Another Saturday, another balmy, sunny open boat day in far North Queensland. This week we are in Townsville and with the 400 people who visited the ship today, the total number of people who’ve been on board since we began in Sydney 5 weeks ago climbed to over 5000.
That’s over 5000 people who have heard the message of the Energy [R]evolution Tour directly, and from the questions and feedback we’ve been getting, overwhelmingly agree that Australia needs a shift to renewable energy and away from coal-fired power. Let’s hope those people go back to their homes and communities and send the message loud and clear to the Rudd Government. All it takes is a few lines in an email to Kevin Rudd, Penny Wong, and your federal MP, to let them know the Australian people are watching very closely and want to see strong action on climate change.
The Rudd government will be announcing their climate policy by the end of the year. To take the courageous step of supporting an Energy [R]evolution, Kevin Rudd needs to feel he has a very strong mandate from the Australian people. Knowing that the electorate demands action is the only thing that’s going to give him the confidence to cast aside the vested interests of big business.
That’s why, in this next critical few months, when the path Australia takes in responding to climate change is being decided in Canberra, the people who can really make the difference are you and me. Not by merely changing our lightbulbs, but by putting pressure on our leaders; challenging them to lead the way on climate solutions instead of lagging behind what the public already want. Writing to a politician is a small action to take in defense of the rights of future generations, but the combined effect over the next few months has the potential to make a big difference.
