Climate Change

The Greens and Labor already have great polices. However the Greens consistently believe that the major parties never go far enough, and so never accept any action less than what they advocate.

Our policy is to help those two parties find middle-ground. Plus we will add this:

Reforestation and Re-greening

The Greens vow to end deforestation. That is awesome, but we can do better. We can return parts of Australia to wilderness. It is indisputable that having more plant life lessens climate change. More forest means more rainfall, more carbon absorption, less soil degradation, and less dust storms. And of course more opportunities for our wildlife to prosper.

Interestingly, none of the major parties mention the 20 Million Trees Program. I’m guessing that is because Labor started it and Liberals have been funding it (around $12M). There is no point scoring to be had.

The Australian Government is working with the community to plant 20 million trees by 2020, to re-establish green corridors and urban forests. The Program involved competitive grants, delivered by individuals and organisations, and larger-scale plantings, delivered by service providers.

Such projects involve the community (which is healthy is many ways), and provides employment.

We will find ways to not only end deforestation, but to continually, year on year, increase the wilderness and plant-life (including renewable timber) of Australia.

This also provides the opportunity for a novel concept – a public-public partnership, where government 50% subsidises the purchase of land by the public, for the purpose of re-greening. The public (preferably community organisations or co-ops) gains full ownership and responsibility of the land, as long as they achieve green goals with it. The broader concept is to spend money and keep the economy growing, without buying unnecessary products from overseas. This cannot happen without government subsidy, and has enormous and varied benefits with it.