Vote Climate Neighbours Project Ben Pearson Canterbury

Vote Climate Neighbours – Canterbury

Why I’m voting climate – Ben Pearson

For me, voting climate is about health, sound economics, doing our part globally and preserving a safe climate future for us and our children.

What are your main concerns?

I am particularly concerned about the increasing rate we will see natural disasters. The overwhelming smoke of the bushfires lingers in my memory, then continuing to witness wildfires take hold around the world. The floods in NSW feel distant from our eastern Melbourne suburb, but we have seen flash flooding over the years and a heating planet will only make these events more frequent and intense.

In addition to those direct disasters, I am also concerned about global crop failures and food shortages that are expected in a heating planet, we have all experienced the stress induced by empty supermarket shelves and those events will increase as crops will fail to grow in regions of the world including Australia. 

Overall safety and national security is another concern I have as the world will struggle to safely manage runaway climate change (which could occur if tipping points start to be hit).

We are being warned about these threats and their consequences by global leaders and scientists. Each year that passes the urgency gets greater.

Vote Climate Neighbours Ben Pearson Canterbury in the park
Vote Climate Neighbours Ben Pearson Canterbury

Tell us some more about why you are voting for the climate?

Barely a day goes past where I don’t think about the climate crisis that we face and how we will continue to be challenged in the years ahead. With a young family, I think about the challenges that my kids’ future will entail and my head and heart compels me to help them now proactively as it will only get harder if more time is wasted. 

I also believe Australia could be a “renewable super power” as described by Ross Garnaut and locally by Simon Holmes à Court recently. We have this unique opportunity right now if we had a government with bold vision to actually lead the world in the generation, storage and export of renewable electricity. The economic advantages of seizing this moment are there for us to take advantage of. I’ll be voting for that vision this election.

What can we do to help?

With the election only a few weeks away I’d encourage anyone who wants to make a powerful local action to help with letterboxing or handing out Climate Scorecards at pre poll and polling booths. The majority of people in our local communities already agrees we need more action on climate. The scorecard helps others to make that informed choice and it only takes a few hours of your time. I find being active energises me and connects me with like minded people in our local community. 

There are so many fun and impactful ways to help our community vote climate this election.

“Voting climate unlocks vast opportunities for Australia in renewables and helps secure a healthy and safe climate for us and future generations.