'Say Yes' to a price on carbon emissions

Published: 12 August 2011

The Australian union movement has joined other civil society organisations including the Australian Conservation Foundation, the World Wide Fund for Nature and GetUp! to help launch the ‘Say Yes’ campaign to build community support for a price on carbon and a cleaner Australia.

Putting a price on carbon is about recognising that the emissions by big business can no longer be produced for free. It is designed to get our 500 heaviest emitters to choose cleaner ways of making or mining things such as electricity, steel, aluminium, cement, coal and gas.

Because most companies want to avoid paying the price, they’ll look for cleaner, safer ways to do business.

For example, a company building a new multi-billion dollar power station has to choose how it will generate electricity – with coal, gas or clean energy. If the company chooses to use emission-free clean energy it will not have to pay the $23 per tonne emission price.

This gives companies a very strong incentive to clean up and invest in technologies that aren’t emitters of greenhouse gases. It will also attract billions of dollars in clean energy investment.

In a country abundant with sun and wind, these industries have waited years to flourish.

Putting a price on carbon will release billions of dollars that will be used to support low income households, create new jobs in sustainable industries, drive innovation in adaptation and clean energy projects and technologies, and support Australian farmers who want to protect the land for future generations.

The ‘Say Yes’ campaign is about you and your community. It’s about clearly communicating the benefits of putting a price on carbon.

If you think Australia will be better off with less emissions, with more jobs in cleaner industries, with assistance for workers and communities during the transition to a low-emission economy – you can participate by letterboxing your street or local neighbourhood with a letter about the campaign.

 To get involved, email QNU political and community organising coordinator Genevieve Siddle with the amount of letters you need and the area you intend to letterbox.

 Click here for more information on the campaign, including downloadable campaign materials for your workplace.

The carbon price will be good for health The national coalition for health care-based climate policy, the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA), has rejected Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s claim that the carbon price will be bad for health. CAHA Convenor Fiona Armstrong said the health effects of climate change would have a far greater detrimental impact on the health of Australians than the carbon price. "Mr Abbott’s suggestions that the carbon price will affect chemist opening hours and negatively affect health is a spurious connection which does not appear to have any foundation," she said. "It completely ignores the fact that many people with chronic illnesses who are dependent on medications are the most vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves, which are more frequent and more severe from climate change," she said. CAHA urged the Opposition Leader to stop his campaign against the carbon tax for the sake of Australians’ health. "Medical and health professionals around the world are calling for urgent action to reduce emissions to protect and promote public health. Continued delay in reducing emissions puts more lives at risk," said Ms Armstrong. "We urge the Opposition leader to move beyond his destructive tactics in opposing the policy as proposed by the federal government as it represents an important public health measure." "Climate change represents a significant threat to public health, and the adverse health effects from climate change will eclipse every other risk to health if we fail to take effective action to cut emissions," Ms Armstrong said.

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