December 2019 Newsletter

We would like to thank all of you who have attended rallies, signed petitions, attended film screenings, written letters and talked to friends and family about climate change and the need for all levels of government to take action. It may not seem like it sometimes, but your efforts are having an effect.

In the meantime, we wish you all the best for a happy and safe festive season.

WHAT’S ON

Can you sew?  The Animal Rescue Craft Guild is looking for material pouches to be made for bats, joeys, possums and bandicoots injured in the fires.  You can go to their facebook page for details on sizes, suitable material, how to make them and where to send them. https://www.facebook.com/groups/arfsncrafts/

Christmas Looking for some gifts to help save the planet? Here’s some suggestions.
Wilderness Society  https://supporter.wilderness.org.au/donate to help in their battle against deforestation;  Nature Conservation Council https://natureorg.nationbuilder.com/donation_one_off  for their work in protecting NSW’s nature; Climate Council  https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/donate/ for spread the facts about climate change;  Lock the Gate https://www.lockthegate.org.au/  to fund their many battles against CSG;  WIRES https://www.wires.org.au/donate/now to help in saving our injured native animals; WWF https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/2-billion-trees/2-billiontrees to help plant trees; Australian Wildlife Conservancy  http://www.australianwildlife.org/support-awc/donate.aspx or Bush Heritage  https://secure.bushheritage.org.au/donate/ to continue their conservation work;  350.org https://act.350.org/donate/australia/ to support their work to rid the world of fossil fuels;  Australian Marine Conservation Society  https://www.marineconservation.org.au/pages/donate.html to protect our marine life; Boomerang Alliance https://www.boomerangalliance.org.au/donation  to continue their work to get rid of plastic and protect koala habitat; Renew  https://renew.org.au/what-we-do/international-projects/ to install solar panels in isolated villages in Timor; Solar Citizens https://www.solarcitizens.org.au/donate to continue lobbying our politicians for solar power for everyone; NPA (National Parks Association) https://npansw.org/donations/ for their work to protect our native habitats; Market Forces https://www.marketforces.org.au/ for their work in getting companies and super funds to move away from investing in fossil fuels;  Environmental Defenders Office https://www.edo.org.au/help-us-become-a-formidable-force-s3/ which provides legal assistance to communities fighting fossil fuel projects

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING 

In the last  month we have done the following:

Written to John Alexander congratulating him on becoming chair of a inquiry into funding high speed rail.

NEWS AND EVENTS

NSW burns Sign the petition asking the federal government to take action on climate change.https://climatecouncil.good.do/CPP-joint-statement/petition/
Sign the petition asking that funding for the fire fighters that had been substantially reduced be fully reinstated. https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/surge/funding-our-fire-services/our-fire-services-are-being-cut
Sign the petition asking the money for the Sydney fireworks be reallocated to the NSW firefighters and animal rescue groups. https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-reallocate-the-firework-budget-your-house-is-already-on-fire

Read the article by Greg Mullins, former Rural Fire chief, why these fires aren’t normal https://www.smh.com.au/national/this-is-not-normal-what-s-different-about-the-nsw-mega-fires-20191110-p5395e.html
Here’s a factcheck about the fires (might be useful when someone argues it’s all normal)  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/22/australia-bushfires-factcheck-are-this-years-fires-unprecedented
Here’s an explanation of the links between climate change and bushfires
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/11/what-are-the-links-between-climate-change-and-bushfires-explainer
The politics of denial continue https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/17/australias-bushfire-politics-the-parties-prevaricate-while-the-country-burns
Thirty years ago this situation was predicted (and ignored)  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/17/what-could-i-have-done-the-scientist-who-predicted-the-bushfire-emergency-four-decades-ago
But apparently this is still not the time to talk about climate change https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2019/11/16/actually-it-climate-change/15738228009076
Read the Climate Council’s latest report, Dangerous Summer: Escalating Bushfire, Heat and Drought Risk https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/dangerous-summer-escalating-bushfire-heat-drought-risk/

Origin Origin plans to commence fracking in NT in the wet season and contrary to the wishes of the traditional landowners.  One way to protest is to change your electricity provider. At present Powershop and Diamond Energy are the greenest. Go to the Green Electricity Guide https://www.greenelectricityguide.org.au/#ratings-container

Federal Labor still doesn’t get it Albanese has just announced coal remains an important export for Australia (sigh) https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-says-australia-should-continue-to-export-coal-20191208-p53hyp.html

Australia and 100% renewables Ross Garnaut outlines three policies that can get us there. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/06/ross-garnaut-three-policies-will-set-australia-on-a-path-to-100-renewable-energy
Sign the petition asking Australia’s biggest known companies and brands to commit to 100% renewables by 2030 https://act.greenpeace.org.au/reenergise
VIrtual power plants – the Uber of the power grid https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/16/power-to-the-people-how-suburban-solar-could-become-the-uber-of-the-energy-grid

Corporations and deforestation Australia’s biggest buyers of beef are Coles, Woolworths, McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, Aldi, Costco and IGA. None can guarantee the beef they’re selling is not linked to deforestation.  Sign the letter asking they eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. https://wilderness.good.do/ceosdeforestation/emailceos/

NSW and renewables  The NSW government has announced it plans to power schools, hospitals and other state government operations with clean energy. Send the premier an email congratulating her on this announcement https://www.nsw.gov.au/contact-us/contact-the-premier/ but remind her that NSW still burns coal for over three-quarters of its electricity and more needs to be done to tackle the climate crisis that’s fueling bushfires, floods, heat waves and droughts.
Here’s a video from NCC about what Australia could be like if we moved away from coal. https://www.facebook.com/naturensw/videos/978380939204889/

Adani  Siemens could build the signalling equipment for Adani’s rail line.  Send a note to the company asking they walk away from the deal. https://www.marketforces.org.au/siemens-do-the-right-thing-and-say-no-to-adani/
Queensland government ordered to release independent report on black throated finch https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/dec/07/queensland-ordered-to-release-secret-report-on-black-throated-finch-conservation

Petition to protect our laws from coal lobby This is a really important petition.  Please sign and forward to everyone you can. https://nb.tai.org.au/protectourlaws

There are some rich-listers supporting climate change action  There are a number of wealthy people supporting politicians who want action on climate change.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-29/clean-green-rich-wealthy-donors-climate-200-politicians/11647162?section=business
Unsurprisingly, the Coalition has now appointed a fossil fuel lobbyist to determine, behind closed doors, a climate policy https://reneweconomy.com.au/coalition-turns-to-fossil-fuel-lobby-to-lead-secret-review-of-climate-policy-46242/

Scientists call a climate emergency  Will the Australian government listen? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/05/climate-crisis-11000-scientists-warn-of-untold-suffering”
Australia is the worst in G20 for tackling climate change. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/11/australia-climate-response-among-worst-g20
Scientists condemn Australia’s inaction https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/07/leading-scientists-condemn-political-inaction-on-climate-change-as-australia-literally-burns
The EU will be voting for a Green Deal.  Sign the petition to show your support https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/peoples_green_new_deal_loc/

Biochar Can it be a major player in helping to deal with climate change? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/29/this-dark-material-the-black-alchemy-that-can-arrest-carbon-emissions

Fossil fuel projects  Despite the rhetoric, ANZ and Westpac are still lending contrary to their promises. Time to change your bank? https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/06/banks-boosted-new-lending-to-fossil-fuel-projects-last-year-figures-show
Sign the letter telling Westpac to formulate a strategy to exit coal investment https://www.marketforces.org.au/anz-secret-coal-strategy-2019/
Then sign the letter encouraging members of the Minerals Council  to leave the organisation https://act.350.org/sign/leave_the_lobby/
Insurers are not backing coal projects https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/02/coal-power-becoming-uninsurable-as-firms-refuse-cover

Great Barrier Reef  Pesticides are a significant contributor to kiling it. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/07/great-barrier-reef-scientists-find-banned-pesticides-and-blast-chemical-regulator

Who is this group Market Forces?  We’ve encouraged you to sign their petitions.  Here’s who they are and why Scott Morrison doesn’t like them.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/11/inside-market-forces-the-small-climate-group-scott-morrison-wants-to-put-out-of-business

Africa is leading the way Africa is leading the world in using renewables in its urban expansion. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/08/africa-poised-lead-way-global-green-revolution-says-report