Climate Change-Action for Everyone

I spent a day through at Cowra Japanese Garden's having a strategic look at how climate change affects council operations. There were several clear messages coming through and they were that Councils are becoming more liable in claims relating to climate change. That there needs to be a better understanding of the Climate Change Policy and the Carbon permit scheme. There is no longer a Carbon Credit scheme future market in the Emission Trading Regime relating to understanding your footprint and having available permits to off set your Carbon Footprint.
There was plenty to learn and understand and it was a beneficial conference for me to attend. I have a fair understanding of Climate Change but I believe firmly that you can never know enough. It concerned me that Councils are becoming more accountable with regards to the changes occurring from the green house effect.
There was the suggestion also that the 1 in 100 flood plan needs to be reviewed with statistics showing that it could be more a 1 in 17 years flood.

We learnt about the impacts on health an area which I understood fully working in my professional role as a nurse. The implications of population displacement, extreme weather, injury and trauma, mental health, temperature related deaths and increased air pollution causing respiratory problems. We need to be active in encouraging healthy environments and this can be as simple as educating people on hydration in extreme heat conditions. Implementing a stay cool strategy for outdoor employees and stay cool programmes are all relevant in the future of all Australians. Tackling obesity and reduce greenhouse emissions by encouraging and making available bike and walking paths, I believe our Council has been a true advocate in.
There was also a great deal of emphasis on reducing CO2 by ceasing organic waste being placed into land fill. Apparently it doubles up the CO2. An anaerobic composting area was identified as a place where organic waste should go.
There were the key themes relating to reducing gases (mitigation) and climate change (adaptation). I left this conference with a strategy to review our (Orange City Councils) carbon footprint by putting forward a motion

"that Orange City Council initiates a "Greening Our Streets" program by looking into all options for lighting of all streets in Orange, evaluating and feeding back to Council and the sustainability plan".

Amazingly the Councillors who I believed were green voted against this motion with the excuse being that Green Power is to expensive. Some how they lost site of other options such as solar panels or changing globes. Quite extraordinary I thought.

Orange City Council could have been among the first Councils to light all streets utilising a green initiative therefore reducing our ecological footprint and sending a strong message to our community that Council is serious in leading the way to ecological sustainability.
I will continue my pursuit in finding a means to reduce Orange City Councils Carbon Footprint. I believe it is a joint effort between businesses, organisations and individuals and that we should be an advocate working towards sustaining a greener environment for our children's future.

"Everyone deserve the chance to live a healthy lifestyle in a conducive environment!" it's up to us as Councillors to initiate change and lead by example.