March 2017 Newsletter

WHAT’S ON

Energy Storage There will be an energy storage conference and exhibition on 14-15 June at the Sydney International Conference Centre. It’s worthwhile going if you are looking at installing batteries to store the energy from your PV system.  You can register for free entry to the exhibition by going to https://etf.eventsair.com/2017-australian-energy-storage/exhibition-registration/Site/Register

#StopAdani campaign 350.org is organising an event on 29 March at the Seymour Centre at 7pm to talk about the campaign to stop this mine going ahead. If you are interested in going, a number of us will be catching a bus in.  If you would like to join us on the bus or meet us at the Seymour Centre call Jo on 0414 375 149. For details and to book a ticket go to https://www.seymourcentre.com/events/event/stopadani-roadshow/

Westpac Westpac is the only Australian bank that has not yet ruled out financing the Carmichael Mine.  350.org is holding a weekly protest every Thursday at 8am outside the Westpac headquarters at 275 Kent Street. Come and make your voice heard.

Sydney Buddhist Climate Change launch On Saturday 18 March at Sydney Buddhist Centre, 24 Enmore Road, Newtown, there is a launch of the Buddhist Climate Change Action Kit.  It will be from 9.30am to 12.30pm.  For a free ticket go to http://www.sydneybuddhistcentre.org.au/

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING 

In the last  month we have done the following on your behalf:

We finally managed to have a meeting with Mr John Alexander, Member for Bennelong on 21 February after trying for over 4 months. We tried to emphasise our concern about the government’s push for more coal mines and coal fired power stations but our feeling was that he wasn’t really listening.  He reiterated the government’s line that coal was a major player in our energy supply and that clean coal was acceptable. He didn’t seem to understand the urgent need to move to renewables and away from fossil fuels.  He did talk about the inefficiency of long distance electricity distribution and how small communites should be able to have their own renewable energy source i.e. microgrids.  However, we pointed out that Solar Citizens Homegrown plan, which was distributed to all political parties for the federal election received no promise of funding from the Coalition. We did point out that groups like BZE and Solar Citizens had provided plans for how Australia could reach 100% renewables by 2030 but he didn’t seem interested. He remarked coal was a precious commodity but then said renewables uptake would happen quickly as coal usage went down.  We couldn’t help but wonder how that would happen with the current push by the Federal government for more coal mining and new coal fired power stations and increasing attacks on states with higher energy production from renewable sources.

NEWS AND EVENTS

Save Bulga’s Wallaby Scrub Road Singleton Council has voted to allow this important road for the people of Bulga (who will be affected by the expansion of the Warkworth mine by Rio Tinto) to be destroyed for the mine to go ahead.  Sign the letter to ask the council and the NSW Lands Minister to not to ahead with the approval. https://lockthegate.good.do/wallabyscrubroad/email/

Adani A new report has been released that shows the extent of environmental damage and criminal corporate behaviour of Adani.  Send a letter organised by AMCS (Australian Marine Conservation Society) to your local MP asking them to reject Adani’s mine.  https://www.marineconservation.org.au/petitions/154/reef-danger-exposed-tell-your-local-mp-about-adanis-fraud-and-devastation

Fighting Adani The traditional owners of the land where the Carmichael Mine will be, the Wangan and Jagalingou people, have a fighting fund to help their court case to fight Adani.  If you would like to contribute, you can do so by going to http://wanganjagalingou.com.au/donate/

In the meantime, you can sign the petition to voice your concerns about the federal government’s push to change the Native Title Act so that the indigenous people cannot challenge Adani’s mine.http://www.seedmob.org.au/landrights

Westpac and Adani Westpac is the only major Australian bank not to distance itself from the Carmichael mine project.  350.org is running a campaign to encourage Westpac to say it won’t finance the mine.  For more info about the campaign and what you can do go to https://350.org.au/stopadani/

Power for Change This is a new campaign by 350.org to encourage people to change their electricity supplier from AGL, Origin and Energy Australia  who have been blocking the move to renewable energy. The more people who change, the faster we can move away from fossil fuels. For info about the campaign, go to https://350.org.au/power-for-change/

You can also check out who are the retailers who sell renewable energy – Powershop and Diamond Energy are at the top of the list.  See the Green electricity guide http://greenelectricityguide.org.au/

How much time have we got? Read the article in Rolling Stone and find out. https://rollingstoneaus.com/music/post/inside-the-issue-784-march-2017/5479

CEFC and coal fired power stations In the latest example of lunacy, the federal energy minister wants to divert funds from the CEFC (Clean Energy Finance Corporation) which is supposed to be used for renewable energy, to build new coal fired power stations.  Sign the petition to tell Turnbull no.http://www.windalliance.org.au/tell_turnbull_not_to_fund_clean_coal
You could also sign a similar petition organised by the Greens.http://greens.org.au/save-cefc

Political donations Want to know who’s been donating to which parties?  Have a look at this listing by the Guardian newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/ng-interactive/2017/feb/10/political-donations-where-australias-political-parties-get-their-money or the report by the Greens. http://democracyforsale.net/

Methane levels rising Methane is a greenhouse gas and 60% of it comes from human activities such as agriculture and mining. Levels of it are increasing dramatically and are a contributing factor to global warming. http://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/sustainability/article/methane-from-food-production-might-be-the-next-wildcard-in-climate-change-1104658009

Land clearing in Australia The Wilderness Society has listed 10 facts that make stronger regulations to curtain land clearing rates important. https://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/10-facts-about-land-clearing-australia

HCF divests HCF the health fund is the first one in Australia to announce it will divest its $2billion investments from fossil fuels.  You can email your health insurance company and ask them to do the same or congratulate HCF if they are your health insurer by  going to https://www.marketforces.org.au/health-insurer-hcf-divestment/#form

NSW renewables At the moment NSW has a paultry 4% of its energy coming from renewables.  Wind and solar are now the cheapest way to provide more energy. Send a note to the new energy minister asking for more renewables http://www.nature.org.au/get-involved/take-action/repower-nsw-with-clean-energy

Queensland and its expensive power system While all the focus was on SA, no mention was made of Queensland’s very expensive and failing power network.  Queensland gets 96% of its energy from coal and gas (just like NSW) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/11/queenslands-electricity-price-spikes-far-worse-than-south-australia-analysis-shows

Help light up East Timor The Alternative Technology Association has an ongoing project to provide solar power to very isolated and poor region area of Quelicai in East Timor which currently relies on kerosene. If you would like to donate some money then go to  http://www.ata.org.au/ata-solar-projects-in-east-timor

Holding fossil fuel companies to account Companies in the fossil fuel industry are reluctant to act on climate change. Market Forces group has a campaign to call on shareholders to ask those companies to change their attitude at company AGMs.  Shareholders have enormous power to make this happen.  If you would like to be involved go to https://www.marketforces.org.au/use-your-shares

NSW Blackouts Gas-fired power plants failed to cope with the recent heatwave in NSW. Strangely, this was not really reported in the news.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/23/gas-fired-power-plants-failed-during-nsw-heatwave-report-reveals

Shell knew 26 years ago about climate change In 1991 Shell made a film about the consequences of climate change but has for the last 26 years continued to pollute the planet and fund climate change deniers. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/28/shell-knew-oil-giants-1991-film-warned-climate-change-danger

No new coal mines Myanmar has recently joined Indonesia and China in announcing no new coal mines will be approved. Unfortunately Australia’s position on supporting coal is at odds with the Pacific countries that are feeling the effects of climate change already. Australia’s position is being criticised. https://theconversation.com/coal-comfort-pacific-islands-on-collision-course-with-australia-over-emissions-73662

Religious response to climate change The ARRCC (Australian Religious Response to Climate Change) is a multi-faith organisation that wants everyone to sign a mega-petition to be presented to the federal government’s climate policy review later this year.  If you would like to be involved and for more information go to http://info@arrcc.org.au.