Our vision for a
carbon neutral future
Because the world and Australia have been so slow in acting on climate
change we now live in desperate times, where there is a need for bold
action, especially by higher income countries, if we are to avert catastro-
phe. Is there room for hope?
Ross Garnaut in his book ‘Super-power; Australia’s low-carbon oppor-
tunity’ says he is often asked this question.
‘People who look on and despair at past and present failures of action
ask how I manage to carry on trying to improve the outcomes or at least
the chances of a less damaging outcome. I reply that there is still a
chance of avoiding disastrous outcomes… there is still a path to a man-
ageable outcome. And I see no good purpose in acceding to despair
while the path to a manageable outcome remains open to us’ p. 167-8.
In the rest of the book Ross Garnaut puts together a path forward for
Australia which not only enables us to do our fair share with regard to
moving toward a carbon neutral future, but is a path which uses our ex-
traordinary renewable energy resources to build a stronger, more sus-
tainable economy integrated with a stronger ecology. ‘But move forward
we will …. as the saving grace of community concern demonstrates its
tenacity and influence in our own and many other political systems.’
p. 57
It is because community concern is crucial to effective action on climate
change, that for the Holy Cross/St Margaret’s Carbon Action Project,
community is at the centre. The power of diabolical interests will not be
thwarted by individuals, but by communities acting together.
In the Carbon Action Project, we are working together as two church
communities, by pooling our time, resources and knowledge to move to
carbon neutrality as soon as we can and in the most effective way possi-
ble.
Everyone in our two communities has a contribution to make to this
work. Some have rich monetary resources, and those with high incomes
will be expected to make a disproportionate contribution from their in-
come to climate change action. Some have wisdom and knowledge
which we would like shared among the community, so that our response
can be effective and efficient. Many of the older people in our communi-
ty have a lifetime of experience in using limited resources in the most ef-
Carbon Action Project
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1 March 2020