Hot Planet - Cool Party!

A political quiz for the pundits…

Are the buzzers ready?

Fantastic prizes to be won:

You can win - a cool planet!

- survival of the species!

- no mass extinction!

Question One:

Which party scored top in climate change policy in mid-2007, as judged by the Vote Climate website?

Question Two:

Which party aims for a 60% emissions reduction by 2020, and a 90% emissions reduction by 2030?

Question Three:

Who says we must:

• Ratify the Kyoto Treaty

Kyoto Protocol participation map 2005

• Set up a further international treaty to meet a global target of 90% emissions reduction by 2030?

• Prioritise cutting rich nations’ emissions?

Question Four:

Who wants to:

• start the transition to a zero-waste economy now?

• Establish an industrial energy auditing department recommending laws to end energy waste, including improving or banning wasteful consumer products?

Question Five:

Who advocates setting a minimum 10-star energy efficiency rating for all new buildings?

And who would require the fitting of all feasible energy efficiency measures to existing houses over time, subsidising owner-occupiers for the costs?

What’s that? Sorry, I missed your answer … you said “Tweedledum”? Or did you say

“Tweedledummer”?

Just as well, madam; that was entirely incorrect…on to question 6:

• Who wants to bring all power industries under public ownership and democratic control?

• …and who wants to begin phasing out coal mining and power immediately?

• ...and who thinks we need a change plan for coalmining and power-station communities, with new sustainable industries built in their areas?

Question 7: Who thinks we should put the car industry under public control, and then refit it for making wind turbines, public transport vehicles, solar hot water, solar thermal and photo-voltaic cells….

and for converting cars to electric power?

Who advocates the immediate construction of wind farms in suitable areas?

… along with funding research into renewables like wind, geothermal, solar thermal, waste biomass, wave and tidal generation…

…to create a power grid with distributed, diversified electricity generation for stability and efficiency?

What’s that? The Dems? The Greens? No, my friend… but we’ll give you another try – three more questions - there’s quite a lot at stake!

Question 8: Who will push for the end of industrial farming based on fossil fuel fertilisers, pesticides, and fuels?

And who wants to restrict farming areas to make sure that rivers, forests and indigenous ecosystems return to health?

And who understands that farmers have to be helped to transfer to organic practices, that city dwellers need to begin urban farming, and all this done carefully to guarantee food and job security?

And which research team was it that finally put paid to the climate sceptics with this groundbreaking evidence?

Question 9: Who calls for a halt to logging old-growth forests, and for the start of an urgent program of reforestation in the face of climate change?

And now for the final question, number 10: Who wishes to make all urban and regional public transport free, and to upgrade the network so people use it for all regular commuting?

• … who wants to move as much freight as possible to a newly-electrified national rail system?

• .. and to require public transport and freight to run on electric motors or biofuels from waste, where possible?

… and lastly, who wants to encourage bicycle use through more cycleways, and cheap bicycle rental networks, as in some European cities?

Yes! Well done! You guessed it!

It is, indeed, the Socialist Alliance!

• You have won a free trip to Species Survival Land!

• Just go via this website, and you’ll get there…..• http://www.socialist-alliance.org/

…while you’re travelling, you can read their whole Climate Change Charter at:

http://www.socialist-alliance.org/resources/SA_climate_change_charter.pdf

Thanks for playing – we knew you’d do it!

… and don’t forget – please vote 1 Socialist Alliance in these elections -

There is a world to win!

Play your part in Being Cool – please pass on to 5 friends…

Authorised by Dick. Nichols, 23 Abercrombie St, Chippendale, NSW 2008.