People are beginning to realise that climate change is a serious issue which, without a ‘magic technological bullet’, can only be solved by political actions.
However the issue is of such magnitude that I think it is beyond the capabilities of our current political parties.

People with concerns for environment/climate change range over the whole political spectrum. i.e.’ you don’t have to be left to be green’
Because political parties have environment/climate change as just one policy in their raft of policies, a voter must accept possibly unacceptable policies along with a chosen climate change policy, something they are loath to do. As an example, the Greens may have a climate change policy acceptable to the mainstream voter but their other policies appear to far left progressive for about 90% of the electorate.

This means that the environmental/climate change vote has been and is fragmented. This lack of a unified vote has meant, over the years, that the environment has suffered through lack of representation

Our political system described above has sort of worked to decide political issues but this climate change issue is different. It is much more important than issues of the past and cannot be left to the politicians to sort out, to trade with their own interest groups, to use as their ‘loss-leader’at election time …. playing politics as normal.

We must have a unified vote to force the issue.

What the environment and climate change needs is a political party dedicated to it alone, attracting support across the whole political spectrum.
Such a party would not have to run the country but would need to have the critical mass to force the climate change issue beholden only to the environment.
Without such parties we will waste precious years, courtesy of the current parties, with point scoring, flawed emission trading schemes or low and ineffective carbon taxes and lack of funding for the very sector that will solve the problem of climate change, the sciences.

You are right about the point scoring game
now it seems that the labor party is and greens are comming together

Well no wonder i created The Australian Peoples Party
www.tapp.org.au

Climate change is a global issue and the belief that any political organisation in Australia will some how fix it is fanciful. Climate change caused by human activity, if it really will occur to the extent the IPCC would have us believe, can only be addressed on a global scale. In particular, it needs the combined efforts of all countries, especially the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases EU, North Asia, USA, &c. It might make Australians feel good by dotting wind farms all over the countryside and taxing carbon, but without a global effort, our climate will keep getting warmer and drier anyway (again if you credit the IPCC). I reckon if everyone went out and did something like plant trees (I planted 6 out in the street last night), and spent less time waffling on these forums we might get somewhere.

Robg

You are not the only poster on this site, "waffling" on who is doing something for the environment.

Goeff - I believe you are correct. The major political parties do not intend reducing anthropogenic CO2.

I believe we should give the vote to the Greens, come election time.

Whilst I have not voted for Greens in the past, I believe it is the only option available. This may give the Greens the balance of power in the upper houses where they are able to hinder the major parties from creating more environmental degradation.

One matter for concern though, is who the Greens will give their preferential votes to? I believe they could do quite well in future elections by not giving that vote to either of the major parties.

However, it is virtually impossible for the Greens to hold government, therefore, we have nothing to lose and perhaps a lot more to gain.

In addition, the Greens are the only party which have endeavoured to research and understand the devastating impacts of atmospheric pollution on human health and the planet.

So what you are going to do is give your vote to the greens.

Well that is a shame since the greens are now in bed with labor so infact you are voting labor.

www.tapp.org.au

For those that are considering giving their vote to the Greens.

I suggest you google up their website and check their policies.

they have some quite fancifull policies. Last time i looked they had things like decriminalizing of drugs, lower age of consent to 14 and no one need work unless one wants to.

Check it out and see if you agree then.