December 2017 Newsletter

WHAT’S ON

Eastwood Stop Adani A reminder we’ll be having our Bennelong Stops Adani fun activiity at Eastwood Mall (eastern end of Rowe Street) on Saturday 9 December from 9.30 -11am. Everyone welcome.

Christmas Party  We’d love you to join us on 12 December from 7pm at the Hunters Hill Hotel for our Christmas get together.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING 

In the last  month we have done the following

Held a protest Stop Adani outside the candidates forum on Monday 4 December at Royal Hotel in Ryde.  See the article and the photo here http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-district-times/news-story/46e5c635b25c6c4c908d45b5202c652a

Handing out information leaflets at Epping and Meadowbank stations to commuters about the 12 candidates postion on Adani and renewable energy.

                   

NEWS AND EVENTS

Carmichael Mine Adani’s profits are collapsing https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/15/profits-of-adanis-carmichael-mine-company-tumble-leaving-it-in-financial-peril  and three major Chinese banks Adani was courting have now said they will not fund the mine. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-03/chinese-banks-not-interested-in-financing-adani-carmichael-mine/9221750

Renewables, renewables – what’s not to love about them!  Sadly the Federal and NSW state governments still don’t get it.  Read about a town that is working towards being completely self reliant for energy,http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-18/small-town-tyalgum-nsw-aims-to-be-own-power-station/9052808?WT.mc_id=newsmail&WT.tsrc=Newsmail, how replacing Liddell power station with renewables is cheaper than keeping it going, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/20/replacing-liddell-coal-plant-with-clean-energy-13bn-cheaper-analysis , why the Federal government’s NEG plan creates fewer jobs in the renewable industry http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/jobs-modelling

South Australia Tesla battery storage up and running The world’s biggest lithioum ion battery is now up and running in SA. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-01/tesla-giant-battery-officially-launched-in-sa/9215318

Divestment news A growing number of organisations are divesting from fossil fuel.  More global insurance companies are doing it https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/15/growing-number-of-global-insurance-firms-divesting-from-fossil-fuels,  Medibank Private will be divesting https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/13/medibank-drops-fossil-fuel-investments-worth-tens-of-millions-of-dollars,  Norway’s central bank has recommended  the country’s sovereign wealth fund worth $1tr should divest https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/16/oil-and-gas-shares-dip-as-norways-central-bank-advises-oslo-to-divest,  Ryde Council has recently voted to divest with its $200 million investment portfolio https://350.org.au/press-release/ryde-city-council-dumps-fossil-fuel-investments/

Phasing out coal At the recent climate meeting in Bonn, 19 nations voted to rapidly phase out coal. Unsurprisingly Australia was not one of them. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/16/political-watershed-as-19-countries-pledge-to-phase-out-coal  You can sign a petition to ask the government to do the same http://www.beyondcoal.com.au and the big four banks  http://act.350.org/sign/tell-the-banks-to-quit

Super funds and coal The vast majority of Australian super funds invest in coal companies both here and overseas.  Use the following link to tell your super fund to ask these companies to provide information on how they will reduce emissions. http://superswitch.org.au/news/coalexitlist/

CommBank has announced it will get out of coal.  Sign the letter to encourage them to actually keep their promise https://www.marketforces.org.au/commbank-getting-out-of-coal/

Fracking in NT The NT government is now considering opening up the NT to fracking.  Sign the petition to ask they ban fracking http://www.seedmob.org.au/ban_fracking

Christmas gifts Want to help the planet and support worthwhile causes? You could consider some of these: Bush Heritage https://www.bushheritage.org.au/wildgifts/browse  Australian Marine Conservation Society https://www.marineconservation.org.au/products.php  ATA to install PV in remote Timor ata.org.au/gift-of-light ,Taronga Zoo https://taronga.org.au/christmas

We thank all of you for your support and participation in events during the year.  We wish you all the best for the festive season and the new year.