climate change doesn't exist and have no vision. Leaving us
adrift without a meaningful climate policy and no vision to tackle the
greatest challenge of our generation.
The Government
currently spends billions of public dollars every year subsidising
fossil fuel mining in Australia. It is confounding to consider that so
much taxpayers' money is handed over to multinational corporations so
they may further pollute our environment.
In this
profoundly undemocratic arrangement, public money paid in subsidies
directly funds the destruction of communities, farmland and scarce water
supplies. Meanwhile, polling shows that the majority of Australians
want this fossil fuel gravy train halted and for the country to
transition to a completely renewable energy future.
Right now, there is unprecedented energy and desire among the community to put a stop to the folly of the Government.
Next weekend,
thousands of Australians will risk arrest and fines by peacefully
protesting at the world's largest coal port in Newcastle as part of Break Free From Fossil Fuels, the largest ever global movement of actions to shut down the world's most dangerous fossil fuel projects.
By putting
their bodies on the line to stop the export of dangerous coal, these
brave community members hailing from all walks of life will demonstrate
to our Government that they want to see an end to fossil fuels and a
transition to a clean energy future. Farmers, grandparents, pacific
islanders, faith leaders, business people and politicians will stand
side by side to create a strong, united voice to deliver this message.
Australia is
proving to be an embarrassment and a laggard in the global fight against
climate. As our governments continue to pander to their small coterie
of fossil fuel donors facilitate them to extract coal, oil and gas to
export, the rest of the world is moving away from the dirty energy of
centuries passed: aware that the only way to avoid dangerous global
warming is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
In the face of
such enormous challenges, the sad truth is that we cannot look to our
political leaders for guidance on this issue; the influence of fossil
fuel lobby groups over both parties is too strong.
The Coalition
will continue to prop up the dying industry with subsidies, wedded to
the dirty donations. Meanwhile, the ALP does not provide a viable
alternative as it, too, is too compromised to take the necessary action
to keep fossil fuels in the ground. The climate policy released by Labor
this week kind of ignores the biggest contributing activity to climate
change: the extraction, export and combustion of fossil fuels.
On closer
inspection, however, we can find leadership on climate change all around
us. We can look to the leadership of the traditional owners suing
multinational mining corporation Adani for breach of native title. We
can look to the leadership of Victorian town of Yackandandah, which has
pledged to transition to a 100% renewable energy source, or to that of
the 20 Australian local councils that have sworn off fossil fuels.
While we may
not be able to rely on our Government, we can take heart from these
inspiring grassroots actions. Australians are participating in a global
movement that is gaining momentum: that of ordinary people taking a
stand against powerful corporations and government corruption to demand
that our land, resources and communities be protected from harmful
climate change.
As in all
struggles for justice, activists must force the reluctant ruling class
to respond, as power and profit are never given up freely.
The May budget
might not be cause to celebrate, but the real power is bubbling beneath
the surface, and the voice of the people is only becoming stronger.
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