A Pragmatic Climate Change Focus

I always endeavour to bring a pragmatic approach to issues I face. Pragmatic climate solutions, I believe, are far more directly beneficial for our local environment than political solutions.

A Pragmatic Climate Change Focus has been where my energy has been and will continue to be if re-elected in November later this year. 

Things we can control.

 

Political Solutions are the province in my opinion of State & Federal Governments. Local Government is much better placed than the other two to address real issues. To identify and implement solutions that have a real, immediate, and lasting impact.

In other words, Council should, in my opinion, focus their energies on practical measures that will improve our local climate. Measures that will see us achieve our carbon-neutral goals. Our goal of being carbon neutral from our own activities. This, rather than feel-good measures like declaring climate emergencies.

Our monetary investment should likewise focus on solving that which will be beneficial to our local environment. Carbon Zero I understand will require us to consider purchasing carbon credits.

Because carbon credits help environments other than our own, I believe they should be utilised only after we have done all we can to eliminate or mitigate climate change concerns closer to home.

Addressing climate change will require us to identify the risks associated with the planning and reporting of all Council initiatives. Strategies, projects, developments etc. It will require us to quantify the emissions that our activities create and to track them so that we can identify how close to zero carbon we might be at any given time.

 

A pragmatic climate change focus requires Council to work on strategies such as the following:

 

• Improving the tree canopy cover of our council area.
• Increasing our greening the verge program.
• Redirecting our kerb side waste collections from landfill and developing a circular economy.
• Working toward entering a 100% renewable electric supply contract.
• Converting our vehicle fleet, both light and heavy, with electric vehicles.
• Completing the installation of solar to ALL council buildings, including the adoption of batteries.

My goal is to continue the work already commenced in these areas and ensure they are achieved in a timely manner.

Look out for future blog posts as I address each of the strategies identified above.

This article was written & authorised by Don Palmer. 19 Kelvin Avenue, Clarence Park.