Melbourne-based climate activist Pablo Brait sent the letter below to the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) on May 5.
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Dear ACF,
I have been a proud member for 10 years, and although you often took different positions from my own on certain environmental issues, I remained a member because I thought I would try to influence you from the inside, and help push you in the right direction (which I did at each opportunity, through letters, surveys, etc.).
I felt that for all your flaws and weaknesses, you still had your heart in the right place and you were a force for progress towards ecological sustainability.
However, that view has changed today. It was the last straw.
I note that as a member of the Southern Cross Climate Coalition, you support the changes made to the Rudd government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme announced today. You now support its passage through parliament.
The scheme is essentially exactly the same as it was, but
with more money for polluters, a delayed start and a token
(unscientific) upper reduction limit.
It will do nothing to reduce Australia's emissions (especially with the unlimited imports of international credits) and will result in an unprecedented transfer of wealth from the Australian public to the big polluters.
Most importantly, it is not consistent with what the climate scientists are saying is necessary. Even if the government turned around and did everything you asked, we would still hit runaway climate change.
Over the last decade, since I became a member, the ACF has failed to get any real action from governments on climate change because of your habit of compromising before you even get to the table, and your emphasis on incremental rather than systemic change.
You lack a credible position because you are not basing it on science. It is obvious that you have been ignored and have not been able to shift the power balance in this society away from the greenhouse mafia.
Despite this, you continue along this path. It is a dead end. You cannot negotiate with the laws of physics and chemistry, and the federal government does not take you seriously.
As you can probably tell I am seething with anger at your betrayal. This isn't a game, these are people's lives we are talking about. Your compromises may get you taken out to lunch by the minister's staff, but they have not gotten us a science-based climate change policy.
You have been sucked in and used by the polluter lobbies, you should be deeply ashamed of yourselves. You are nothing but a fig-leaf for business as usual.
As of today I am giving up my ACF membership. Please remove me from your database.
I will be focusing my energy and money on the grassroots climate action movement, and the environment groups that actually give us a chance of avoiding runaway climate change, such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.
Building a mass movement calling for science-based emissions reductions is what is now necessary. I had hoped the ACF would be a part of that. Unfortunately it is obvious you are not interested. I hope in time this will change.
With much sadness,
Pablo.