With World Environment Day (June 5th) fast approaching it's a good time to check out how the Australian Sex Party proposes to tackle climate change and address environmental concerns.
Clean Energy
Firstly and perhaps most importantly, the Australian Sex Party believes climate change and environmental pollution poses an immediate threat to humanity and it will advocate for action. The Sex Party are pushing for a shift in focus towards renewable energy and alternative energy sources to burning coal.
The Australian Sex Party will:
Subsidise the development of renewable energy industries, including established industries such as wind and solar.
Push for alternatives to burning coal for base load power.
As Australia transitions from coal energy to renewable energy production, we need a safe and clean alternative for maintaining base load power.
A base-load cannot be economically achieved in the short term through renewable sources such as solar panels and wind turbines. Given Australia’s stable geographic profile and the resources available, nuclear power may be the best source of base-load power during the transition to a more robust renewable energy system. The Australian Sex Party will consider all options for replacing coal burning as Australia's main source of power and advocate for further nuclear investment.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most significant environmental assets. It is one of the most diverse and remarkable ecosystems in the world, supporting an outstanding array of plants and animals.
The widespread bleaching eventoccurring across the Great Barrier Reef is unprecedented in scale and severity. Only 7% of the coral reefs across the Great Barrier Reef have completely avoided bleaching.
The level of bleaching of the coral reefs is catastrophic in the northern sector. Along the length of the Great Barrier Reef from north to south, there is a gradient of decreasing severity, from very severe to no sign of bleaching.
The Australian Sex Party will protect the Great Barrier Reef by:
Committing $250 million of Federal Funding over 5 years to address Sediments, fertiliser and pesticides from farming flowing into the Reef’s water. This includes significant subsidies to cane growers and other farmers to introduce countermeasures such as preformed beds.
Banning all offshore dumping of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef and its surrounding area. On-shore dredging to be allowed only after thorough environmental impact studies conducted.
The Australian Sex Party’s commitment to stop burning coal in an effort to reduce climate change and local environmental impacts will assist the protection of the Great Barrier Reef.
Australia needs to end its reliance on fossil fuels. The Australian Sex Party accepts that this can’t happen immediately, and that interim energy supplies are needed. If unconventional gas continues to be used, it should be seen as a short-term solution only, using industry best-practice, following environmental reports and should not include hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Hydraulic fracturing poses an unacceptable risk to Australian farming.
The Australian Sex Party will prohibit the future use of hydraulic fracturing and ensure that environmental damage associated with future unconventional gas projects is minimised.
World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nations’ most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.
Each WED is organized around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. WED 2016 is themed on the illegal trade in wildlife under the slogan ‘Go Wild for Life'.
