Climate tour response warms Greens

The Green Party's Climate Defence Tour has rolled into Rotorua with Co-leader Russel Norman convinced the global warming issue is finally hitting home to Kiwis.

Mr Norman believes the Al Gore movie "An inconvenient Truth" played a major role in raising awareness here in New Zealand and overseas.

"There has been massive media coverage on the issue and the evidence keeps mounting - there is definitely more awareness now," he says.

The Green Party says New Zealand cannot hide away from an issue because of our isolation and small population.

"New Zealand's greenhouse emissions are increasing rapidly - per capita we have the fourth highest of the OECD countries."

Mr Norman was strongly critical of the Government's recent opposition to the target of a 25-40 per cent cut in greenhouse emissions by 2020 for industrialised countries.

"Solutions to avoid catastrophic human-induced climate change must be negotiated at an international level and New Zealand could be part of that solution. "Consumers of our agricultural exports and tourists to New Zealand are already looking long and hard at our climate change record."

The Green Party would continue to push for improved public transport as a means to reduce emissions.

Mr Norman said more investment would be made in Wellington public transport while the electrification of the rail network in Auckland would be a positive.

Mr Norman was buoyed during his visit to Rotorua by the release of the latest Morgan Research (Political Party) poll which gave the Greens 9.5 per cent support - its highest rating in five months. Of the minor parties the Greens were the only one to poll' over the critical 5 per cent threshold. At the last election the party ensured its solid representation in Parliament with 5.3 per cent of the party vote.

- © Fairfax NZ News