News September 2017
Harry's musings:
It has been wonderful to see such enormous support in our region for the #StopAdani campaign, from the launch in April to the summit last Saturday. This is hardly surprising. If any issue is likely to unite people across a broad social and political spectrum, it is this proposal to build a mega coal mine in size from Port to Kempsey nine kilometres wide, with unlimited free access to underground water, trampling of indigenous land rights and those of local farmers, and guaranteed to hasten the death of Australia’s favourite natural icon the Reef by adding millions of tonnes of planetary-destroying carbon into the atmosphere.
Add to this Adani’s environmental and workplace record in India and complex tax structures that will surely rule out any tax payable here, a royalty holiday costing Queenslanders $370 million, and the proposed federal government gift of taxpayers’ money amounting to $1 billion dollars, and the enormity of this folly is clear for all to see. It is shocking and it is wrong and we are opposing it. Two thirds of Australians oppose it too.
This issue is helping to unite us, grow our numbers, and get to know new friends. Yet even when we are successful in stopping Adani, there will still be other battles in our fight for safe climate and more clean energy. We will continue to face challenges as long as we have a government in Canberra showing such intransigence, blocking us ever having an energy system fit for the era we live in and less still a climate policy with any chance of reducing Australia’s emissions. Future generations will look back at the time we are living in now. The kind of future they look from, and the story they tell about our period, will be shaped by choices we make. That’s why it’s so good to be an activist - someone who is active for a purpose bigger than personal gain (Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, Active Hope, 2012).
We all need to ask, at some time in our lives - ‘What is my gift to the world? What am I leaving for future generations?’ Our safe climate and clean energy group has been my answer to that question for over ten years, particularly since I retired from full-time work in 2012. To all of you who travelled that journey with me, no matter how recently you have come on board, I say ‘thank you’ and see you at the next #StopAdani event!
Stop Adani Summit:
The Summit on the week-end was a great success, with 80 people attending (more than we expected.) One of the many outcomes of the day was an agreement that we will participate in the Day of Action on October 7th by making a huge Human Sign on Town Beach, Port Macquarie. Come along at 2pm on the 7th and be part of something BIG!
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August rally:
It was a cold, wet and windy day when we rallied in Clarence St to announce the results of the Cowper survey regarding the proposed Adani mine. 94% of the electorate are opposed both to a $1 billion loan of public money for Adani's proposed coal mine and to the building of the Adani coal mine altogether. We kept warm by singing! We also had some street theatre in which a 'Taxpayer' tried to give our ‘MP’ a $1billion ‘cheque’ to invest in renewables, but to no avail.
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August Networking evening:
Last month we were fortunate to have Susie Russell, Chair of the Forest Stewardship Council Australia, provide an informative presentation on land clearing in NSW. It is appalling how public land forests continue to be logged with ever more intensity to extract volumes which are clearly unsustainable.
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Hot and Dry - Australia’s Weird Winter:
The latest report from the Climate Council outlines how Australia’s 2017 winter was exceptionally warm, with over 260 heat and low rainfall records broken; the record-breaking winter conditions have set the scene for a dangerous bushfire season ahead; climate change is driving the record-breaking hot, dry conditions; and warm, dry conditions can decrease crop and livestock productivity, increase bushfire risk, and put Australia’s ageing energy system under pressure.
Click here for the full report: http://apo.org.au/system/files/107246/apo-nid107246-433146.pdf
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Coastal Warriors - Clean Up on 7th October:
Coastal Warriors will be at Bonny Hills on Saturday October 7th. They will set up in front of the surf club and start a clean-up from 8.30am, finishing at 11am. The Fat Fish Café will be offering a free savoury or sweet muffin snack (including gluten free options) to volunteers on the day when people purchase a hot or cold beverage. Everyone is welcome. If you have gloves then bring them however they will have a supply of gloves, bags and sun cream. Everyone is welcome to help in whatever capacity they can. Enclosed shoes and a hat are highly advised.
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CSU Food Fair – 6th October:
CSU will be hosting a Fair Food conference and expo as a part of Fair Food Week. They will be promoting the importance of sustainability through the conference with a range of speakers as well as an expo of local sustainable producers open to the whole community. $10 donation to REAP to attend. Register your interest: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/food-fair-2017-tickets-37263485087
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Climate and Energy webinars:
The Coalition for Community Energy (C4CE) is hosting a series of webinars for community energy groups and their supporters, clean energy advocates and other interested people. They will run from 6pm to 7pm on Tuesdays during September, October and November 2017. You can register now for any webinars you might be interested in attending.
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Sustainable mountain life:
Heather Brae is part of the CCA Community and is an established sustainable homesteader who would like to make her farm available for our CCA group and friends for visits, garden tours, river and rainforest short walks and overnight stays and camping. Heather can organise all the above plus fresh-from-garden salad lunches. If you’re interested in an adventure in sustainable mountain living, please contact Heather direct on 6550 4596, to discuss.
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