6 questions for every candidate in the election. Click to ask them now.

Politicians are always telling us that nobody ever mentions climate change on the doorstep.

Let’s change that this time.

Whenever candidates call to the door over the next three weeks, say you’re concerned about climate change. Tell them now by email.

You can mention the flooding, fracking, or Ireland doing its fair share, on the doorstep if you want but, actually, even just saying you’re concerned means the TDs in the next Dáil will be that bit more likely to listen to us.

If you do get into a conversation with them we have six questions - ask them any or all of them.

Both the Paris Agreement and the Government's new National Energy Policy that followed a few days later call for a zero carbon future. That means moving to a fossil-free, community-centred energy system, starting now. So, are are politicians serious about it? Let's find out.

Click to email your candidates these 6 questions:

Will you / your party:

1. Ban fracking in Ireland?
2. Put in place a payment for solar electricity so households and communities can get paid for the power they feed into the grid?
3. Make a plan to stop burning peat for electricity by 2020 and coal well before 2025?
4. Set up one-stop-shops in every county, like the Tipperary Energy Agency, to help households and communities to save energy and own renewable generation projects?
5. Set up a financial support scheme, like the old SSIA's, to help people invest in upgrading their homes to cut energy waste (Labour is promising one for first-time buyers, will you extend it to anyone retrofitting their home)?
6. Make it the law that local communities have to be offered 20% ownership of developer-led energy projects, as happens in Denmark?

A yes to these 6 questions would put us on path to a zero carbon future. So when politicians come to your door, put them on the spot.

Ask your candidates where they stand right now.

As a citizen you never have more power than in the days leading up to an election. You can use it to help spark a positive energy revolution.

In hope,

Oisin and the Friends of the Earth team.

P.S. Do forward this email to anyone you know who might like to ask their candidates these questions, thanks.

P.P.S. We need to raise €25,000 to keep our community-energy, fossil-free campaigning going in 2016. Can you pitch in?

Every euro counts. In fact anything you give right now will be TRIPLED because it’ll allow us to draw down grant funding that closes in a matter of weeks.

 

For every €1 you give us we’ll have €4 to fight for a fossil free future. Thanks!