Students at the University of Sydney said the federal government's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) is not a solution to climate change at a student general meeting on October 7.
The meeting was organised by the environment collective of the Student Representative Council (SRC).
More than 60 students attended the meeting. Although not enough to reach the quorum needed to make the motions binding on the SRC, the students decided to vote on the proposals regardless.
The meeting voted to oppose the Rudd government's carbon trading scheme "because it gives billions of dollars to big polluters, proposes dismal reduction targets, and is full of loopholes such as offset credits".
If passed by parliament later this year, the CPRS would delay the changes needed to avoid dangerous climate change, the motion said.
Instead, the students called on "the government to undertake a massive public spending program for 100% renewable energy by 2020 and an expansion of public transport across the country".
The meeting also called on the SRC to publicly oppose the CPRS and endorse the NSW Climate Camp protest in Helensburgh on October 9-11.
Another motion demanded the university end all research into false solutions to climate change, such as nuclear technology and so-called clean coal.
Meeting chairperson Erima Dall introduced University of Technology Sydney lecturer James Goodman and environment collective activists Tatianna Hatzopoulos and Clare Fester to address the meeting. "The CPRS will allow coal to expand and the profits of the fossil fuel industry to grow", Fester said.
[The environment collective meets 1pm Mondays at the Chancellor's Gardens, next to Fisher Library. Ph Erima 0432 221 516]