EcoRadio

Author: admin

  • THE GRUEN AD

     

    The conversation on twitter has exploded – you can join in by following @Greens @GruenHQ @GreensMPs or by using the #GruenNation hashtag.

    Throughout the campaign we’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response to all our TV ads and together with the help of thousands of individuals supporters, making $10, $25 and $100 donations, we’ve raised more than $100,000 to buy additional TV, print and online advertising spots to put them on air.

    As we head into the final week of the campaign, the Greens campaign is gaining momentum as more and more voters respond to the Greens values, our policies and our positive vision for Australia’s future. You can help keep that momentum going by sharing this video with your friends on Facebook and Twitter using the buttons below.

  • GET-UP Help out on Election day

     

    Yes, I can help out for an hour or so on August 21, tell me more!

    We’ll be handing out a simple, no-nonsense issue scorecard, showing where the parties stand on issues like healthcare, education, human rights and reducing carbon pollution.

    The 2007 election put GetUp on the political map – and it was the 8,000 GetUp volunteers on polling booths that made everyone realise what an effective political force we can be. We still hear from politicians who were astounded to see more GetUp volunteers at the booth than the political parties had themselves!

    This is not just about voters – and it’s not just about election day. We need politicians of all stripes to know that when it counts, they’ll be rewarded for their good policies and held to account when they fall short.

    Yes, I can help out for an hour or so on August 21!

    We don’t know who will be elected this year, but one thing is for sure: it will be close. In 2007 many key seats were decided by just a few hundreds votes. Will you make the difference? Sign up to join hundreds of GetUp members on the polling booths in your electorate today.

    Maybe you’re not the kind of person who usually volunteers for these things. But if you’re going to do one more thing to change the election, we think it should be this. You only get one vote on polling day, but together with other local GetUp members, you can influence hundreds.

    Yes, I want to be part of this on Election Day, next Saturday

    See you there,
    Simon and the team at GetUp

     

    With the election just around the corner, here at GetUp we’re sending more emails than usual at the moment. We know you can have too much of a good thing – so if you’d like to receive fewer emails from us over this busy time, click here and we will keep it to one every week or so.
     
    Click here to let us know you want less email.
    GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you’d like to contribute to help fund GetUp’s work, please donate now! If you have trouble with any links in this email, please go directly to www.getup.org.au. To unsubscribe from GetUp, please click here.
    Authorised by Simon Sheikh, Level 5, 116 Kippax St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
     

  • Parity in education

    I just want to highlight that point. The Australian economy has remained slightly positive in terms of GDP since the Global Financial Crisis. The only reason it has been positive, though, is because 450,000 immigrants have arrived in the country each year. In terms of productivity, the gross domestic product per person, the economy has actually declined.

     

    So, while we have been busy digging up the country and selling it off to the lowest bidder, our productivity has continued to slide. We are becoming less efficient, less productive in short we have been moving backwards, not forwards under the Julia Gillard education revolution.

     

    Now, before I get stuck into the ALP for its poor record on education, let me just make it perfectly clear that I am not implying that a coalition government would have been better. The Coalition government has been busy undermining education at all levels since Howard was treasurer under Malcolm Fraser, and is threatening to accelerate the process if it is elected.

     

    As the Teachers Federation so neatly put it in their advertisement, and I thank them for their support, the major parties are offering their teachers half an apple or a lemon.

     

    I am here representing the full granny smith, the shiny green apple, that is The Greens education policy.

     

    In 2007, I attended a range of forums organised by NSW Teachers Federation and listened to Justine Elliot claim that Julia Gillard’s education revolution would give us a fresh new start to equitable education. As the Greens candidate in that election, I expressed concern that the ALP was not going to protect public education, that the ALP planned to continue the “postcode” system of funding private schools, and would continue the erosion of TAFE by funding the construction of business colleges and the promotion of registered training organisations.

     

    At those forums, Justine Elliot was asked a number of times to clarify the ALP position on these items. On each occasion she said, “I am Kevin Rudd’s candidate in Richmond and the fresh new approach Labor will take will deliver an Education Revolution that ensures a new start for all Australians.”

     

    Well here we are ladies and gentlemen, three years later, the Education Revolution is under way and the results speak for themselves. TAFE struggles in all states, the funding for the 141 richest private schools continues to expand by $250 million a year and yet the skill shortage builds alarmingly. The 161 wealthiest private schools in Australia receive $432 million a year from the Gillard government. Some of these schools spend twice as much per student as the public schools do. That is not equitable.

     

    Here in Lismore, the language and literacy department of the TAFE stands empty and the services are being delivered by a private provider. Community assets are being wasted, leased to private companies and education services continue to fall.

     

    Here we are ladies and gentlemen, three years later and a handful of words in the script have changed but the future looks bleaker than the past.

     

    The only way to protect public education, to ensure an investment in building an economy based on innovation and to move Australia onto a stable and robust footing is to Vote Green.

     

    ¨ The Greens want to end the funding of the extremely wealthy private schools and redirect the growth funding of all other non-government schools into public education. By funding all except the very wealthiest non-government schools at their 2003 levels, plus inflation, the Greens aim to create more than 6,800 new teachers in NSW alone.

    ¨ That’s a 13% growth in the number of teachers, allowing smaller class sizes, more attention for each student, more resources for children with special needs and more time and support for teachers to develop their skills.

    ¨ Smaller class sizes plus more teachers equals better education.

    ¨ No non-government school would close under Greens polices, nor would fees rise. Public schools would see a substantial growth in their funding to enable them to set the standards for class sizes and resources.

     

    I believe the difference between The Greens and the corporate parties is obvious and stark. On August 21st I encourage you to vote 1 Joe Ebono in Richmond, and 1 for The Greens in the Senate. Vote 1 The Greens

  • Latham gatecrashes Abbott’s date with veterans.

    ended his migration program and dismissed any criticisms of his role in efforts to de-register Ms Hanson’s One Nation party.

    Ms Hanson was jailed for fraud but her conviction was later overturned.

    Last week Mr Latham was criticised for confronting Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the campaign trail in a manner that many thought was menacing.

    Mr Latham has defended his actions and a story he is preparing for 60 Minutes will air this Sunday.

    Mr Abbott used the RSL appearance to announce extra support for disabled veterans.

    “As of January 2012, the most disabled veterans will receive their pharmaceuticals free of charge to them,” he said.

    “This is an important additional benefit for the ex-service community and I’m very pleased to be able to make it here today at the Penrith RSL.”

    Tags: veterans, government-and-politics, elections, abbott-tony, federal-elections, sydney-2000

  • Global warming blamed for weather disasters doubling in 30 years

     

    Related Coverage

    “Disasters such as the Boscastle flooding [in Cornwall in 2004] are moving from being a once-in-100-year event to a once-in-20-year event.” As the atmosphere warms it stores more energy and can hold more water. “You will have heavier downpours in places that are not used to having them,” she said.

    Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring at Britain’s Met Office, said that the results were consistent with the national forecaster’s predictions of the impact of the 0.7C increase in global temperature since pre-industrial times.

    “We would expect the frequency of heatwaves and heavy rainfall events to continue increasing as the climate continues to warm,” he said. The probability of more events such as the 2003 heatwave in Europe, which killed 35,000 people, had “likely doubled as a result of human influence”, he said. “[They] could become considered the norm by the middle of this century.”

    Munich Re’s analysis covered all weather disasters, not just those involving significant insured losses, and took account of population changes. It found that floods and landslides had trebled since 1980 and storms had doubled. The annual average number of disasters increased from 339 in the 1980s to 547 in the 1990s and 693 between 2000 and 2009.

    Peter Hoppe, head of Munich Re’s geo risk research department, said bias was removed by measuring the change in reported earthquakes and tsunamis. These could not have been caused by human emissions and the 50 per cent rise recorded over the 30-year period was likely to have been the result of greater reporting of events. Using this benchmark the first 50 per cent of the increase in recorded floods and storms was discounted when producing the long-term trend.

    He said insurers could no longer rely on long-term averages for predicting disasters and assumed an exponential increase in extreme weather.

  • Honour your commitment Abbott GET-UP

     

    Check out what the billboards say by clicking here and chip in to help us make it happen:

    http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/HonourYourCommitment

    We know it is only fair that Tony Abbott meet with Riz Wakil. After all, he promised to do so. When Mr Abbott’s Press Secretary told us that Mr Abbott would like to have the meeting before the election, and that he would ring back to confirm a date, we took him at his word. But after repeated phone calls from us – that his office have now stopped returning – its time for us to up the ante.

    With a week and a half left there’s still time for Mr Abbott to meet his commitment before the election. That’s why with your help we’ll take a message to him that he can’t miss: massive mobile billboards asking him to honour his commitment and meet with Riz.

    You’ve stood behind Riz before – can you stand up for him again?

    http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/HonourYourCommitment

    The $16,000 cheque for charity? Signed, sealed and delivered. The refugees? Although a little nervous, they’re ready for the meeting! The only thing missing is Tony Abbott.

    Together, let’s make it clear where we stand – its time for Mr Abbott to make good on his promise. We’ve had a victorious fortnight so far this election campaign, with wins on enrolment and internet censorship. With your help we’ll return our focus to the vital issues surrounding refugees and asylum seekers.

    Thanks for all you do,
    The GetUp team

    P.S. Tony Abbott has commissioned billboards of his own. They are driving our marginal seats attempting to scare voters into thinking we’re being invaded by ‘illegals’. With your help we’ll respond to the fear mongering in these last few days before the election.

     

    With the election just around the corner, here at GetUp we’re sending more emails than usual at the moment. We know you can have too much of a good thing – so if you’d like to receive fewer emails from us over this busy time, click here and we will keep it to one every week or so.
     
    Click here to let us know you want less email.
    GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you’d like to contribute to help fund GetUp’s work, please donate now! If you have trouble with any links in this email, please go directly to www.getup.org.au. To unsubscribe from GetUp, please click here.
    Authorised by Simon Sheikh, Level 5, 116 Kippax St, Surry Hills NSW 2010