ENVIRONMENTALLY Concerned Citizens of Orange (ECCO) will host a public meeting tonight on climate change policies, as part of November's focus on climate action in the lead-up to next week's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
Featuring guest speakers in Charles Sturt University Orange's Professor Kevin Parton and CSIRO's Ben Harmon and Peter Brown, the meeting will focus on the impact climate change policies will have on Australia as a whole.
"The issue of climate change is very complex and open to misinformation. In that regard, it's important to have speakers like this because they have the expertise in the field to do so," said ECCO president Nick King.
"This is an opportunity for the general public to come in and learn and ask questions. The meeting will lead into Saturday's (Central West People's) climate march, which will start at Cook Park and finish with a rally on the lawn beside the Wesley Uniting Church in Kite Street.
"It's all in conjunction with a new group called Futuring Orange, who we're very excited to work with."
Professor Parton's presentation focuses on the comparable costs to the economy of various climate change policies, and also concentrates on likely future scenarios in Australia, including the political pressure for all parties to adopt an emissions trading scheme - expected to be international standard following the Paris summit.
Mr Harmon and Dr Brown are working on a project in Orange looking at how information around climate adaption strategies is being accessed, and will continue that at tonight's meeting.
The meeting kicks off at 7.30pm at the Community Information Centre in Kite Street.
Everybody is welcome to attend.
This article first appeared in the Central Western Daily.
