This year, CAFNEC celebrates 30 years as the peak regional non-government environment organisation for Far North Queensland. We were established in 1981 by concerned local and regional community members with an interest in nature conservation and environmental protection. We should all feel very proud of the incredible achievements the organisation over this time which have only been possible due to the tireless efforts of past and current CAFNEC members, supporters, staff, management committee members and volunteers.
The Cairns and Far North Environment Centre together with the leading national and state environment groups have come together to make it clear we do not support the Federal Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) in its current form.
We’re concerned the level of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere are already above safe levels, and the CPRS will not effectively reduce carbon pollution.
We’ve put together a Plan B of measures that could be enacted in the next two years and would set Australian up to meet the vital target of halving our greenhouse pollution over the coming decade.
The environment groups behind Plan B, with a combined membership of more than 400,000 Australians, call on the Rudd Government to abandon the fundamentally flawed CPRS and commit Australia to this new approach to tackle climate change.
Plan B outlines five priority areas where we could achieve significant pollution reduction in the next few years and make deep cuts in emissions over the next decade.
1) Prioritise saving energy
2) Fast-track the switch to a renewable energy economy
3) Drive the shift to low emissions vehicles and sustainable cities
4) Protect our forests and woodland as a carbon store and make agriculture a part of the solution
5) Grow the green job economy
The Plan B agenda will provide tens of thousands of green jobs based on saving energy; enable a fast transition away from coal and towards renewable energy; and protect precious forests and establish carbon sinks.