Australians demand action on Climate Change

In Sydney, demonstrators carried banners reading "Say yes to cutting carbon pollution" and "Price carbon -- our kids are worth it" while similar rallies attracted crowds in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart and Canberra.

"This should send a clear message to the government to set an ambitious price on carbon that will kick-start investment in clean energy," said rally organiser Simon Sheikh, national director of the activist group GetUp.

"We think momentum is building, people-power is building, because Australians want action on climate change," Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Don Henry said in Melbourne, where an estimated 10,000 rallied.

"So it's the right time for all Australians, from all walks of life, to say, 'Hey, come on parliamentarians, no matter what your political colour, we pay your salary, we vote you in, we want action on climate change now and that means a price on pollution'."
The rallies are the second stage of a campaign run by GetUp, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and World Wildlife Fund Australia among other organisations, which last week saw Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett fronting a television campaign advocating action on climate change.

One of the organising groups, independent think-tank the Climate Institute, said the rallies were more a call for action on climate change than a direct endorsement of the government's policy.

"We're trying to send a loud signal," said chief executive John Connor.
"This is not about the exact details but this is very strongly the community saying, 'We want action on pollution on climate change. That we want to make polluters take responsibility. We want investment in clean energy."