Global warming online action in Australia

The local twist on Avaaz.org's campaign for government action on global warming is from Australian online campaigning group GetUp! Australia. They've also been running an online campaign to get global warming action on the Australian government's agenda.

Their latest tack is to get people to write to their federal Australian Labor Party MPs and Senators to pressure the ALP to take adopt policies that seriously tackle global warming. This is timely, as Kevin Rudd is convening a National Climate Change Summit in Canberra this Saturday. GetUp says:

The next government of Australia can and must take immediate, practical steps to reverse global warming. That's why GetUp's Five Point Action Agenda calls on the next Federal Parliament of Australia to:

1) Ratify Kyoto and commit to 30 % reduction of greenhouse gases emissions by 2020
2) Introduce an emissions trading scheme with significant caps on carbon emissions
3) Lead a green energy revolution to slash our vast amounts of energy waste
4) Make renewable energy law, with a 12% legislated electricity target from renewable energy by 2012
5) Invest in a public transport system fit for the 21st century

The ALP is also gearing up for its National Conference – its main internal policy forum – in the lead up to the federal election this year.

Also good timing because Nicholas Sterne, is in Australia, and will meet Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd and PM John Howard. Sterne, author of the report, The Sterne Review, on the impact of global warming on the world economy, warned there would be a massive bill unless urgent action is taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions. According to ABC News Online,

He will be urging the Federal Government and the Opposition to take the lead in setting targets to cut emissions and put a price on carbon.

His report … also recommends countries like Australia convert to solar and wind energy now and push ahead with new technologies to tackle global warming.

You can write your ALP representative via the GetUp campaign website.