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27TH EPISODE OF THE REGENERATIVE HOUR: Can we turn the 2020s into ‘The Regenerative Decade’? In this series of interviews about what that would imply, we talk ecology, deep adaptation, grief, compassion and passion, connecting with nature, resilience, revitalisation, restoration, revolution… – the bigger picture, in other words. In our summer series of programs for 2021, we are introducing a series of interviews in The Regenerative Hour about rehydrating the Australian landscape, regenerative and natural sequence farming, and ecosystem restoration. These are generally longer interviews where we investigate important issues in more detail. We’ll also be revisiting our major focus areas of indigenous wisdom, and the last frontier of climate action: the potential for elite sport players and administrators to use their influence in our sports-obsessed country to help us get to where we need to be on climate. How to achieve climate safety by rebuilding our landscape with its ancient blueprint In The Regenerative Hour no 27, we talk with three champions of regenerative farming, land management and conservation farming practices: Rob Skinner is a businessman and thoughtleader currently setting up organisational and business structures for Australian landscape science. He outlines a vision for a “council of leading scientists” in this space, plus what he sees as the benefits of the guidance of the combination of the knowledge. He discusses the experience that such a council would bring to anyone working to repair land in Australia. “After 230 years of European settlement, we have completely denuded this country. We have used up all the resources, we have taken all of the carbon out of the soil, we have taken from the bank and put nothing back.”~ Rob Skinner, businessman and thoughtleader, in The Regenerative Hour no 26 Paul Anderson is a hydrogeologist who has worked with Peter Andrews for many years. He talks about the importance of a body of people that advises and overseas regenerative farming and land management practices, and which role local Councils can play. He also discusses how to measure land productivity based on plants. “If we increase soil carbon by one per cent on our arable land, Australia will be carbon-negative no matter what carbon emissions we are doing. This is very doable with Peter Andrew‘s and Rain for Climate‘s methods. So my overarching goal is to provide some good scientific paradigmes behind it.”~ Paul Anderson, hydrogeologist, in The Regenerative Hour no 27 John Anderson, former head of the National Party and Deputy Prime Minister, is a sixth generation farmer in Northern New South Wales. He is very enthusiastic about what he calls “conservation farming”. He sees it as having great potential to improve overall farm productivity as well to increase the nutritional value of the food, improve the vitality of the soil and allow more carbon to be sequestered. He sees this as making this way of farming a winner on so many fronts. “The Australian community is worried about climate change and wants us to move towards net-zero. Well, here is a brilliant way where a whole set of management practices, that can be very beneficial for agriculture and can produce a magnificent side-benefit.”~ John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister, in The Regenerative Hour no 27 Guest co-host in today’s program is Adrian Drew, regenerative farmer and contributor to The Australian Landscape Science Institute. THE REGENERATIVE HOUR: A natural farmer’s big vision for Australia The Regenerative Hour with Adrian Drew on 15 January 2020 → Subscribe to The Regenerative Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher Restoring Australia’s landscape The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which was launched on 1 January 2021, is a unique opportunity to realise a revolution in agriculture. They say, “If the people are sick then the land is sick”.  There are many problems with our current food production systems. For example: Food production systems are based on monocultures and a water drainage paradigm. They create greenhouse gas emissions from the use of machines, fertiliser and pesticide production, and come with problems such as soil degradation, fertility loss, habitat destruction, desertfication, climate extremes, salinity, wildlife impacts, excessive water use, pollution of water air and soil, food safety, poor nutrition quality, and food waste. These are serious problems that need to be addressed. At the same time, last year we witnessed a catastrophic summer of droughts, bushfires, floods and pestilence in the form of the coronavirus. 2020 was the warmest year so far in the history of global temperature measurements, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which monitors the global data. We cannot vaccinate against the melting of ice masses and extreme weather phenomena. But there is something else we can do, which The Australian Landscape Science Institute is committed to making us all aware of, forming a professional team of people to roll out knowledge and implementation of the most effective way to restore Australia’s landscape. By utilising the science that is still in existence in some part today, and based on how the ancient Australian landscape used to manage itself, the members of the institute predict an upcoming revolution in agriculture during the 2020s.   By understanding the blueprint of the Australian landscape – how our ancient landscape once managed water flows in ground and surface runoff, fertility and moderating the extremes of climate by using plants – everyone in Australia has the opportunity to be a part of restoring our landscape. Peter Andrews is one of founding board members of TALS, and his learnings about how the Australian landscape worked have been applied at his old farm Tarwyn Park at Bylong in the upper Hunter. There are hundreds of other properties he has worked on which shows the tremendous efficiencies that can be gained by working with all available plants to moderate climate, rehydrate and rebuilding fertility in the landscape- affordably and quickly, and using free energies in existence – to allow everyone to experience abundance and prosperity on their land, but also deliver high quality produce available to those in cities.  But why hasn’t this knowledge or methodology been taken up and applied everywhere already?  This is what The Regenerative Hour sets out to explore in this series of interviews on the topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nature Based Solutions for Climate Recovery “Nature-based solutions can provide at least a third of the solution to climate change but receive less than three per cent of funding from current climate finance.”~ Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme, 22 September 2019 7 December 2020: Mapping nature-based solutions and natural climate solutions “Nature-based solutions (NbS), can help to deliver up to 37 per cent of solutions to achieve the Paris climate goal, as well as the potential to help address other societal challenges while being good for business and people. Yet, to scale up investment in Nature-based Solutions, business requires clarity on its scope and requirements. This report aims to help remove the hurdles to nature-based solutions by clarifying definitions, while supporting the alignment of natural climate solutions (NCS) with nature-based solutions in order to accelerate investments at scale. In addition, the report helps business to navigate the nature and climate agenda by mapping the key initiatives, platforms and conventions for collective action. This business guidance is part of a series of three reports aimed at “Accelerating Business Solutions for Climate and Nature”, a joint collaboration between our Nature Action and Natural Climate Solutions teams. The next report will focus on “Natural Climate Solutions best practice” and the final guidance document will cover “sectoral guidance” for nature-based solutions across the three key systems identified by WEF’s New Nature Economy Report Series: (1) food, land and ocean use; (2) infrastructure and built environment; and (3) energy and extractives. Why should business adopt nature-based solutions for climate and nature? These solutions can provide 37 per cent of cost-effective GHG mitigation needed by 2030 to stabilise global warming to below 2°C. What role does nature play in the climate agenda?The twin crises of nature loss and climate change are inextricably linked. We will not achieve the Paris climate goals without Nature-based Solutions in the Food, land and oceans systems. Climate change has been identified as one of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss. Addressing the climate emergency and nature loss need to be key parts of the future strategy to build forward better following the COVID-19 pandemic.” → View the publication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Increasing the annual carbon stock in agricultural soils by 0.4% (or 4 per 1000) in the top 40 centimetres of soil would, in theory, be equivalent to the increase of annual carbon emissions caused by human activity, i.e., it would make human activity carbon neutral. The world’s soil contains 2 to 3 times more carbon than the atmosphere. So increasing this storage of carbon by 0.4% in the top 30 or 40cm of the soil could stop the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. This is the proposal of the “4 parts for 1000, soils for food security and climate”. There are 570 million farms in the world and more than 3 billion people living in rural areas could implement these practices.→ www.4p1000.org → The University of Sydney – 20 November 2020:The untapped potential of soil carbon“Could soil sequestration turn carbon into gold for farmers? Highlighting the work of our world-class soil scientists who are rethinking how the Earth’s skin – our living soil – can be used in the fight to control climate change.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Soil carbon: a new income stream for farmers Regenerative agriculture’s climate benefits Australia must harness the proven benefits of regenerative agriculture for a climate-safe future. Around the world, lawmakers are beginning to understand the connection between energy use and the climate crisis. However, they are much less familiar with the vast potential for carbon sequestration in our soils. Managed grasing and silvopasture, integrating trees, pasture, and forage, are recognised by Project Drawdown as among the top 20 most effective solutions to climate change. Healthy soils are a critical component of achieving the urgent goals of net-negative emissions by 2030 – drawdown of emissions already in the atmosphere greater than new greenhouse gas emissions – and increased resilience to climate-driven extremes like drought, heat, and floods. Sequestration in soil represents up to 25 per cent of the total global potential for absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, and soil sequestration is a less vulnerable carbon storage option than fire-prone forests, which is important in an Australian context. Regenerative agriculture can cost-effectively reduce fire-prone vegetation while also helping to build soil organic matter, reduce soil compaction, and improve land fertility. It improves healthy water cycle functioning and supports beneficial populations of native plants, songbirds, pollinators, and other wildlife. UN Report: “State of soils is as important as the climate crisis”A UN report has been compiled by 300 scientists who say the worsening state of soils is as important as the climate crisis and destruction of the natural world above ground. Soil organisms are essential because they drive processes that produce food, purify soil and water, and preserve both human well-being and the health of the biosphere. Crucially, it takes thousands of years for soils to form, meaning urgent protection and restoration of the soils that remain is needed. Here is an article in the Guardian summarising some of the findings: → The Guardian – 4 December 2020:Global soils underpin life but future looks ‘bleak’, warns UN report“It takes thousands of years for soils to form, meaning protection is needed urgently, say scientists.” “Study in Nature says “the carbon pollution already put in the air will push global temperatures to about 2.3°C”. But of course this doesn’t mean it’s “game over”. It means we’re in a crisis and we’d better start to act like it.”~ Greta Thunberg, on Twitter 6 January 2021 Accelerating sequestration is critical to achieving drawdown greater than emissions by 2030 for a climate-safe future. According to an American university study published in March 2020, farmers using regenerative practices reported improved resilience to extremes, operational profits, and personal well-being. Progressive grasing practices can sequester carbon from the atmosphere and transform it into productive carbon in the soil. Improved management on grasing and croplands can offset 14% or more of current annual global CO2 emissions. In California, the campaign Climate-Safe California urges Californian lawmakers, who already have launched a suite of innovative climate-smart agriculture programs for farmers and ranchers, to build on these programs to sequester an additional 100+ million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually by 2030. We know today how to manage natural and agricultural lands for sequestration through proven carbon farming practices. With climate impacts rapidly worsening, the time is now to dramatically increase investments in regenerative agriculture and healthy soils. “This will be part of the jobs rush that ensues after Covid-19 as a Sustainability Renaissance rebuilds the global economy. It stands to be a major part of vital carbon drawdown too.”~ Giselle Wilkinson, 17 April 2020 www.soilsforlife.org.au → Forbes – 11 September 2020:Can Loans Tied To Soil Health Save Agriculture? A New $250 Million Fund Wants To Find Out“A new investment fund, rePlant Capital, has been formed to help clove the crisis with capitalism by tying interest rates for farm loans to improvements in soil’s carbon and water storage as a way to save farmers from the disastrous impacts of climate change.” Wendy Millet Proven benefits of regenerative ranching By Wendy Millet Regenerative ranching provides multiple benefits to human communities, wildlife, ecosystems, and even the climate. However, in a time of such extreme uncertainty when the resilience of our social, economic, political, and food systems is being tested, it is important to highlight the fact that many of the benefits of regenerative practices are well-defined, widely supported, and worth investing in now. Regenerative ranching helps ranchers manage invasive plants while supporting beneficial populations of native plants, songbirds, pollinators, and other wildlife1. It helps cost-effectively reduce vegetative fuel loads and manage fire risk2. It can help slow, or even reverse, topsoil loss, build soil organic matter, reduce soil compaction3, and improve land fertility. It can improve healthy water cycle functioning as even a 1% increase in soil organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil can hold up to 27,000 gallons per acre4. Regenerative ranching also can contribute to a more stable climate. Thanks to the power of photosynthesis, progressive grazing practices can help to transform and sequester Carbon in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide into productive carbon in the soil. Improved management on grazing lands can offset between 7-15% of current annual global CO2 emissions5. Many practices used in regenerative ranching are recognized by Project Drawdown on their list of the 100 most effective solutions to climate change. Silvopasture6 and Managed Grazing7, for instance, come in as numbers 9 and 11 respectively, with the collective potential to sequester 47.53 gigatons of CO2 equivalents by 2050 if practiced at scale. Lastly and so importantly, ranchers around the world who are using regenerative practices report improved livestock health, operational profits, and personal well-being8. There is increasing recognition around the world that regeneratively managing rangelands can improve productivity and resilience of working lands while providing multiple benefits to ecosystems and the planet as a whole. We may always be at the mercy of uncertainty, but we can control how we choose to manage our lands, and if we choose to grow a resilient and productive regenerative food system. 1. Gennet et al. 2017; Marty 2005; Henneman et al. 2014; Bartolome et al. 2014; Stahlheber and D’Antonio 2013; DiTomaso et al. 20072. Strand et al., 2014; Reinhardt et al., 20083. Byrnes et al. 2018; Conant et al. 2017; Pilon et al. 2017; Teague et al. 20114. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1082147.pdf5. Mayer et al. 2018; Paustian et al. 20186. https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/food/silvopasture7. https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/food/managed-grazing8. Ogilvy, S. et al 2018 Excerpt from TomKat Ranch’s newsletter “For five generations, Charles Massy’s family rode on the sheep’s back and nearly destroyed their land in the process. When drought in the 80s and 90s almost sent him broke, the Cooma farmer switched to regenerative agriculture and watched his overgrazed land recover. In his mid-50s, Charles Massy started a PhD, visiting 80 top regenerative farmers to see what they were doing differently. That led to his ground-breaking book ‘Call of the Reed Warbler’, a plea to farmers to start working with nature.” Regenerative Renegades Can Regenerative Agriculture Reverse Climate Change? Time to talk about the rapid collapse of Earth's major ecosystems which humans rely on for decent survival.This terrifying Ecological Catastrophe of climate chaos & extinctions is the biggest news story in human history, but most journalists have been ignoring it for DECADES. https://t.co/IPqvV2BcEt— Ben See (@ClimateBen) January 7, 2021 Time to talk about the rapid collapse of Earth’s major ecosystems which humans rely on for decent survival. This terrifying ecological catastrophe of climate chaos and extinctions is the biggest news story in human history, but most journalists have been ignoring it for decades.~ Ben See Dozens of frogs, fish, orchids and other species — many unseen for decades — may no longer exist due to humanity’s destructive effects on the planet. #climatecrisis #wildlifehttps://t.co/BNbDvrsgki— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 7, 2021 Deforestation, climate change and the conversion of wilderness for human food production are destroying Earth’s web of life.We have to change course and transform our relationship with the natural world.Nature is resilient and can recover if we ease our relentless assault. pic.twitter.com/5sg9KbJXkY— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 1, 2020 Study in Nature says "the carbon pollution already put in the air will push global temperatures to about 2.3°C".But of course this doesn't mean it's "game over".It means we're in a crisis and we'd better start to act like it.#FaceTheClimateEmergencyhttps://t.co/Jtah1TDAJ4— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 5, 2021 “Reverse emissions… sequestration in the soil, largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet, managed by farmers. They just need the tools. Soil Carbon Co are hard at work on this as we speak.”~ Guy Webb, responding to Greta Thunberg’s tweet Read more on soil carbon, carbon farming, and regenerative agriculture → Farmprogress – 12 March 2020:Poll finds regenerative ag brings less stress, more profits“A South Dakota State University survey asked regenerative ag producers to share their experiences.” → Phys.org – 17 March 2020:Natural solutions to the climate crisis? One-quarter is all down to Earth“Joint research conducted by the Nature Conservancy and the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, calculated the carbon-storing power of global soils and showcased approaches like agroforestry designed to capitalise on untapped potential. A critical, nature-based approach to mitigating climate change has been right at our feet all along, according to a new study reporting that soil represents up 25% of the total global potential for natural climate solutions (NCS) – approaches that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and lock it into landscapes, including forests, croplands and peatlands.” → High Country News – 2 May 2019:The case for carbon farming in California“Can farmers and ranchers use plants to capture greenhouse gases?” → AgFunderNews – 28 May 2019:Regenerative agriculture is getting more mainstream. But how scalable is it?“About one-third of the world’s topsoil is already acutely degraded, and the United Nations estimates a complete degradation within 60 years if current practices continue. According to a 2019 UN report, nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history, with the pace of species extinctions accelerating. Given this current state, are sustainable agriculture activists limiting themselves by merely maintaining? Enter regenerative agriculture.” The global movement to restore nature’s biodiversity Ted.com Meat production revolution in the making The day when protein will no longer come from animals is not far away. Meatless burgers is likely to mark the start of a major disruption in the food industry. Here is a video on the topic: and here is an article: → Big Think – 23 September 2019:The writing on the wall: The coming collapse of the industrial livestock industry“A new report sees a major disruption in where we get our food.” The next few decades are going to feel like falling in love Voices for Greta Welcome to the climatesafety clubhouse – our ‘carbon clearance house’ where we focus on carbon clarity, story change and a green recovery. Are we ready to shift our mindset and choose a different future? I am. If you are too, let’s meet. And I don’t mean physically, for now, but in The Tunnel – the digital tunnel. We have a members’ area on climatesafety.info which is growing little by little. Its a space for figuring out how we can act as individuals and as a community in a climate emergency. The choices we make right now matter. Words matter. Have a positive think about how you will step in and become part of a regenerative and transformative renewal. It’s all happening in The Tunnel. What we need to do, is get ready for the action, once we come out on the other side.~ Mik Aidt #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Become a member of Centre for Climate Safety * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name Organisation/position Phone Website (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[3]='MMERGE3';ftypes[3]='text';fnames[4]='MMERGE4';ftypes[4]='text';fnames[5]='MMERGE5';ftypes[5]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); document.getElementById("mc-embedded-subscribe").onclick = function () { location.href = "www.climatesafety.info/centre-for-climate-safety-members-area/"; }; After you have clicked, just wait a couple of seconds and you will be redirected to the memberpage… Membership is free and you can sign out at any time. For more information, see our privacy policy. THE REGENERATIVE HOUR: Restoring climate by rebuilding the landscape – a businessman, a hydrogeologist and a former Deputy Prime Minister talks with a regenerative farmer about solutions. #ClimateSafety #JoinTheRegeneration #RegenAg #Regenerative https://t.co/BEiL4MwBCI— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) January 13, 2021 → Share the news about this podcast on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram #IPCC scientist William Moomaw explains what we must do to restore a safe climate. He sees forest restoration as an important element of that.#ForestRestoration #DecadeOnEcosystemRestoration #Drawdown #ClimateEmergency #ClimateSafety https://t.co/p2NJwUA9w1— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) January 13, 2021 “Participation – that’s what’s gonna save the human race.”~ Pete Seeger, American singer → See more Regenerative Hours from The Sustainable Hour team

The Sustainable Hour no 347 Our two guests in The Tunnel on 30 December 2020 are involved in a grassroots group that started out in Adelaide in 2013. Since then, it has grown to such an extent that it has projects all over the country. It is called CORENA, which stands for Citizen-Owned Renewable Energy Network Australia. Margaret Hender, who founded CORENA, has recently passed on the chair-baton to Briony O’Shea. Briony has accepted this very enthusiastically and outlines what CORENA will do under her leadership. They will continue to look for grassroots projects that will result in carbon emissions being reduced. A particularly exciting new area for them will be helping people get off gas. One of their projects almost ready to go is a collaboration with the Geelong Bowls Club which is very close to reaching its target. You can find out more about this at corenafund.org.au Our attention then shifts to Margaret Hender who, as well as founding CORENA, co-founded the Climate Emergency Declaration petition and mobilisation – and Cedamia. We learn how something that started out in Australia in 2016 has grown to an international movement where almost 2,000 local governments authorities and 33 countries have declared a climate emergency. The number of Aussies who live in local jurisdictions that have declared a climate emergency now exceeds 35 per cent of the population – a number that must make our elected representatives at state and federal parliaments realise just how out of touch they are with the people they are elected to represent. We also learn how Margaret has maintained the list of all the climate emergency declarations, but isn’t confident that she has all of them, especially in non-English speaking countries. She outlines her plans for making these figures more reliable. In our last podcast for 2020, Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook starts out with a powerful quote from Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He then wraps up the global year with a couple of alarming facts, including the number of extreme weather events that caused more than $1 billion in damage, and the number of billionaires now in the world. He then takes us to California where there’s better news. Their government has taken an example from Germany in an attempt to create more demand for green energy. Finally for today and for 2020, Colin gives us the World Climate Watch ranking of countries in terms of their climate action and laws. Unfortunately no surprises as to where Australia appears on that ranking of 61 countries. It’s all part of our Truth-Telling-approach, but rest assured that we at The Sustainable Hour will be doing all that we can in the new year to improve Australia’s embarrassing world ranking. Along the way, Mik gives a couple of recommendations for films that he has seen recently: ‘I am Greta’ and ‘The Midnight Sky’. What a satisfying way to end 2020, a year like no other. We are so fortunate to talk to positive, determined and dedicated people like Briony and Margaret each and every week. And this is something we look forward to doing again in 2021 as we round in on show #350. We hope you have all gained from listening to our inspirational guests for yet another year. Keep sending suggestions for interesting people to interview or projects to cover. In 2021 we will continue to work tirelessly for a safer, more just, inclusive and healthy world, and we wish you, our listeners, a happy passage into the New Year and a year full of good health, love and enlightenment. “Humanity is waging war on nature. This is suicidal. Nature always strikes back – and it is already doing so with growing force and fury. Biodiversity is collapsing. One million species are at risk of extinction. Ecosystems are disappearing before our eyes. Human activities are at the root of our descent towards chaos. BUT that means that human action can help to solve it.”~ Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Hender, Cedamia: Visibility is key By Mik Aidt Two weeks ago, the United Nations asked all the world’s governments to declare a climate emergency and in that spirit get everyone on board to work relentlessly on reaching carbon neutrality. The UN Secretary-General told the 71 world leaders who attended the online Climate Ambition Summit that 38 countries have already declared a climate emergency. I’m not sure where he picked that figure up, because that is not the figure I’m familiar with. So far we have only counted 33 countries, which includes, most recently, Japan and New Zealand. The very reason we can say that there is climate emergency declaration movement is that we have this list – a very long excel spreadsheet – which Philip Sutton started and which Margaret Hender has continued building, keeping track of every new declaration, now adding up to 1,863 councils, 33 countries and numerous universities, schools, businesses, and so on. Covering an area of the world where 820 million people live. Cedamia was founded and is run by Margaret Hender and Philip Sutton. In the spirit of New Year and our looking into what we will be advocating for in the year to come, and how we think the Climate Emergency Declaration movement should keep evolving as it keeps growing and going to higher and higher places, in The Sustainable Hour today we talk with Margaret Hender about her views on the topic. In the coming year, after these first four intense years of campaigning for the Climate Emergency Declaration idea, while worsening reports about climatic and ecosystem collapse keep ticking in, does it still make sense for us as individuals to start taking action at the individual level? Or should we rather be focusing 100% on creating system change and mobilise political protests, while – as a part of that – we call on our governments to declare a climate emergency and begin to act accordingly? Margaret Hender’s answer is that we need to do both, but that the most important of it all is to create visibility around this and to start talking more about the issue. Climate emergency new year’s resolutionThe new year begins on Friday, and this is the time for making new year’s resolutions for a lot of people. Two years ago, my new year’s resolution was to declare a climate emergency for myself and my family, and act accordingly, and this actually got me started with a lot of new projects on our house, etc. What would it look like if you declare a climate emergency for yourself or for the people you live together with? When we started the Climate Emergency Declaration petition in 2016, Margaret and I produced this little additional ‘to do’ list – or ‘check list’ – to inspire signatories not only to sign our petition but also take a number of steps more in their private lives: Eight examples of actions for reducing carbon emissions • Minimise transport emissionsFor example, walk, ride, take public transport, use an electric vehicle, avoid air travel. Instead, use video conferencing, skype for business, etc, whenever possible. • Put your money into renewable energyInvest in renewable energy, or donate to community solar projects – see lists of investment and donation opportunities at www.corenafund.org.au. • Divest – Move your money out of fossil fuelsFor banks see www.marketforces.org.au, for superannuation see www.superswitch.org.au. • Power your house with clean energyInstall solar if you can, or buy renewables-friendly electricity. Disconnect from gas – see www.greenelectricityguide.org.au. • Be a conscious consumerFor example, buy only what you need, and buy things that last. Recycle. Upcycle. • Plant treesFor drawing down excess carbon in the atmosphere. For example Earth Day, Trees for Life • Eat less meatFor example, meat-free days, vegetarian, vegan • Make your house energy efficientSee www.energyfreedom.com.au (from https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/petition2/ ) I think that list still holds and could be used today, with very few possible modifications. Along similar lines, a climate activist group I’m working with in Denmark is in the process of producing a series of “Find your role” posters with advice to different groups in society about what they can do and how they can contribute once they have realised that we are in a climate emergency. The draft version (quickly translated) of the poster for citizens currently looks like this: #Climateforall #Allforclimate: The Citizen’s Role “We are in an ecological and climate emergency which poses the greatest threat in the history of mankind. We have only seen the beginning of the humanitarian catastrophe that the crisis appears to be developing into. For every day where we do not act decisively enough, the need for a braking hard becomes even greater.The situation “requires rapid and far-reaching changes without precedent in all sectors of society,” says the UN Climate Panel. None of us can say we are free from responsibility. At the same time, we have so much to gain. This is our chance to create a high quality of life for everyone within the boundaries of the planet. As citizens, we have both the right and the duty to contribute to shaping the society we want. So when our decision-makers act inadequately on the climate emergency, the responsibility falls back on us. We urge all citizens to follow seven recommendations to contribute to a socially just, rapid and safe transition to a carbon-neutral society. 1. TAKE THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY SITUATION SERIOUSLYRecognise the extensive research that documents that we are now in a climate emergency. See the need for rapid and radical societal change, which must be borne by those with the broadest shoulders. Do not wait for others to act. Decide to take your share of responsibility and prioritise the task above everything else. 2. GET YOUR CLIMATE FOOTPRINT UNDER 2 TONS PER YEAREat  plant-based whole foods in season and avoid food waste. Use bicycle, public transport, carpooling or car sharing. Stop using planes, cruise ships and owning a car. Only buy things you really need. Borrow, share, buy used or do without. Buy high quality that lasts a long time. Repair what is broken. Living on fewer square metres. Minimise your energy consumption and buy or produce climate-friendly energy. 3. DEVELOP AS A HUMAN BEINGDedicate more time to presence and care for yourself and others. Become an even better friend, colleague, boyfriend, parent or child. Cultivate your interests, develop new talents, seek out new experiences. Explore nature and culture in your area. Expand your horizons, keep learning. Stay curious. Slow down. 4. BUILD NEW COMMON IDEALS AND VISIONSHelp redefine the values, virtues and images of the future that guide societal development. Acknowledge that growth and increased material prosperity is from here on a privilege for the world’s poorest only. Define your success by what you do for others, your network and the wider community. Explore and support new proposals on how our economy, infrastructure and institutions can be designed to care for the community and the biosphere. 5. USE YOUR INFLUENCEAlways vote for the most climate-friendly party. Choose the most climate-conscious newspapers and media, shops and banks. Let the others know why you are dropping those that are not climate-friendly. Make sure that your pension savings and other assets are invested in solving the world’s environmental and climate challenges – and not in climate-damaging business. Work for climate-friendly initiatives in all the communities you are part of: at your workplace, your children’s school, in the sports club and so on. 6. GET INVOLVED IN THE ADVOCACY WORKEngage in community groups and organisations that stand for a climate-friendly society. Band together to pressure all members of society to take on the task. Get involved in the public debate. Participate in demonstrations and use civil disobedience if necessary. Be creative with developing new ways of getting the message out.7. PUSH THE NORMS, CHANGE THE STORYInspire your family, friends and acquaintances to adopt a climate-friendly life. Communicate that the climate emergency and the necessary societal changes are a shared responsibility. Start the vital debate about what a fulfilling sustainable life and society could look like. Gamechanger for climate emergency declaration campaign Recommended New Year listening: The Sustainable Revolution Dr Mark Carney, outgoing Bank of England governor, argues that the roots of our environmental emergency lie in a deeper crisis of values. He suggests how we can create an ecosystem in which society’s values broaden the market’s conceptions of value. In this way, individual creativity and market dynamism can be channelled to achieve broader social goals including inclusive growth and environmental sustainability. → The Reith Lectures on BBC:From climate crisis to real prosperity → Download or listen to the podcast audio file: https://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download/proto/https/vpid/p091jx0d.mp3 Reasons to be hopeful for 2021 Suzie Brown from Australian Parents For Climate Action wrote: “Here are some reasons to be hopeful! All Australia’s key trading partners, including the USA and the EU, now have zero net emissions by 2050 targets (with China’s target at 2060) – which puts huge pressure on the Australian government to act. The UK just committed to 68% emissions reductions by 2030, Denmark committed to phase out oil and gas exploration and New Zealand will go carbon neutral by 2025.  All Australian States have zero net emissions targets by 2050 and most have strong renewable energy targets. ACT and Tasmania are already at 100% renewable energy and South Australia is aiming for 500% renewables by 2030!!The new President of the USA, Joe Biden, has a strong climate action program and he and his team are already getting on with it! Big business is rapidly moving out of fossil fuels, for example in January the world’s biggest fund manager, Black Rock, committed to no longer invest in thermal coal. This coming year will be crucial.” Counting the cost 2020: A year of climate breakdown Extreme weather driven by climate change cost the world billions in 2020 – report Report identifies ten extreme events, influenced by climate change, that each caused $1.5 billion damage or more.Storm Ciara which struck UK and Europe in February cost $2.7 billion and killed 14 people.Floods, windstorms, tropical cyclones and fires killed thousands of people across the globe. → ReliefWeb – 28 December 2020:Counting the cost 2020: A year of climate breakdown“Ten of those events cost $1.5 billion or more, with nine of them causing damage worth at least $5 billion. Most of these estimates are based only on insured losses, meaning the true financial costs are likely to be higher.” → Goodmorningamerica.com – 27 December 2020:Hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires make 2020 a record year“At least 16 weather and climate disasters this year, exceeding $1 billion each.”→ Catholic News Service – 29 December 2020:Extreme heat, wildfires, storms marked advance of climate change in 2020“Extreme global temperatures, wildfires and hurricanes continued to plague the planet during 2020, prompting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urge an end to global “war on nature”.” Before its too late ‘The Midnight Sky’ was the most seen film on Netflix in Australia this weekend. Directed by George Clooney, who isn’t in a good mood, when he thinks about escalating climate emergency and what we humans are doing to our little blue planet. We are in 2049, and 2049, and most of the Earth’s population has been wiped out. We are not told why exactly, but when you look at the Earth from space, it looks very much like Australia last summer:  brown hazy smoke every where. But hey, why is a “we-are-all-doomed” movie like The Midnight Sky suddenly the most viewed Netflix movie in Australia? New Year – New Decade: The United Nations has declared 2021 to 2030 as “the decade on ecosystem restoration”. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2021–2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (hereafter the Decade), following a proposal for action by over 70 countries from all latitudes. The Decade positions the restoration of ecosystems as a major naturebased solution towards meeting a wide range of global development goals and national priorities. So the UN wants to“unite the world behind a common goal of preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. Forests, grasslands, croplands, wetlands, savannahs, and other terrestrial to inland water ecosystems, marine and coastal ecosystems and urban environments—all of them are in dire need of some level of protection and restoration.” “Restoration is a monumental task. Over the next ten years, every action counts. Every single day. Every country, company, organization, and individual has a role to play. Read the UN Decade strategy and its summary to learn more about recommended actions.” → www.DecadeOnRestoration.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media From grassroots with vision to global visibility: Our two guests in #TheTunnel on 30 December 2020 are Briony O'Shea, chair of CORENA, and Margaret Hender, co-founder of @Cedamia_AU and founder of @CORENAfund. #ClimateEmergencyDeclaration https://t.co/azP6qy72jO— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) December 30, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

In The Sustainable Hour no 346 on 23 December 2020, we depart from our usual format, as all of our guests come from the one overseas country. They are all very involved in environmental and climate campaigns in Malaysia. Khoo Shama is a long time social justice and environmental campaigner based in Penang. She writes and publishes environmental books.  We hear what campaigns she is currently working on – this mainly revolves around land reclamation projects in Penang. These will destroy the fishing grounds of hundreds of traditional fishers in that area. This, so more residential units can be built – units the average Malaysian can’t afford. You can find out more about Khoo’s work at: Climate Change Solutions | JEDI Network for Ecology and Climate. Indigenous Malaysian artist and activist Shaq Korok is a passionate defender of his people’s rights – his whole life is dedicated to improving the way his people are treated. He is a trainer in a South-Pacific Indigenour group called Savage Club. We learn how he feels that his education has given him a responsibility to do this important work. Shaq has a strong connection with Climate Action Malaysia – KAMY. Nadiah Dzulfakar is KAMY’s co-founder. Their planned activities have been restricted by Covid-19, but like many other determined youth groups working the world over for a better world, they have persisted and consequently grown in numbers. They have also connected with youth climate groups from all over South East Asia – these are becoming a force to be reckoned with both within their countries and collectively. You can find out more about KAMY at www.klimaactionmalaysia.org Thary Gazi Goh is a nature educator and urban naturalist. His current interests are the novel ecosystems that humans create, how to make urban areas more liveable for Malaysians and discover wildlife in the city. You can find out more about his work at Urban Biodiversity Initiative (UBI). Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook starts with very concerning news which has just come out of the Wiseman Institute in Israel – It compares  what humans have made to nature’s creations and the consequences of this.For the rest of today’s outlook he takes us to places that he highlighted during the year for environmental destruction/accidents and gives their current status. We revisit the  disastrous diesel oil spill at Norilsk in Russia, the devastating fires in the United States & the oil spill from a Japanese ship that ran aground in Mauritius. A very different Sustainable Hour for our second-last podcast of the year. If you found this interesting, please let us know. In these days of ‘Zoom enlightenment’, it is so much easier to organise international content for future shows. Let us know if this is something you’d like us to pursue in the future. 2020 became the year where we transitioned from a local radio show to a national and international podcast via the magic of Zoom. We wish everyone a very sustainable Christmas where you tread as lightly as possible on our more and more fragile existence. Until next Wednesday, we hope that you enjoy our podcast as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. As always, Live the difference. “Our existence is systematically ignore. They try to deny our existence. Our history has never been taught in schools, so the majority of Malaysians have no knowledge of our culture. I cannot just blame the system, I need to change it … I need to take the lead to show them what it is and tell the truth about our people.”~ Shaq Korok, Indigenous Malaysian artist and climate activist → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Response to UN Chief’s global climate emergency declaration call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On Saturday we targeted some of the worst climate criminals in Bristol for their large role in causing the climate & ecological crisis.Individual change is not enough to achieve carbon neutrality – we need political and systemic action #ExtinctionRebellion #XRYouth #ActNow pic.twitter.com/ZWt2fBtYjc— XR Youth Bristol (@XRYouthBristol) December 21, 2020 How bad was your 2020? This @GuardianAus interactive shows which areas of Australia dealt with drought, fire, flood, storms and #COVID19…in the same year. https://t.co/jwOo6pbn7Q— Environment Victoria (@EnviroVic) December 21, 2020 Climate Change Could Force 63 Million People From Their Homes in South Asia by 2050https://t.co/u20GntU0hCThe projection does not include those who will be forced to flee sudden disasters such as floods & cyclones, so is likely an under-estimate, noted @harjeet11 #1o5C — #ClimateJustice (@ClimateLitigate) December 21, 2020 Fall temperature departures during the last 42 years. This time of year coincides with greater "Arctic Amplification" [Data from ERA5 reanalysis averaged over September through November] pic.twitter.com/JQqhaXf4Nr— Zack Labe (@ZLabe) December 21, 2020 "Amsterdam is the first city in the world that wants to ban advertising from the fossil fuel industry and ads for air travel from the city."https://t.co/jO4VYnf5a1— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 21, 2020 Former Socceroo @Craig_Foster & current Matildas midfielder Aivi Luik are calling on FIFA to use the 2023 Women’s World Cup to highlight the importance of climate action.“Sport is directly affected by climate change… But it can be part of the solution."https://t.co/UH86QVh1aN— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) December 17, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Connecting with Malaysia – In #TheSustainableHour no 346 on 23 December 2020, we depart from our usual format, as all of our guests come from the one overseas country: #Malaysia.@jedipenang @klimaaction @ubi_my #ClimateAction https://t.co/R1caD9ZuF7— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) December 23, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

We start today’s Sustainable Hour with the words of the United Nation’s leader Antonio Guterres as he urges world leaders to declare a climate emergency in their countries: “I call on all leaders worldwide to declare a state of climate emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached,” the Secretary-General told a global Climate Ambition Summit over the weekend. The summit gathered leaders of 70 countries – including the British Prime Minister, the President of France, of China, Korea, Japan, India, the President of the European Union, the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Italy and Germany, and many more. “Can anybody still deny that we are facing a dramatic emergency?” Guterres asked via the live-streamed video-transmission in his opening remarks of the summit. It was a peak moment for the Climate Emergency Declaration movement. This call has been five years in the making. It started with signature-collecting volunteers in the streets in both Geelong and Melbourne. This then moved into council chambers, more and more of them, while keen volunteers kept track of the increasing number of declarations on an excel spreadsheet. After starting slowly, a tipping point was gradually reached, and four years down the track, almost 2,000 local government authorities worldwide had declared a climate emergency in their municipality. In the United Kingdom, close to 500 councils have declared a climate emergency, and 90 per cent of the population there live in a jurisdiction which has declared. And our language changed. Oxford Dictionaires named ‘climate emergency’ Word of the Year in 2019, and whether or not one has “declared” got a whole new meaning of its own. On Saturday 12 December 2020 – five years after the global Paris Agreement – the movement reached the top. The head of the United Nations. This is one of those moments where an editor-in-chief runs into the editorial room of hard-working journalists nearing the deadline and shouts, “We have breaking news! Whatever you are working on, drop it! Put everything aside and clear the front page!” So that is what happened with today’s Sustainable Hour – including Colin Mockett’s Global Outlook: We dropped our plans and concentrated on the weekend’s UN Climate Ambition Summit. On short notice, the Greens’ leader Adam Bandt joins us in The Tunnel. As a federal member for Melbourne, Adam was one of the first politicians to sign the Climate Emergency Declaration petition when it was launched in May 2016. In February 2017, Adam was the one who opened his parliamentary office in Canberra to receive a box of 18,000 signatures brought to him by kayak-travelling Steve Posselt. Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook gives us facts and figures that show the significance of this event in terms of the countries involved as well as the percentage of the world’s CO2 emissions they encompassed. This segways neatly into talk of the largest sand planet in the world and the fires that have been burning out of control there for six weeks before being extinguished by a flood. Next we hear about the world’s biggest company announcing it will be carbon neutral by 2030. Just as significantly, their supply chain companies also have to have at least the same ambition, or they will be dropped. Following this we hear the satirical brilliance of Juice Media take on the Morrison government’s lack of any real commitment to being part of the solution to the biggest threat that humanity has had to face: catastrophic global warming. When a government declares war, everyone knows what it means. And as Australia and its allies saw it during the Second World War, everone quickly finds their new role and get behind the call. Declaring a climate emergency is about getting everyone on the same page, put an end to ‘business-as-usual’ and get to work. This Saturday was a special moment for those of us who have pushed and pushed for this to become a recognised way to change the way we deal with the carbon emissions crisis. With the United Nations now behind this campaign, we can’t go any higher. Now it is about making good use of this moment and the new possibilities that open up because of it. Just as an example, yesterday Mik posted this short but so far unheard-of thought: “What if the massive but completely fragmented climate action movement actually suddenly saw itself able to come together around this call and would begin to speak with one voice for the same thing, ahead of anything else? Could that be our next big ambition as climate campaigners, now that we have the United Nations taking the lead call?” That option starts right here: Spread this message far and wide. Start meetings with Guterres’ short video clip. Send it to people who matter and make decisions. Include a quote in your email signature. Quote Guterres in anything you write or distribute. Add hashtags in your social media posts. The hashtag of the five-year long campaign has been #ClimateEmergencyDeclaration since the start. Greta Thunberg introduced #FaceTheClimateEmergency. Each municipality, country and professional group has their own, like #GeelongDeclares #AustraliaDeclares #DoctorsDeclare #BusinessDeclares, and so on. In 2016, The Sustainable Hour started calling out to the world that we need our government to declare a climate emergency to spur real action to avoid catastrophic global warming. This was a petition campaign started by just a handful of activists – Philip Sutton and David Spratt, Jane Morton, Margaret Hender and Mik Aidt, with Adrian Whitehead and Bryony Edwards joining in soon after. Three years down the track, more than 400,000 Australians signed an online petition on the Australian Parliament’s website, asking the government to declare a climate emergency. In March 2020 – half a year ago – Adam Bandt and the independent member Zali Steggall proposed a Climate Emergency Declaration Bill to the Parliament. Unfortunately, on 2 December 2020 it was rejected by a narrow majority of parliamentarians. But the story doesn’t end there. On the contrary, this is still just the beginning. This now has the potential to become a central election issue next time the Australian people will elect who is going to govern their country. As Adam Bandt points out, just three more Labor, Greens or independent members of the House of Representatives would defeat the current fossil government. However, as long as Labor still supports the development of new gas projects and public subsidy for new fossil fuel projects and infrastructure, electing a Labor government is not going to get us where science says we need to go. It is time for more radical change, both in politics and in our personal actions. It is time for a clean energy revolution, a drawdown revolution, or in short: a climate revolution. The new story begins right there as we enter 2021. So remember, as Greta reminds us, no one is too small to make a difference. Enjoy the break and live that difference. “More and more countries have committed to net zero emissions. The business community is getting on board the sustainability train. We see cities striving to become greener and more livable. We see young people taking on responsibility – and demanding it of others. Mindsets are shifting. Climate action is the barometer of leadership in today’s world. It is what people and planet need at this time.”~ Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . United Nations chief calls on governments to declare a climate emergency I call on leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached.Five years after the #ParisAgreement, we are still not going in the right direction.Let’s make the promise of a net zero world a reality. pic.twitter.com/pspktHxQc4— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) December 12, 2020 February 2017: Adam Bandt receives a box with the first collection of handwritten signatures – 18,000 alltogether – to the petition calling on the Australian Parliament to declare a climate emergency and act accordingly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . My name is Greta Thunberg and I am inviting you to be a part of the solution.As #ParisAgreement turns 5, our leaders present their 'hopeful' distant hypothetical targets, 'net zero' loopholes and empty promises.⁰⁰But the real hope comes from the people.⁰ #FightFor1Point5 pic.twitter.com/o9mmFuIoyI— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 10, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This video on Twitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Scott Morrison, declare a Climate Emergency!’ Your online action toolkit On 15 December 2020, Australian Parents for Climate Action published an online toolkit to urge PM Scott Morrison to declare a climate emergency. They wrote in a newsletter: “Today we are giving you an online toolkit to demand that PM Scott Morrison declare a climate emergency! Over the weekend, UN Secretary General António Guterres urged world leaders to declare a climate emergency until carbon neutrality is reached — aiming for net zero emissions by 2050.Otherwise, the UN warns, “we are headed for a temperature rise of 3.2 degrees this century — far beyond the 2015 Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to well below two degrees and pursuing 1.5 degrees.”But still, Prime Minister Scott Morrison refuses to commit to net zero emissions, despite 126 other countries having already made that commitment, including China, the world’s biggest emitter.The Australian government has so far only committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 26–28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. At that rate, Australia wouldn’t hit net zero until the 23rd century!That is not good enough. Our children’s future and safety is at stake. We need our PM Scott Morrison to lift his game now on climate.Download our online tool kit and tell Scott Morrison to join with world leaders in declaring a climate emergency!Post these Climate Emergency Social Media Tiles and tag the PM on Facebook (@scottmorrison4cook), Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn (@scottmorrisonmp). Our online toolkit includes suggested captions.We have to keep pushing our leaders for a climate-focused COVID-19 recovery. The UN’s Emissions Gap Report released last week states that “a low-carbon pandemic recovery could cut 25 per cent off the greenhouse emissions expected in 2030, based on policies in place before COVID-19. Such a recovery would far outstrip savings foreseen with the implementation of unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, and put the world close to the 2°C pathway.”Which is why we need our Prime Minister to hear the voice of parents – and our young kids – demanding action on the climate emergency. But for AP4CA to keep doing that, we need your help – will you sign onto our Climate Action Christmas and help us raise the funds to keep pushing the PM to act? We are only at 15 per cent of our fundraising target of $20,000. And with only 10 days until Christmas, we need you to sign up now to convert your family & friends’ Christmas shopping into climate action!To take part in our Climate Action Christmas appeal, sign up here >> get your very own fundraising page >> then ask your friends and family to make your Christmas gift a donation to climate action.Thank you for all that you do to help keep climate action on the agenda!Suzie, Heidi & Gavin and the team at Australian Parents for Climate ActionSign up to our Christmas appealP.S. The UN Environment Programme latest Emissions Gap Report is an excellent read to inform and inspire you on how to tackle climate action in your own life, in you community, and how governments can and need to act, and what ours is currently doing wrong.You can download it here: https://www.unenvironment.org/emissions-gap-report-2020 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ → 9News – 13 December 2020:UN pressure to declare ‘climate emergency’ as Australia’s lack of ambition sees Scott Morrison snubbed at world summit“The United Nations wants countries to declare a “climate emergency” to lift the sense of urgency in combating global warming.” (Video report) The Global Carbon Bucket 2020Climate change stops getting worse when CO₂ emissions get to zero!#ClimateAction must put us on a clear path to zero emissionshttps://t.co/ycYcuFSPdF pic.twitter.com/vSIJLa9Lkf— Glen Peters (@Peters_Glen) December 12, 2020 “We are close to a point of no return. We need to make sure that we act before that point of no return.”Rich failing to help fund poor countries' climate fight, warns UN Secretary General #ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis#ClimateAction https://t.co/1BKW84IpIz— Professor Peter Strachan (@ProfStrachan) December 11, 2020 "The combined emissions of the richest 1% of the global population account for more than twice the combined emissions of the poorest 50%.""This elite will need to reduce their footprint by a factor of 30 to stay in line with the Paris Agreement targets,"https://t.co/uvCQiLFU8k— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) December 9, 2020 School strike week 121. Tomorrow marks 5 yrs since the Paris Agreement. 5 yrs of inaction and creating loopholes.We can’t go on like this.Time to move from distant ”net zero” targets to real zero with binding, annual CO2 budgets starting now.#FightFor1Point5 #fridaysforfuture pic.twitter.com/LhYs30F7Sv— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 11, 2020 For these 2 days help amplify the message#FightFor1Point5 Day 11th December#ProtectNature spread the word This weeks #EU & #UN meetings are crucial #MakeParisReal#ClimateAction now#WeDontHaveTime to waitpic.twitter.com/r0DIDgkgaO— The Cart Horse (@TheCartHorse1) December 10, 2020 We only have one Earth.Let's treat our home a lot better.#ActOnClimate #ClimateAction #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/bjpTnOaBu4— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) December 11, 2020 "We must shift focus from net-zero targets to immediate, real emissions reductions. This massive transformation of our societies is our only way to fulfil the Paris agreement without relying on large-scale deployment of negative emission technologies."https://t.co/Ocs06H6biv— Wim Carton (@wim_carton) December 11, 2020 In 2021, we will take the next steps on our journey towards sustainable air travel, and completely neutralise the CO2 emissions of our Greenliner aircraft for the year: https://t.co/RFDxPTcegh pic.twitter.com/xtcZsS6NxX— Etihad Airways (@etihad) December 8, 2020 Mercedes-Benz is pushing ahead with the transformation to CO2 neutrality with measures along the value chain. The supplier network is a key element for achieving the climate goals due to the higher energy demand in the production of electric vehicles.https://t.co/61cj1M3fGv pic.twitter.com/zusiwXtHVh— Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) December 7, 2020 The #ParisAgreement is the blueprint for the pathway to an inclusive, resilient #zerocarbon economy that leaves no-one behind. Nearly half of the major economies and emitters in the G20 countries have #netzero targets, which are backed by business: https://t.co/5yl7Q60OYk pic.twitter.com/WI6AJCBx0T— We Mean Business (@WMBtweets) December 8, 2020 It’s getting hot in here… so ramp up your 2030 #climate targets! As part of the #ParisAgreement, countries must step up their national climate plans every five years. Learn more: https://t.co/ru2GUXK5b1#TogetherForOurPlanet pic.twitter.com/76MXKsJlC8— WRI Climate (@WRIClimate) December 7, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Gamechanger for the climate emergency declaration campaign: United Nations Secretary-General @AntonioGuterres calls on all countries to declare.In #TheTunnel today: @AdamBandt#ClimateEmergencyDeclaration #FaceTheClimateEmergency https://t.co/QXHoqcCAr8— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) December 16, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

Ty Christopher, Strategic Adviser at Ecojoule, heads the ‘Fix The Voltage’ campaign. In this podcast interview, Ty explains that the grid is supplying electricity at a voltage higher than that which our devises were designed. With current technology we can adjust this voltage leading to a saving of $108 per year for each consumer, plus a reduction of 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Renew Illawarra branch has a petition to be presented to Parliament requesting a change to policy and reduce the supply voltage to 230V. A lot of the technology required for this change is manufactured in Australia. The policy change can also assist in the Covid-19 recovery, explains Ty. We need to:• Remove demand from the grid• Increase energy security• Reduce the cost of electricity generation and supply• Reduce carbon emissions• Reduce energy bills for consumers• Create jobsHow can we achieve all of this at once?The FixTheVoltage campaign and the Voltsaver Project has an answer to this, says Ty. Ty Christopher B.E., MBA, is an electrical engineer with over 30 years experience in the power industry. He is passionate about reducing green house gas emissions for Australia using innovative, Australian developed technology. Guest host together with Rusty is Tom Hunt. From the vault:Brian Dawe and (late) John Clarke: “The Energy Market Explained”Wayne Jury’s song “Oil and Gasoline” recorded live in The Sustainable Hour studio in 2017Excerpt from The Project: interview with Simon Holmes á Court about energy policy Links Petition: Fix the voltage at Change.orgFix the voltage to 230, reduce emissions and Save $ YouTube:Reducing Carbon Emissions and Energy Bills – Renew Webinar FixTheVoltage’s Youtube Channel Facebook:www.facebook.com/FixTheVoltage Twitter:www.twitter.com/FixTheVoltage Website:www.ecojoule.com

The Sustainable Hour no 344 On 9 December 2020 in The Tunnel we have tree guests: [08:30] David Spratt, who co-wrote ‘Climate Code Red – The Case for Emergency Action‘ with Philip Sutton 12 years ago, takes us through the latest Breakthrough publication, Climate Reality Check 2020, and how we are what he calls “blowing up the climate system.” [27:00] Geelong Sustainability’s Sal Fisher explains her strong concerns about Viva Refinery’s plans for a floating gas hub in Corio Bay. She counters each advantage that Viva has been mentioning in our local media and gives an alternative vision that won’t cost us the Earth (literally). She leaves us with the strong impression that fossil gas can’t play any part in the transition away from fossil fuel. [43:00] After hearing from our first two speakers on the problems associated with our continued use of fossil fuels, our third guest, Elly Tucker, changes the tone and talks about a climate solution about which she is very enthusiastic. She introduces the concept of an Ecosystem Restoration Camp, the first of which they recently started in the beautiful Thora Valley near Bellingen in Northern NSW. Now Elly and her team are actively looking for other sites to regenerate. The big question we have at the end is: Will one of these be around Geelong?[03:30] In Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook today, we firstly hear about the times that various countries have set for phasing out their petrol driven vehicles. He then brings us back home and tells us about still more hot temperature records that have been set in Australia. Next he takes us to Brazil with some very sobering figures about the rate of deforestation in the Amazon. Finally he brings a very stern warning to the Australian government because of its lack of real action to address the climate crisis from none other than Christiana Figueres, the former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change who was the architect of the global Paris Agreement on Climate in 2015.That’s all we could fit in for this week’s show. We’ll be back next week, to shine extra lumens on people working on solutions or warning us of the problem. Until then: Live the difference. “The climate wars that have been going on in Australia for over a decade now are just… honestly, they are such a suicidal situation because Australia, of all the countries in the world, Australia holds such promise with renewable energy. There is no other country that has as much sun potential as Australia.”~ Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Climate Code Red – 16 April 2020:Fatal calculations: How bad economics encouraged climate inaction“The climate emergency requires actions at emergency speed for a rapid transition to a post-carbon, safe-climate …” Today I was guest editor in chief for Sweden’s largest newspaper @dagensnyheter (https://t.co/b5dANgHisc).Here’s a 30 second summary.The emperors are naked.Every. Single. One. pic.twitter.com/ZelT1qZfbn— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 6, 2020 → The New Daily – 8 December 2020:Report: Health sector must prepare for climate change, like it did with COVID-19 → ABC News – 7 December 2020:Heat is the ‘silent killer’ of Australia’s bushfire season and experts say climate change is the root cause → Greenpeace – 3 December 2020:Australia must commit to net-zero by 2040 or risk catastrophic damage to the Pacific: Greenpeace report“Australia’s inadequate climate policies could see the world heat by almost four degrees by 2100 but the worst can be avoided for parts of the Pacific if Australia and other major emitters adopt a net-zero emissions by 2040 target, according to a new report by Greenpeace.” → UN Environment – 2 December 2020:Report: ‘The Production Gap’, 2020“Countries aim to produce 120% more fossil fuels by 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.” → UN News – 2 December 2020:Climate Action: It’s time to make peace with nature, UN chief urges“The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has described the fight against the climate crisis as the top priority for the 21st Century, in a passionate, uncompromising speech delivered on Wednesday at Columbia University in New York.” Global average per capita CO2 emissions for– Top 1% income earner: 74 tonnes– Bottom 50% income earner: 1 tonnes This is why #climatejustice is the heart of the #climatecrisis We can’t #FaceTheClimateEmergency unless this is our focus. @UNEP #GapReport pic.twitter.com/PBHKLQ4n3z— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 10, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gas Free Geelong Viva Energy is pushing ahead with plans to build an LNG regasification terminal at its Geelong refinery. ABC News reported: “• Viva has signed a memorandum of understanding with four major energy and investment companies • They will work together on plans for an LNG terminal and future energy hub to be built at Viva’s oil refinery in Geelong • If the project goes ahead it could help underpin the future of the refinery, which employs about 700 people but has faced significant financial difficulties” Meanwhile, no one at Viva Energy appears to care much about the measurable fact that in Australia, November’s maximums came in at 2.9˚C above the 1961-90 average, or that a new report suggests 2020 is on track to be among the top three hottest years on record. One major contributor to the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere, which results in rising temperatures, is the use of fossil fuels. How is it even possible that the executives at Viva and their investors show so little care about that their fossil fuel products represent an escalating threat to life on our entire planet? A comprehensive report released by the World Meteorological Organisation revealed the global mean temperature was about 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (1850 to 1900) between January and October 2020. The data places 2020 in second place for the title of hottest year on record, following 2016 and ahead of 2019. A consortium of researchers led by the Stockholm Environment Institute have calculated that to meet the temperature targets set in the Paris accord, “the world will need to decrease fossil fuel production by roughly 6% per year between 2020 and 2030. Countries are instead planning and projecting an average annual increase of 2%, which by 2030 would result in more than double the production consistent with the 1.5°C limit.” Their UN-backed report urges the world to decrease production of coal, oil and gas by 6 per cent per year this decade, if we are to avert “catastrophic” global temperature rise. Yet the report finds that the “production gap” remains large: countries plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with a 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit. Denmark, on the contrary, cut its energy-related CO2 emissions by more than 9 per cent in 2019 compared to the year before – mainly due to a lower consumption of fossil fuels, the country’s annual “Energy Statistics” show. Consumption of coal in Denmark dropped by whopping 44 per cent. Conversely, renewable energy consumption increased by 4.9 per cent. More than two thirds of Danish electricity consumption is now covered by renewable sources. Just yesterday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and international scientists released the 2020 Arctic Report Card, and their diagnosis was predictably grim, confirming that the Arctic is continuing its transformation, at an alarming rate, to a warmer and less-frozen region, a fact with enormous consequences for the rest of the planet. More in Inside Climate News The American author Bill McKibben described in his weekly newsletter precisely where we are at. “We’ve already put so much carbon into the air,” he wrote. Viva Energy and the company’s investors pretend to be blind to all of this, and are seemingly in denial about the way consumers and businesses inevitably will be responding to this slowly developing catastrophe in the coming years: by turning off gas and petrol. Pushing ahead with irresponsible and shortsighted plans to build a new climate-wrecking gas terminal is for some strange – or maybe not so strange – reason supported by the local newspaper Geelong Advertiser, heavily spruiking Viva’s gas “dream”. The paper has been publishing one article after anoter with headlines such as “Bay gas dream growing”. “A plan to create a floating gas processing plant at the Geelong refinery is powering forward, with Viva Energy signing two international consortiums to join the project. The deals are expected to help fast-track the gas project announced in June while giving Viva Energy additional scope to develop a multipronged energy hub at the battling Corio refinery. Viva Energy will now start work on detailed engineering design work for the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal at Refinery Pier and has put the floating storage regasification unit to tender,” wrote Geelong Advertiser. Viva CEO Scott Wyatt told the newspaper that the gas project was on track for a final investment decision by the middle of 2022 with a view to having gas in the market by 2024 in time to meet forecast domestic gas shortfalls. Comments“The only things that Viva’s proposed floating methane terminal will achieve are the termination of Gelong’s aspirations as a UNESCO City of Design and the community’s vision for a clever and creative future! The demand for gas is falling and this terminal would become a redundant blight on our beautiful bay and city.”~ John “Is it just me – or is the PARIS AGREEMENT just not going to be enough??? 30 years is a bloody long time to keep destroying the earth as we know it!! For those who ARE doing their best to get the job done way earlier, keep up the good work.”~ Erik Thorup The Climate Planet film is a scientific “tour-de-force” in an easily accessible and engaging format. Going back to the very beginnings of the creation of our planet, the film shows how our climate relies on a complex balance. A balance that humans are now effectively upsetting. From PPM concentrations, Keeling curves, gulf streams, methane gasses, PH values, IPCC and the Rio convention, the film is a condensed encyclopedia into all you need to know about our climate and what it takes to help stabilize it. The film is mainly intended for information and educational purposes. To make it easier for teachers, students, or others to integrate the film into their curriculums, the film has been divided into 16 chapters. → Read more on www.climateplanetfoundation.org → The Climate Planet film on YouTube Denmark set to end all new oil and gas extraction in the North Sea by 2050As part of Denmark’s ambitious plan to become independent of fossil fuels by 2050, the Danish government has agreed to cancel its ongoing 8th licensing round and all future rounds to extract oil and gas. The deal also establishes a final phase-out date of fossil extraction by 2050 and lays out plans for a just transition of impacted workers. Read more Grattan Report release: Climate change and health: preparing for the next disaster Australia is getting hotter, and that is harming Australians’ health, according to a new Grattan Institute report. Climate change and health: preparing for the next disaster warns that last summer’s devastating bushfires are a portent of things to come as global warming increases the severity and frequency of natural disasters in Australia. Thirty-three people were killed directly by the 2019-20 bushfires. Thousands lost their homes or their livelihoods. Those who fought the fires, or who live in hard-hit areas, will suffer the mental health consequences for decades to come. Millions of Australians, including in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra, were affected by bushfire smoke. The smoke alone caused more than 400 additional deaths and sent thousands of people to hospital emergency departments with respiratory and heart problems. Australia is already about 1.5 degrees warmer than it was a hundred years ago. We’ve just recorded our hottest November. And there is worse to come. Climate change will cause harsher heatwaves and more severe storms. In the far north of Australia, cyclones will be more intense, causing floods that will destroy homes, businesses, and public buildings. Further south, droughts will be longer, creating still more hardship for farmers and regional towns and cities. The health sector must adapt to the reality of a warming Australia.It must develop plans and protocols to minimise the harm caused by climate disasters. It must ensure people can continue to get healthcare services and medications when disaster strikes. And it must provide mental health support, not just during a crisis but for decades after. Although we are too late to prevent climate change from harming our health, we can act now to prevent greater damage. The health sector should set an example by cutting its greenhouse gas emissions to help minimise further damage. State and territory public health sectors should have net-zero emissions plans in place by the end of 2023. For health departments, hospitals, and local healthcare networks, responding to climate change is not an optional extra, it is core business. Climate change is damaging Australians’ health and wellbeing right now, and things are only going to get worse. Unfortunately, the black summer of 2019-20 won’t be a one-off. In 2020, Australia listened to the science and acted on the health advice to prevent some of the catastrophic health consequences of COVID-19. Now we must do it again. → Read the report Our planet is in a state of climate emergency.But I also see hope.There is momentum toward carbon neutrality. Many cities are becoming greener. The circular economy is reducing waste. Environmental laws have growing reach. And many people are taking #ClimateAction. pic.twitter.com/dDAHH279Er— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) December 2, 2020 Australia is the world's third largest exporter of fossil fuels and growing. We ignore the #ClimateEmergency to our peril. #ClimateActionNow https://t.co/GGHccVvcIv @RDNS_TAI #auspol— Doctors for the Environment Australia (@DocsEnvAus) December 2, 2020 Glasgow and Edinburgh are leading the race to become the UK’s first net-zero city. Let's speed it up. Who’s next?We have the solutions. Let's implement them.#ActOnClimate #climate #energy #BuildBackBetter pic.twitter.com/bK3xHsEJql— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) December 2, 2020 ”Let’s face facts. The state of our planet is broken. Humanity is waging war on Nature. This is suicidal. Nature always strikes back, and is doing so with gathering force and fury.” – UN Secretary General @antonioguterres https://t.co/F9lJenM38O— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 2, 2020 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cr Jim Mason – Bellarine Ward (@jimmasonbellarine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Energy reality check, gas resistance and ecorestoration: Guests in #TheSustainableHour no 344 are David Spratt, Sal Fisher and Elly Tucker for talks about #ClimateRealityCheck2020, #GasFreeGeelong and #EcosystemRestorationCamps. #ClimateEmergency https://t.co/B6Vn6cpi0B— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) December 9, 2020 → Share this post on Twitter and Facebook → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

The Sustainable Hour no 343In The Tunnel on 2 December 2020, our special guest is Adrian (Ace) Buchan. Adrian continues the series we have been running of talking to climate concerned elite sports people. His sport being surfing. We learn why he has decided to speak up about his concerns and the extent of the love for, and commitment to his children, his sport and the natural environment. He is one of the rapidly increasing number of elite sports people who are prepared to use their position of influence in our sports crazy country to effect change. Janine Duffy, the latest member of The Sustainable Hour team, gives us her monthly update of the world of koalas. She firstly rejoices in the news that the Federal Government plan to further weaken environmental protection laws were overturned in the senate. Next she celebrates Australia’s achievement in winning a major international travel award for the way we responded to the destructive fires of last summer. Finally, we hear of work to engage communities on the Mornington Peninsula in building koala habitat. In Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook this week we stick fairly close to home. His first item features the huge anmount of money that the Victorian government have committed to a green recovery to the economic ravages of COVID19. Next we hear about Brett Sutton, the Victorian Chief Health Officer’s attitude to climate change. He then intrigues us with news of an ex-Federal government Finance Minister’s apparent change of heart on climate as he campaigns to get the head position of an important European economic organisation. Finally we hear about the World Meteorological Organisation’s assessment of carbon emissions during the pandemic. We also play an excerpt of a Facebook video reality check about White America’s identity crisis by Matthew Cooke. We hope that you enjoy listening to this week’s show as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.  We’ll be back in seven days with our focus on solutions to the climate crisis we face. Until then: Live the difference. “When a child makes a mess, who cleans it up? The adults clean it up. A culture producing messes without cleaning them up is a culture at a child-level responsibility. The modern consumer society makes messes with no intention of cleaning them up. It is a society at a child-level responsibility”~ Clinton Callahan, management consultant → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “We need to be positive and grasp the opportunities presented to us by this pandemic, opportunities like the pursuit of an inclusive and future-focussed recovery, including a green recovery, with an increased reliance on renewables, improved energy efficiency, addressing climate change and accelerating the transition to a lower emissions future.”~ Mathias Cormann, former Federal Finance Minister  When words such as these come from none other than our former Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, it is both a sign that the story is changing and that our politicians are playing an incredible game of weasel words and lies with us. While in parliament Cormann did not vote in favour of any motion supporting real action on climate change or the just transition for workers to a renewable energy powered future. And in numerous live interviews on the ABC and Sky News he spoke as an outright climate denier. The context of these words is important to notice in order to understand where he is coming from and give us further insight into the true nature of this man – and of many of our politicians whose values are for sale to the highest bidder. Cormann’s big change is that now that he is out of politics and campaigning to become the head of the Europe-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD. And to be considered a serious candidate for a position like that, this is how you need to speak, because this is the new mindset of the world outside of Australia. Will the OECD be fooled by his apparent change of heart? Watch this space. Or read more about it in The Guardian. This is what American author Bill McKibben had to say about it: Everyone’s after Joe Biden for a job, including the Australian former finance minister Mathias Cormann, who wants Biden’s support to become the next secretary-general of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Environmentalists down under are opposed: Cormann has been an apologist for Australia’s truly dismal climate action and took the stage at Davos this year to explain that “not every coal mine is a bad thing for the environment.”Bill McKibben Meanwhile, the Victorian government has announced it throws $1.6 billion into renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives – but also introduces a new tax that will cost owners of an electric vehicle some extra $500 a year. And Holland introduces a new tax system that does the complete opposite: they make it cheaper to be an EV owner – like many other European countries are going it – but Holland takes it much further, they are introducing a new carbon tax, and they do it with pride and positivity – under the headline ‘Taxes for the Climate’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Declaring a climate emergency is a statement of intent about addressing the climate crisis. However, we know we have to back our words with action. We will work across Govt to ensure the declaration is backed with policy to bring emissions down. https://t.co/3KMDHFKk2l— James Shaw (@jamespeshaw) November 26, 2020 → SBS – 27 November 2020:New Zealand’s government will declare a climate emergency, pledging ‘immediate action’“New Zealand will put forward a motion to declare a climate emergency, something Jacinda Ardern wasn’t able to do in her first term.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charged for not polluting…? All around the world countries are encouraging the uptake of cleaner electric vehicles – but here in Australia we’re about to become one of the first places to whack electric vehicle owners with a new tax. South Australia and Victoria are charging ahead with plans to introduce a new tax on electric vehicles (EVs) and NSW’s Treasurer has said they plan to follow suit [1].  Why is this bad news? Australia is already an electric transport laggard and this new tax will discourage the uptake of EVs and keep polluting cars on the road for longer [2]. We should be incentivising cleaner cars that can run on solar energy, not making them even less affordable! Ministers from the ACT and Queensland have come out against this backwards idea – but that won’t stop other states and territories from taxing cleaner transport [3].  Keeping polluting cars on the road for longer is bad news for Australians’ health, hip pocket and the climate. Transport emissions are one of the largest and fastest growing sources of pollution in Australia so now, more than ever, we need to be supporting our electric vehicle industry. But this tax sends a signal to EV manufacturers and suppliers that Australia is closed for business.  A thriving electric vehicle market would be good news for all Australians. We should be encouraging the local EV market, so the prices come down and all Australians can access cleaner cars with lower fuel and maintenance costs. Can you email your Treasurer, asking them to make electric vehicles more affordable for Australians, not less? We’ve made it easy! Australians are world leaders in rooftop solar because pumping out cheap and clean energy from the roof is a no-brainer. If the cost of electric vehicles came down, many more of Australia’s quiet clean energy achievers would leap at the chance to drive smarter.  We can’t let state and territory governments slow innovation. Email them today. Warm regards,Ellen for the Solar Citizens team P.S. Want to know more about this proposed EV tax and why the idea is being considered? Read our blog post here.[1] “Shameful”: Victoria follows South Australia and imposes electric car road tax, the Driven, 21 November 2020.[2] Driver taxes will put Australia even further behind in electric vehicle market, research finds, ABC, December 2020.[3] Qld says Vic, SA jumping the gun on electric vehicle tax, Brisbane Times, 27 November 2020. Solar Citizenswww.solarcitizens.org.au Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Surfing a new wave of energy and action – Special guest In #TheSustainableHour today is elite surfer Adrian (Ace) Buchan. #Surfers4Climate https://t.co/LAN0KCXW5x— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) December 2, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com and www.facebook.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

The Sustainable Hour no 342In The Tunnel on 25 November 2020, we have three guests, all doing very much different things, but all with the same aim: The aim of being active participants in solutions to the chaotic place where business-as-usual will take us. Anisa Rogers has been very active over the last few weeks organising an outstanding online forum that is running counter to the International Mining & Resources Conference, IMARC. The conference runs in Melbourne each year at this time. This year, while in their hiatus, Anisa and others from Front Line Action on Coal (FLAC) decided to run ‘Blockade IMARC’ via Zoom. The incredible fruits of their efforts will be rolled out till this coming Sunday 29 November. To see their program, go to www.blockadeimarc.org.au. Carina Mammone from Tomorrow Movement co-founded this group with the aim of creating an unstoppable movement of young people fighting for a society with good healthy jobs, great public services with safety nets and a safe climate for all. Saimon Boyle from Urban Farm and House tells us of the risk he took in leaving his stable, but unfulfilling job a couple of years ago and starting his own business. A risk he has no regrets about as his business grows. We start the hour with a recording from the Japanese Parliament on 19 November, where the Japanese minister for the environment, Koizumi, said: “The world is facing a climate emergency”, and had the entire hall of parliamentarians stand up up in acknowledgement of his proposal that Japan – the world’s third largest economy – declares a climate emergency and now will “radically strengthen its efforts toward the realisation of a carbon-free society – as soon as possible.” Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook has a number of examples of extreme weather events that haven’t been mentioned on our mainstream media: Out of control fires since July in South America, a cyclone in Honduras with multiple deaths, extreme record breaking heat in our country and extreme fossil fuel driven air pollution in India.To counterbalance these negatives he tells us of energy requirement laws brought in by San Francisco’s local government authority as well as England’s conservative leader Boris Johnson’s exciting 10 point plan to counter the climate crisis we all face. The big question he leaves us with is: When will our LNP government come up with a similar plan? Till we return next Wednesday: Live the difference! “By 2050 Australia will experience economic losses on par with COVID every single year if we don’t address climate change. That would compromise the economic future of all future generations of Australians.”~ Pradeep Philip, Deloitte’s principal report author → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Japan declares Japan has just declared a climate emergency. The climate emergency movement continues to grow even through COVID ⁦@MobilizeClimate⁩ https://t.co/dWC20nXOku— Eytan Lenko (@eytanlenko) November 20, 2020 Japan – world’s third-largest economy – declares a climate emergency → Reuters – 19 November 2020:Japan lawmakers declare climate emergency after government sets zero emissions goal A #ClimateEmergency declaration by Japan is excellent. Now will it be treated *as* an emergency? https://t.co/m11z0Ijm21— Extinction Rebellion (@ExtinctionR) November 19, 2020 → Read more about why we are in a climate emergency in the report ‘Climate Reality Check’, which lays out the worsening climate reality, and urgency for action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Tomorrow Movement “An unstoppable movement of young people fighting for a society with good jobs, great public services and a safe climate for all.” Website – Instagram – Facebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Australian Climate Dividend The Australian Climate Dividend Plan involves a tax of A$50 per metric ton of CO2 emissions on electricity, direct combustion, transport, fugitive emissions, and industrial processes. The revenue generated would then be returned, evenly, to every voting-age Australian citizen. This would represent a tax-free payment of approximately $1,300 per person per annum. Prices on petrol, oil and gas would go up, but the average Australian household is estimated to be $585 per annum better off even so. The lowest income-quintile households would be $1,305 per annum better off. Read the report and see if you agree that this sounds like such a no-brainer. With the purpose of making ideas like this one into law, now is the time to get into politics.→ Get the report and show it to everyone you know in politics! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why are western media not covering the catastrophic #ClimateEmergency #Wildfires raging in #Argentina? Is it because it’s not #California?Utter devastation. Been going on for months. A million acres gone in central & northern areas. #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/mX357e8nbC— Brendan May (@bmay) November 15, 2020 “In greenlighting the Narrabri gas project, the Federal Government shows a lack of care for the families, farmers, and wildlife who need a safe climate to survive" – Prof. Will Steffen, Climate Councillor#Auspol https://t.co/3ENWg7uKtF— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) November 24, 2020 In a landmark decision on 12 November, a Canadian court ruled that fundamental rights can be threatened by climate change and citizens can challenge the government’s actions on climate change through legal means. https://t.co/nDZb0ra8p4#ClimateLegislation #VoicesForGreta— Put Climate First (@PutClimateFirst) November 24, 2020 stranded assets https://t.co/oAF4ggzSgS— Akshat Rathi (@AkshatRathi) November 24, 2020 Courts have called time on the French government.It has three months to prove it is taking real steps against the #ClimateEmergency, or face legal action.It’s time to act.#ClimateJusticehttps://t.co/TLTCWXP1RR— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) November 20, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Saturday 28 November: Protect our Future Not GasWebsite to register onFacebook event page Sunday 29 November: Victoria’s long awaited emission targets will be set in December. Strong targets are vital. A day of virtual action is happening on Sunday. Facebook event page – Read more Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Counter business as usual: Anisa Rogers, #blockadeimarc – Carina Mammone, #TomorrowMovement – Saimon Boyle, #UrbanFarmandHouse – #JapanDeclares #ClimateEmergencyDeclaration#ProtectOurFutureNotGas https://t.co/sitKXEgbHq— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) November 25, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com, www.facebook.com and www.instagram.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

Two inspirational women are paving the way: Belinda Moloney and Emma Pocock Our guests in the Tunnel on 18 November 2020 are two extraordinary climate leaders who are paving the way out of that corner which our federal government has painted itself and everyone else in this country into – by its unwillingness to take the climate emergency seriously and set appropriate targets.We find out what motivated successful ‘Put Climate First’ candidate Belinda Moloney to stand in the recent City of Greater Geelong elections, and what her plans are now that she is Councillor Moloney, one of three representatives for Kardinia Ward. We hear of her gratitude to the people who voted for her, the responsibility she feels for their faith in her, who she intends to stay connected with them, as well as what she hopes to be able to achieve while on council. And we talk with Emma Pocock, the founder of FrontRunners. Emma is the next in our series of interviews on the influence that climate-concerned elite sportspeople can have in our sports-crazy country. Emma’s climate-concern is such that she founded the organisation to educate and inspire both athletes and sporting bodies alike about the impact that climate disruption will have on that industry, how we can all become ‘front runners’ creating climate solutions, as well as the wisdom for them in making allowances for all of this in their planning. Colin Mockett starts his Global Outlook with a quiz with an unexpected answer. This leads into a chat about our country’s lack of willingness to take climate change seriously. He takes a look at the emission reduction targets by 2050-2060 that all five of our main trading countries have set and how Australia’s unwillingness to set our own targets will isolate us both economically and morally. Finally we zoom back to Australia and hear what two major companies are doing to accept responsibility for their contribution to the climate crisis we face. Yet another stark contrast to our Federal Government. That’s it for another episode of The Sustainable Hour – we look forward to being back with you all next Wednesday, and until then we’ll be doing our best to ‘live the change’ – and we encourage you to do the same. Live the difference! “The thing that I keep thinking about is that professional sport will probably be able to stomach the costs in adapting to the kind of scenarios we are looking at in the future, but for community sport, for school sport, for kids playing on the weekend, these changes will be harder and harder to adapt to. As an industry, how do we mobilise to do our bit to make sure that sport continues?”~ Emma Pocock, founder of FrontRunners → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cr Belinda Moloney Cr Belinda Moloney in The Sustainable Hour on 18 November 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emma Pocock Emma Pocock in The Sustainable Hour on 18 November 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …to which the American senator Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez retweeted and received 400,000 likes: “I’m willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change for 30 years when you secretly knew the entire time that fossil fuels emissions would destroy our planet.”A group of English youth in the Extinction Rebellion movement replied, “We’re willing to shut you down before you murder any more environmentalists who get in the way of you extracting oil.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .@Woolworths has committed to power all of its operations with 100% renewable electricity within just five years. "Woolworths is demonstrating that renewable energy not only makes environmental sense, it makes business sense too” @renew_economy https://t.co/XY6N3ICYkR— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) November 11, 2020 We have a long way to go….come on @AngusTaylorMP @ScottMorrisonMP we are being left behind ! https://t.co/RV4PvdHG5d— Geelong Sustain Gp (@geelongsustain) November 12, 2020 #ClimateHeroes: Countries Pioneering A Green Future "#RenewableEnergy provides more than 93% of #Kenya’s electricity & the government plans to expand further so everyone in the country has access either to the grid or community #Solar power by 2022"https://t.co/gtUQc2FsdS— Peter Strachan (@ProfStrachan) November 11, 2020 The science is clear: Failure to meet the goals of the #ParisAgreement means irreparable catastrophe for people, communities, economies & nations.Everyone has a crucial role in taking #ClimateAction.Together we can achieve carbon neutrality for a sustainable future.— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 11, 2020 Stunning opportunities ahead for Geelong & Western Victoria too if we transition now too. Lets not get left behind. There's $3-5 billion in projects waiting locally, the Big Battery is just the start. @SenSHenderson @RichardMarlesMP @LibbyCokerMP https://t.co/3mKRm4UmYJ— Geelong Sustain Gp (@geelongsustain) November 12, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media PAVING THE WAY: "First we take Manhattan…" Our guests in the Tunnel on 18 November 2020 are two extraordinary climate leaders who are paving the way… #PutClimateFirst #FrontRunners #ClimateEmergency #ClimateEmergencyDeclaration #AustraliaDeclares https://t.co/NAOQcnpaCw— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) November 17, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

The Sustainable Hour no 340 on 11 November 2020 prepares us for the National Day of Action against new fossil fuels which will be held on Saturday 28 November 2020. We have the women from Friday’s For Future Online who are part of the organising committee for this important day. As well as being a day of protest, it is also a day to acknowledge and celebrate all the “ordinary” Aussies who day in day out are fighting for the fossil fuel age to end. The idea for this National Day of Action #ProtectOurFutureNotFossilFuels arose when fracking permits were approved around Narrabri in New South Wales. This was in-spite of thousands of objections against it. A local farmer, Margaret Fleck, was particularly incensed at this decision and, in true Aussie spirit reached out to her networks, to see what could be done about this injustice. Law student Sonia McKay from Newcastle and Hunter Valley knitting nanna loop Lynn Benn soon joined her. This built onto the momentum which started at an online rally on 5 October 2020 and has grown to such an extent that now there are at least 60 groups, which include thousands of determined Australians from all over the country wanting to be involved in actions during the day as well as the online forum that night. In listening to these women, there is no underestimating the extent of their resolve to stop new fossil fuel projects no matter where they are. Our other guest in The Tunnel today is ex-A League player and Perth resident Chris Harold. Chris continues our focus on the important role that climate concerned elite athletes have in using their position of privilege and influence to speak publicly about their concerns. Chris, like our other guests today has well and truly answered the call to speak out and will no doubt continue to do so as he interacts with the A-League Players Association. Colin Mockett has us zooming all over the planet as usual in his Global Outlook. The main focus is on the results of the US elections and what that means for the world. He also beams about the increased number of Greens candidates who were elected in the recent Victorian local government elections. Finally we hear some bad news for penguins and seals and their breeding grounds at South Georgia Island. That’s it from The Tunnel as our Covid-hiatus gets ever closer to ending. Till next week – Live the difference! “Just within a matter of days, we were able to have such a large amount of response to people not wanting a gas-led recovery, not wanting the Narrabri conditional approval and being really unhappy and angry about it.”~ Sonya McKay, Fridays For Future Online → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Protect Our Future, Not Gas’ National Day of Action → Facebook event page → Registration EXTINCTION REBELLION VICTORIA newsletter: Take action this December “Our new freedom has returned our voice. Let’s use it. Take action with us on 12 December. Our actions will land on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement. A collection of weak non-binding targets which ensure a difficult and dangerous world at a minimum. Not good enough. But still too ambitious for our government. Emerging from a global health crisis, their gas-led recovery will condemn us to the unending and escalating crises of an unstable climate and rapidly collapsing ecosystems. Another world is possible. We can help build a world that centers justice and care, for each other and for the planet. Non-violent civil disobedience is the circuit breaker we need to step towards that world. Take the pledge Join us on Saturday 12 December in Melbourne. We’ve planned a range of COVID-safe actions to choose from – bike swarms, arts stall, a flotilla on the Yarra and road blocks – plenty of roles across them. Or plan your own! Get more info here. Love and Rage”  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A world on fire By Bert Wander, Avaaz In the past few months, Australia, the Amazon and the US have been engulfed in wildfires so big you could see them from space. Meanwhile, wildlife is being wiped out — scientists say that populations of wild animals have crashed by almost 70% in the past 50 years. It’s terrifying — our planet hasn’t seen anything like it for millions of years. But this nightmare could prompt a crucial step for humanity — a shift to living in harmony with nature. With Trump gone, and major global decisions around the corner, we can start right now! Avaaz has put together a year-long action plan to save life on Earth, to make real progress on tackling the twin threats of the climate change and extinction crises, and save life on Earth. Here’s what we’ll do: Get President Biden to deliver on his promise to rejoin the Paris deal, and launch a Green New Deal; Push major countries to back 100% clean energy before next year’s crucial UN climate summit; Go all-out to win our science-backed plan to protect half the planet at a critical world biodiversity summit; Continue to support inspiring youth and indigenous leaders defending our planet. Urgently needed action on climate and extinction has already been delayed because of Covid, and we don’t have any time to lose. For this to work, we need to get started right now, and keep our support going through the year. Earth can’t wait any more. We’re living through the hottest years on record. A million species face extinction, and half the world’s forests are gone. The corals are bleaching, the wetlands drying, and seas are falling silent. This great temple of life is collapsing before our eyes. But it’s not too late. Renewable energy is shattering records — and now the global pandemic has shown that huge, systemic changes can be quicker and far more profound than anyone hoped. All that’s missing is the political will to do it — and that’s exactly what Avaaz was created for. More information: Mass Extinctions Are Accelerating, Scientists Report (New York Times) Alarm as Arctic sea ice not yet freezing at latest date on record (The Guardian)The 2010s were a lost decade for climate. We can’t afford a repeat, scientists warn (Washington Post) Avaaz is a 60-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. → www.avaaz.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biden has said he will “use every tool of American foreign policy to push the rest of the world” to increase their climate ambition.We're looking at you @ScottMorrisonMPhttps://t.co/0f2hznNIA0— Environment Victoria (@EnviroVic) November 7, 2020 · Now the real work can start. Climate activists, let's get even more organized, let's get even more numbers, let's get even more powerful. Bring people in. Support each other. Do or die time.— Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman) November 7, 2020 “Net zero by 2050 is giving up” “CSIRO and BOM will be releasing their biennial state of the environment report this month which indicates that if we aim for the Paris agreement targets and meet them, we’re still looking at 4.4 degrees warming in Australia by 2100. Net zero by 2050 is giving up. XR should also be loudly opposing Zali Steggal’s Bill and seeking to convince other climate groups on this question. If the approach is “something is better than nothing” and we ignore the science then we may as well enjoy the time we’ve got left and accept we’re on the path to total ecocide and it will be here in our children’s/grand children’s life times.”~ Sarah Hathway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Now is the time for @ScottMorrisonMP to say ‘Right, the global landscape has changed…I don't have to go on with all this BS about a gas-led recovery, which is honesty just political piffle. Focus on cutting emissions, cheap electricity. This is the time to pivot.'" https://t.co/8Jp90N0hWw— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) November 8, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fight this war . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “The change starts within you” “It is business as usual that is doing us in.” Recent elections which have swung away from corrupt climate deniers. 1⃣ New Zealand2⃣ACT3⃣Queensland4⃣Victorian Councils5⃣United States#TrumpGoneScottyNext— Daniel Bleakley (@DanielBleakley) November 8, 2020 It was good to see former Liberal PM @TurnbullMalcolm challenge Paul Kelly (The Australian) over the Murdoch media's long-standing campaign of climate denial. Take a look… #Auspol https://t.co/5eySDctkV2— Act on Climate Vic (@ActOnClimateVic) November 10, 2020 The enormous Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers in West Antarctica are responsible for around 5% of global sea-level riseThe loss of the glacier could trigger the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which contains enough ice to raise seas by 10 feethttps://t.co/Yg8sP92CW7— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) November 10, 2020 Globally, October was the third warmest ever recorded, marginally behind 2015 and 2019. In Europe it was the warmest October on record. https://t.co/KQ2nfuu9gq— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 5, 2020 As long as we don’t treat the climate crisis like a crisis, we can have as many climate conferences and summits as we want, but as it is now it will just be negotiations, empty words, loopholes and greenwash.https://t.co/UnSTbWrJzI— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 10, 2020 98% of Costa Rica's power already comes from #renewables. Half of the land is covered by forest. They're aiming to transform their entire economy to have a zero carbon footprint.It can be done. Let's get moving. #GreenNewDeal.#ActOnClimate #climate #energy #go100re pic.twitter.com/PUt80rLwLB— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) November 7, 2020 Thanks to #wind & #solar, Canberra just became the first city outside of Europe to go 100% #renewable. Isn't it time the US did the same.We have the solutions to the #climatecrisis, implement them. #ActOnClimate#climate #energy #tech #climatestrike @JoeBiden @GretaThunberg pic.twitter.com/fv0LtJnCVd— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) November 10, 2020 I’m willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change for 30 years when you secretly knew the entire time that fossil fuels emissions would destroy our planet 😇 https://t.co/ekj1Va1Cp0— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 2, 2020 BREAKING: Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow has resigned in disgrace after being found guilty of misconduct related to Adani. @LloydsofLondon insurers, do you want to be tarnished by Adani's corruption? pic.twitter.com/ufP0rcc0fq— Stop Adani (@stopadani) November 10, 2020 Australia should cut emissions quickly and lead world in renewable energy, says incoming chief scientist @DrCathyFoley https://t.co/T9X0ncFdt0— Doctors for the Environment Australia (@DocsEnvAus) November 10, 2020 Why hasn’t the Govt costed #NetZeroby2050 yet? If Govt is against it on basis of cost, then tell us how much it is. I have asked in #qt what the cost of a +2 degree world is & Govt hasn’t costed that either. Since @BOM_au has said we are on track for +3, it’s time for answers.— 🌏 Zali Steggall MP (@zalisteggall) November 10, 2020 Australia has the best combination of wind + solar + hydro resources of any country in the world. We can lead the world! https://t.co/mQo6G1ymN6— Kane Thornton (@kanethornton) November 10, 2020 "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it" – Robert Swan ⁠#solar #solarenergy #solarpower #ecofriendly #sustainable   #investment #success #investing  #globalwarming #climateaction #crowdfund #invest pic.twitter.com/bjmbeFvtNM— Energea Global (@energeaglobal) November 10, 2020 We are moving in the right direction towards #ClimateAction, but we need greater speed.All governments, cities, financial institutions and private businesses have to establish their transition plans for net zero emissions by 2050, and start with concrete policies now. pic.twitter.com/IE4hTIcO9Q— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 10, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petitions → List of petitions where you could add your name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Podcast archive Over 350 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – phone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight-ten times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Separated by borders – united in vision: Sonia KcKay, Margaret Fleck and Lynn Benn prepare us for the National Day of Action against new fossil fuels and former A League player Chris Harold speaks out about his climate concerns. #ProtectOurFuture https://t.co/dsEdenZzJA— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) November 11, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change

On 4 November 2020, we open The Sustainable Hour no 339 with a clip from BBC filmmaker David Attenborough‘s powerful witness statement ‘A Life on Our Planet‘ – his outstanding first-hand account of humanity’s impact on nature. Our three guests, as we leave our Hiatus in The Tunnel to explore the wild spaces of nature, are firstly Janine Duffy, president of the Koala Clancy Foundation, with lots of good news and good spirit to share around about increasing koala habitat in the Geelong region. Our second guest is local longboard rider and founder of ‘Surfers for Climate’ Belinda Baggs. The Fight for the Bight campaign last year against a Norwegian oil company’s plans to drill for oil in the Bight saw 10,000s of surfers rocking up on the beaches around the country, and Belinda wants to keep up that momentum. We hear why she founded the organisation, what they are doing to engage Australia’s two-three million surfers, as well as what their future plans are. Find out more about Surfers for Climate below on this page, and at www.surfersforclimate.org.au – where you during the next seven days can support their fundraiser premiering a music video with Paul McCartney’s song ‘Wine Dark Open Sea’. Our third guest is Craig Foster, a former Australian international soccer player, the face of soccer for many years on SBS News, and also long time advocate for refugee rights and now university lecturer in the role sport can play in helping to create a more just, inclusive and healthy world with a safe climate. Just like the surfers are now jumping up on the climate activism wave, there are a number of sports groups who are backing up Craig Foster’s call for sports people to use their position of influence to stand up for a safe climate. We will continue to cover the rapidly increasing number of elite sports groups advocating for real action on climate over the next few weeks, so watch this space. In acknowledging country today during this year’s National Aborigines & Islanders Day Observance Committee Week, we need to speak out against the atrocity that occurred on Djab Wurrung country near Ararat last Tuesday. Against the expressed wishes of the traditional custodians of that land, VicRoad contractors, aided by over 50 police and security guards, undertook the destruction of the Djab Wurrung’s Direction Tree, all to save a couple of minutes of driving as the highway is upgraded. Their embassy which had been there for three years was torn down, and the protectors, both First Peoples and Allies, were arrested and moved on. The following day a temporary Supreme Court injunction was granted to protect the other sacred trees in the area, expiring on Tuesday 17 November. This was yet another example of our First People feeling the wrath of the colonisers and having their wishes ignored. How can the Andrews Government be serious about negotiating a treaty when they do something like this? This treatment just has to stop. #TellTheTruth Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook is once again very busy. Yes the fires are still burning in the western side of the United States – this week Colorado joined in when one off its iconic National Parks was shut down because the fires there were so intense and uncontrollable. We zoom to the Arctic where the sea isn’t freezing as it would normally do at this time of the year. Next we return closer to home where New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has surprised many people with her selection of a couple of her cabinet. Finally, across the Tasman to our shores where we see a Prime Minister facing more and more criticism for his idea of a gas-led recovery. This time from an unexpected source. We always appreciate getting feedback from you, our listeners. Thank you for the warm letters with encouraging words and suggestions! Keep in touch via our Facebook page, put 28 November in your calendar as the National Day of Action against new fossil fuel projects – and till next Wednesday when we’ll be back on your devices: Be the difference. “It is very hard to live with this knowledge, knowing that everyone around doesn’t know it. Or that everyone around you doesn’t believe it. Now we are getting to a stage where ordinary people are starting to listen to this, and they are starting to believe it, and governments are starting to discuss it. Big companies, insurance companies and banks are now starting to take action that will force governments to take further action on this. To know a problem is to solve a problem – almost. So we need to have this discussion if we are going to get anywhere towards solving it.”~ Janine Duffy, president, Koala Clancy Foundation, about the climate and biodiversity emergency → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher Watch David Attenborough’s witness statement – it could be the most important 80 minutes you spent this year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Janine Duffy in The Sustainable Hour no 339 “We have to take things into our own hands and do this. Because the interest is there. People want to do it. Then let’s just go for it. (…) We have got to climate-proof our koalas for the future. With climate change, they are going to need trees that are on fertile lowlands, close to water. So that’s what we are planning for in Victoria, while we still have good koala numbers down here. Now is the time to plan ahead, plan for the future and we’ll be able to keep our koalas alive.”~ Janine Duffy, President, Koala Clancy Foundation Janine Duffy: Plant for the future 9,000 trees planted for koalas along rivers near You Yangs in Victoria Koala Clancy Foundation planted over 9,000 native trees and shrubs along rivers and drainage lines from June to September 2020, and planning is underway for more in 2021.→ Read more on www.koalaclancyfoundation.org.au WWF drones to spread eucalyptus seed in fire-affected areas  Drones are currently being tested and funding sought, to disperse native plant seed across fire-ravaged eastern Australia. The drones can drop 40,000 seeds a day.→ Read more on www.reuters.com and www.sbs.com.au 4,000 koala trees planted on Mornington Peninsula on 25 October Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation have planted 4,000 native trees in their first season. → Read more on www.mpkoalas.org.au→ Find more news stories in The Koala News & Science newsletter Janine Duffy is president of the Koala Clancy Foundation → Website: www.koalaclancyfoundation.org.au → Facebook page: www.facebook.com/koalaclancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belinda Baggs in The Sustainable Hour no 339 Belinda Baggs: Surfers going all in for the climate “We are all very united by the ocean. We spend intimate ocean-time together, and we are also all at our most vulnerable often, getting swamped by waves, getting changed in the parking lot, people see each other at their absolute worst, so we are all quite connected in that way. You are kind of stripped by all your power once you cross that shore line, and you are just at a whim with what the ocean is ready to hand out to you, and often the person at the day who is most successful at riding waves is the one who is the most connected. You are just connecting with this wild place, and with that comes a responsibility to to protect it as well.” → www.surfersforclimate.org.au MEDIA RELEASE: Surfers rally for climate action  The biggest names in Australian surfing have banded together today to defend Australia’s coastline and the surfing lifestyle from the threat of climate change. Surfers for Climate, founded by longboarding champion Belinda Baggs and former pro-surfer Johnny Abegg, is taking on the crucial challenge of bringing the Australian surf community together to protect the coastline from future threats. “For surfers, the ocean is life,” Baggs said. “Climate change, fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels, threatens everyone’s way of life. For the surfing community, this is a red alert. Everything we love is under threat.” Australian surfers found their collective voice seeing off the Norweigian oil giants seeking to drill the Great Australian Bight in February this year, and have now come together to take on an even bigger challenge, climate change. “The ocean has made me who I am. Now, we get the chance to help save it,” said Abegg. “Through Surfers for Climate, we are standing to fight for the ocean, so my kids, and generations to come, can continue to ride waves in thriving oceans. “Surfers for Climate will bring surfers together in a positive, fun and inspiring way. The ocean has shaped our country. And now, we must stand up and do what we can to create the future we all want.” Legends of the sport, like pro surfers Adrian “Ace” Buchan, Laura Enever and Pacha Light have joined swimmer and ironman Ky Hurst, actor and director Simon Baker, surf filmmaker Jack McCoy, and musician Jack River as ambassadors for Surfers for Climate. “The freedoms we had as kids, the thrills, spills and lessons learnt amongst the beauty and power of nature, it held us close. To think we could repay it by inaction breaks my heart,” Surfers for Climate ambassador Simon Baker said. The surfer-led organisation’s launch today coincides with a remarkable collaboration between Jack McCoy and legendary Beatle Paul McCartney, who have created a new film clip to McCartney’s evocative homage to the ocean, “Wine Dark Open Sea,” featuring the hypnotic surfing of Belinda Baggs. Surfers for Climate draws inspiration from the True Locals, First Nations’ people, their generational wisdom and connection to land, waters and culture.  Surfers for Climate is an Australian-based registered charity fostering a broad alliance with other surfing and environmental groups, climate scientists and campaigners and surfing communities around the world.  Website: www.surfersforclimate.org.au   A great read in @guardian on @acebuchan – 'Australia's record on fossil fuels is an international joke'! https://t.co/pwGMgzzTO4— Surfers for Climate (@surfers4climate) October 13, 2020 The alarming signs of #ClimateChange keep coming, now it's Sea-bed methane released in Antarctica via @GuardianAus – https://t.co/zksv0G3wT1— Surfers for Climate (@surfers4climate) July 23, 2020 View this post on Instagram Proud Aussie moment? While 125 countries worldwide have adopted (or are at least seriously considering) various net-zero carbon targets, the Australian federal government still opposes the notion (even with all state and territories coming to the party)… #climatekooks⠀ ⠀ Internationally, Uruguay leads the charge with an aim to hit the goal by 2030, Japan by 2050 joining United Kingdom and the European Union. Net zero by 2050 would require the world to reduce emissions by 40 per cent over the next decade. So we gotta get moving. ⠀ A simple feel-good thing to do is add your voice to the @climateactnow act, and continue to push Australia toward a sustainable future ⠀ ⠀ Photo by @philgallagherphoto #surfersforclimate A post shared by Surfers for Climate (@surfersforclimate) on Oct 25, 2020 at 2:57am PDT THE REGENERATIVE HOUR: The call of the world Podcast about a book and the daily ritual which connects the authors with the ocean and the planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sport beginning to take a stand on climate Craig Foster on why talking about the climate emergency is not “political”, it is “politisised”. Fossil fuels are the new cigarettes – and sport must take a stand https://t.co/G0HWBdwpYa— Environment Victoria (@EnviroVic) October 29, 2020 Guide for companies scaling up on climate action A new guide outlining how companies can scale up climate action – with a checklist of steps and actions setting out how companies can show climate leadership.→ Download the guide from www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/climate-leadership-now Australia risks $3.7 trillion in lost GDP by 2070 unless it acts on climate change: Deloitte | The New Daily https://t.co/h0h6Ckmph5— Put Climate First (@PutClimateFirst) November 1, 2020 Australia will lose more than $3 trillion and 880,000 jobs over 50 years if climate change is not addressed, Deloitte says(Given the ⁦@ScottMorrisonMP⁩ government’s climate policies are tokenistic this is what they are setting us up for #auspol) https://t.co/hSLnNrKYAt— Andrew Laird (@ReclaimAnglesea) November 1, 2020 Retweet if you think we need to end fossil fuels and the fossil fuel industry— Peter Kalmus (@ClimateHuman) November 3, 2020 Gas fired recovery sounds more & more hollow https://t.co/0nNR8mN0UG— Bruce Robertson (@barobertson111) November 3, 2020 The Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation shows 71% of Australians want Australia to be a world leader on climate action. @RichieMerzian on @theprojecttv #auspol pic.twitter.com/jfzylZ3PQI— Australia Institute (@TheAusInstitute) October 29, 2020 "I’m a planetarian" – the planetary health diet came to us in January 2019, and was touted as a science-backed diet that would avert growing environmental destruction…Healthy eating done cheap: University team cracks the formulahttps://t.co/nUswC8kfp0 #PutClimateFirst— Put Climate First (@PutClimateFirst) October 30, 2020 “One of the lessons learnt from this crisis is that we must change our ways. Scientists warn that to avoid future crises, we must drastically change our diets and move to plant-rich foods. For the sake of the animals, planet and the health of our children” https://t.co/xAQKdAu2sv— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) October 27, 2020 From me – with more to come – Australia must prepare for future shaped by extreme #climate, bushfire royal commission report warns https://t.co/GOCeN3Q4nk— Graham Readfearn (@readfearn) October 30, 2020 Kochi airport in Kerala India is the first airport in the world running fully on solar power. Great for the environment, brilliant for jobs and economy as well! pic.twitter.com/GqRZD08MN4— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) October 30, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. Petition: “The situation for our koalas has never been more dire” Will you add your name and help save koalas threatened by recent developments? Save the NSW koalas ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔ9,504 have signed DoSomething’s petition. Let’s get to 10,000!Sign now with a clickThis petition calls on the NSW and federal governments to immediately protect every koala in NSW. Both governments recently approved the destruction of koala habitat in NSW.There are three key reasons why we need to act immediately:The 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires destroyed about a quarter of koala habitat on NSW public land. Thousands of koalas were burnt or killed. The number one threat to koalas is the destruction and fragmentation of koala habitat.Without urgent government intervention, a NSW parliamentary inquiry found that koalas “will become extinct in NSW well before 2050.” In some parts of NSW and Australia, koalas are already locally endangered or extinct.Despite these facts, the NSW Government is fast tracking the destruction of koala habitat. This is happening in places like Appin, Wilton, Port Stephens and other locations around NSW. This petition calls for koala habitat to be urgently protected and for the NSW koala population to be doubled by 2050.This petition also calls on Walker Corporation, Lendlease, Hanson Australia, NSW Forestry Corporation, Country Garden and other developers to safeguard koala habitat.Following the devastation of the Black Summer bushfires, the situation for our koalas has never been more dire. Every koala and every koala tree needs to be protected. FOR MORE INFORMATION:Peter FitzSimons article: ’Destruction of Appin koala habitat a disgrace’ – Sydney Morning HeraldPeter FitzSimons article: ’Premier, save our koalas’ – Sun-HeraldRead the 42 recommendations of the Upper House Koala Inquiry 2020. BUSHFIRE-RELATED KOALA VIDEOSWatch this CNN story on how the 2019-20 bushfires threatened the koala population in NSW: YouTube.com/CNN-Koala-StoryWatch a woman attempting to save an injured koala in South Australia: YouTube.com/Woman-Tries-To-Save-KoalaPetition posted by Jon Dee, NSW Australian of the Year (2010) on behalf of DoSomething: DoSomethingNearYou.com.au→ Visit petition page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share this podcast in social media Momentum for #koalas, #surfers, #athletes and #nature: Guests in #TheSustainableHour no 339 are Janine Duffy, Belinda Baggs and Craig Foster – #putnaturefirst #surfersforclimate #sportsforclimate #buildbackbetter #greenrecovery #alifeonourplanet https://t.co/i1NVFlU7Qm— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) November 4, 2020 → Share this podcast on twitter.com, facebook.com

25TH EPISODE OF THE REGENERATIVE HOUR: Can we turn the 2020s into ‘The Regenerative Decade’? In this series of interviews about what that would imply, we talk ecology, deep adaptation, grief, compassion and passion, connecting with nature, resilience, revitalisation, restoration, revolution… – the bigger picture, in other words. “We need conversion. We need a deep change of heart – to know ourselves as part of the whole and connected to the whole. If we love the Earth, we need to safeguard the Earth.”~ Jan Morgan, author and lecturer, in The Regenerative Hour no 26 What the sea is saying to us Jan Morgan and Graeme Garrett, authors of ‘On the Edge – A-way With the Ocean’, teach a practice of attention, responding to the call of the world with an open heart. “The energy for change and new ways of being in the world then comes to birth,” they say. Zoom screenshot: Graeme Garrett and Jane Morgan “If we let ourselves trust the love that we in some part of us still have for the natural world and let it grow, not pushing it aside as something that “belongs to the children, or “is just not hardheaded enough for our world” – all that – the energy for change then comes to birth.”~ Jan Morgan, author and lecturer, in The Regenerative Hour no 26 Mik’s introduction notes to the hour “The next few decades are going to feel like falling in love, setting aside everything you thought you knew and trusting that you’ll end up in a radically different place you never could have achieved on your own,” says the American meteorologist Eric Holthaus. The Catholics talk about holding a ‘Sabbath for the Earth’: “A Sabbath to liberate ourselves from vicious consumption; a time to allow the land and all creatures to rest from the burden of production. These days our living pushes the planet beyond its limits. Our demands for growth, and our never-ending cycle of production and consumption are exhausting our world. The forests are leached, the topsoil erodes, the fields fail, the deserts advance, the seas acidify, the storms intensify. We have not allowed the land to observe her Sabbath, and the Earth is struggling to be renewed.”~ Excerpt from Season of Creation 2020 Prayer (PDF, p.24)During what Pope Francis calls the Season of Creation, which runs through the month of September every year, the People and his Bishops asked us all to observe a ‘Sabbath for our planet’. In the Sustainable Hour, we’ve started a series of interviews about the ‘Hiatus’. I see it as if we are on a ‘Stairway to Hiatus’, approaching it one step at a time – this radically different place, that Hothaus is talking about – because it is as if we’ve learned something from the Covid-crisis about slowing down, about making some radical changes in the way we live our lives, and that this is very much possible when our leaders step up and do the right thing, which is to listen to the scientists. The Hiatus is a place in the very near future, where we’ve started reducing our personal carbon footprint significantly – not just as a sacrifice, but as part of a journey to a new low-carbon lifestyle which enriches our lives in a deep and meaningful way. So what do we do when we are in a Hiatus and are conscious of our impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems? Well, in the Regenerative Hour today, you’ll learn about one thing we can all do – with the purpose of nurturing and enabling this process of “falling in love with the Earth”. To look after nature and the Earth is another aspect of love. I’m very pleased to welcome two clear-seeing, writers, speakers and spiritual leaders, Jan Morgan and Graeme Garrett, authors of the book ‘On The Edge’. I don’t get to read many books, but this one, I’ve read, and it has changed something in me – it has made me start doing something new, I’ve never done before. It is about connecting with the Earth, and with its history. In The Regenerative Hour today, you’ll learn about a ritual we can do, or further develop, to nurture and explore that feeling of falling in love. Jan and Graeme gave a talk in Belmont Church in Geelong last year, and that was where we first met and I discovered their book. I initially ask them about their background, and whether they have a church background. “The call of the world – can you respond with an open heart? Am I open to a world that is bigger than me, a communicative world, and can I listen, attend and make a response?”~ Graeme Garrett, author and lecturer, in The Regenerative Hour no 26 A climate emergency is a chance for you to do your best. When you step into the game of protecting all life on this planet, asking “What can I offer?”, you’ll quickly figure out what role YOU can play in the climate fight. You get a new mission in life, and as Margaret Klein Salamon recently described it in our series of ‘Stairway to Hiatus’ interviews, her experience so far has been how rewarding it can be to make the decision to take responsibility and “go all in for all life and begin to do drastic things”, as she puts it, to be that protector of all life. This is not only about how to live in a climate emergency, this is about how to live WELL and discover an even better life somewhere new. → Subscribe to The Regenerative Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The next few decades are going to feel like falling in love How Norwegian friluftsliv brings out the best in people Do you find it impossible to conceive your life without nature and the outdoors? Do you itch for the weekend so you can go to your cabin, or simply so you can leave your house and go for a hike? If so, we’ve got news for you: you may be Norwegian. Lorelou Dejardins has wondered about Norwegians’ love of nature for quite some time. Author, polyglot and human rights lawyer, Lorelou is a French citizen who has lived in 9 countries and fell in love with Norway. Upon arriving, she promptly got curious about the culture and has since been trying to understand the core of it. You may actually know Lorelou from her popular blog “A Frog in the Fjord” or from her column in the Norwegian newspaper VG, where she explores the singularities of Norwegian culture. Do you find it impossible to conceive your life without nature and the outdoors? Do you itch for the weekend so you can go to your cabin, or simply so you can leave your house and go for a hike? If so, we’ve got news for you: you may be Norwegian. Lorelou Dejardins has wondered about Norwegians’ love of nature for quite some time. Author, polyglot and human rights lawyer, Lorelou is a French citizen who has lived in 9 countries and fell in love with Norway. Upon arriving, she promptly got curious about the culture and has since been trying to understand the core of it. You may actually know Lorelou from her popular blog “A Frog in the Fjord” or from her column in the Norwegian newspaper VG, where she explores the singularities of Norwegian culture. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Deforestation, climate change and the conversion of wilderness for human food production are destroying Earth’s web of life.We have to change course and transform our relationship with the natural world.Nature is resilient and can recover if we ease our relentless assault. pic.twitter.com/5sg9KbJXkY— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 1, 2020 Drifting towards disaster The Ethical Corporation magazine does a deep dive into oceans With 82% of fish being removed faster than they can repopulate and climate change and acidification reducing the oceans’ ability to absorb carbon, a crucial planetary life support system is in crisis. In the September issue of The Ethical Corporation magazine, we do a deep dive into oceans, and assess progress on efforts to rescue oceans in some of the key battlegrounds, from over-fishing to aquaculture, blue finance, microfibre pollution and offshore renewables → Download the magazine for free here Insights include: How the search for sustainable aquaculture sources is focusing on the deep oceans, on land and even the laboratory. The drive to increase investment in SDG14 on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and its resources. How fashion brands have been slow to address the contribution of microfibres to the toxic soup of ocean plastic. The rapid growth in offshore wind amid technology breakthroughs and surging support for green hydrogen. The global movement to restore nature’s biodiversity Ted.com → NCR – 16 October 2020:Staring down climate despair through kinship“Values that link people, nature and the spirit of God are values of deep energy. Could they be the prescription for restoring our planetary home and filling it with civilizations built around human dignity?” Voices for Greta Welcome to the climatesafety clubhouse – our ‘carbon clearance house’ where we focus on carbon clarity, story change and a green recovery. Are we ready to shift our mindset and choose a different future? I am. If you are too, let’s meet. And I don’t mean physically, for now, but in The Tunnel – the digital tunnel. We have a members’ area on climatesafety.info which is growing little by little. Its a space for figuring out how we can act as individuals and as a community in a climate emergency. The choices we make right now matter. Words matter. Have a positive think about how you will step in and become part of a regenerative and transformative renewal. It’s all happening in The Tunnel. What we need to do, is get ready for the action, once we come out on the other side.~ Mik Aidt #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. 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Jan Morgan and Graeme Garrett, authors of 'On the Edge', teach a practice of attention, responding to the #calloftheworld with an open heart. #StairwaytToHiatus #Hiatus #Nature #NewWaysOfBeing #ClimateEmergencyResponse https://t.co/yjzU8BTws3— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) October 30, 2020 → Share the news about this podcast on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram “Participation – that’s what’s gonna save the human race.”~ Pete Seeger, American singer → See more Regenerative Hours from The Sustainable Hour team

We take an encouraging step on the Stairway to Hiatus in The Tunnel this week. Together with our three guests we discover how to live – and live well – in the climate emergency. Welcome to our first ‘Sustainable Disaster Hour’! We start with long time music lover and climate activist Jane Coker. We learn how she has managed to combine her two great loves to sustain her as she navigates the climate emergency. She introduces us to the music of one of the choirs she organises, the Meeniyan Climate Calamity Choir. Our second guest is psychologist Margaret Klein Salamon, author of ‘Facing the Climate Emergency – How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth’ and founder and Executive Director of the Climate Mobilization Project in the United States. She describes her experience of how rewarding it can be to make the decision to take responsibility and “go all in for all life”, as she puts it, “and begin to do drastic things” to protect all life. Our third guest is Chris O’Neill who is engaged in a fight between the Sunbury community and the Victorian state government who want to dump many tonnes of contaminated soil from the Westgate tunnel into an operational quarry on the edge of his community. We hear how ordinary citizens have had to become citizen scientists and become very organised to mount their case. You can learn more about this at their website www.sunburysaysno.com. Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook takes us in a number of issues today: Firstly he quantifies the damage caused by the out of control wild fires in the western states of the USA. These have been burning for months. The word that he uses to describe them is unprecedented. He then gives some hard to believe figures about the percentage of all the plastic that has ever been produced that has ended up being recycled. Thirdly we hear about the scant regard that Donald Trump gave to climate change in the most recent presidential debate. Colin ends up on a positive note with news from South Australia of a world first in energy produced from the sun: All of the state’s power came from solar for one hour on 11 October 2020, close to 80 per cent of it generated from the citizens’ own roof top solar – a community energy revolution in the making! We hope you find something that engages you in today’s show. We are always open to feedback as well as suggestions for issues to explore and people to interview. This Friday, we will be celebrating The Sustainable Hour’s seven-year birthday.Until we return, sing the difference, be the difference. “Community activities of any sort, in my case singing, are a really good way of getting people to feel strong, of getting them to feel part of something, part of a movement.”~ Jane Coker, choir leader and climate activist → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher A climate emergency is a chance for you to do your best. When you step into the game of protecting all life on this planet, asking “What can I offer?”, you’ll quickly figure out what role YOU can play in the climate fight. You get a new mission in life, and as Margaret Klein Salamon describes it in our series of ‘Stairway to Hiatus’ interviews, her experience so far has been how rewarding it can be to make the decision to take responsibility and “go all in for all life and begin to do drastic things”, as she puts it, to be that protector of all life. This is not only about how to live in a climate emergency, this is about how to live WELL and discover an even better life somewhere new. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UN Chief Antonio Guterres “If we don’t act now, this century may be one of humanity’s last.” ~ Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General “What role can you play in the climate fight?” ~ World Economic Forum “One of the lessons learnt from this crisis is that we must change our ways. Scientists warn that to avoid future crises, we must drastically change our diets and move to plant-rich foods. For the sake of the animals, planet and the health of our children” https://t.co/xAQKdAu2sv— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) October 27, 2020 Excerpt of The Climate Mobilization’s website front page Courage in the climate and ecological crisis → Share on Facebook Hope in Hell – Decade to Confront the Climate Emergency Lessons from a hotter planet: Things escalate quickly → ABC News – 27 October 2020:Climate change worrying more Australians than ever before, Australia Institute report reveals“71 per cent of Australians now think Australia should be a world leader on climate action, according to The Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation report, which has been tracking Australian attitudes to climate change since 2007. The progressive think tank polled nearly 2,000 adults over a week in July. It said the results showed Australians wanted a speedy transition to a zero-emissions economy.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → See more on www.facebook.com/XRGippsland Sunbury Against Toxic Soil → Join 2,700 others in Sunbury Against Toxic Soil’s private Facebook group “Everything is fine.” Cartoon by Baptiste Virot “Velux: The path to become lifetime carbon neutral” – a Danish company producing double-glazed windows takes an inspirational nature-positive climate-caring step to become carbon neutral. Climate crisis could devastate our food supply Our food systems have not been designed to adapt to major disruptions like climate change, says environmental journalist Amanda Little. In this eye-opening talk, she shows how the climate crisis could devastate our food supply — and introduces us to the farmers, entrepreneurs and engineers who are radically rethinking what we grow and how we eat, combining traditional agriculture with state-of-the-art technology to create a robust, resilient and sustainable food future. Media release: Coca-Cola reduces the amount of virgin plastic it uses by 40,000 tonnes Coca-Cola in Australia moves to 100% recycled plastic for frozen cups and lids, removing problematic polystyrene from its cold drink portfolio By the end of 2021, Coca-Cola will have reduced its use of virgin plastic by over 40,000 tonnes since 2017, using 100% recycled plastic in all its bottles under 1L and all frozen drink cups and lids. The announcement comes as Coca-Cola Australia continues as the major sponsor for Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week Coca-Cola in Australia is continuing to reduce its plastic footprint with the introduction of frozen drink cups and lids made entirely from recycled plastic from 2021. The latest innovation removes problematic polystyrene – plastic that is unable to be recycled and reused – from Coca-Cola’s cold drink portfolio. By the end of 2021, this will reduce the amount of new or “virgin” plastic it uses by 40,000 tonnes since 2017. Russell Mahoney, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola South Pacific said, “Last year we made some big changes in Australia, including moving all our plastic bottles under one litre to 100 per cent recycled plastic and removing plastic drinking straws and stirrers. “We have a responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint through innovation to help solve the plastic waste issue. Moving our frozen drinks lids and cups to recycled plastic is the next step towards meeting Coca-Cola’s global commitment to reduce plastic waste,” Mr Mahoney said. Coca-Cola Australia also continues this year as the major sponsor of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week- ‘Recovery – a future beyond the bin’ which is taking place from 9 to 15 November. Rebecca Gilling, Deputy CEO, Planet Ark said, “It’s encouraging to see big companies like Coca-Cola really step up and take responsibility for the full life cycle of their packaging and committing to using more recycled content. Replacing virgin plastic with 40,000 tonnes of recycled plastic is not only a huge market signal, it prevents another 40,000 tonnes of virgin material entering our world.” “This year’s National Recycling Week theme is all about recovery and how we can all recycle and reuse materials – it’s a great fit to Coca-Cola’s commitment to reducing its plastic footprint, and we’re thrilled to be working together again this year,” Ms Gilling said. Under its World Without Waste vision, Coca-Cola has a global goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030 and ensuring none of its containers end up in landfill or oceans. Its bottler Coca-Cola Amatil plays a key role in co-ordinating all six operating container deposit schemes (CDS) around Australia. Coca-Cola also has a global goal to use at least 50 per cent recycled material across its packaging by 2030, with Australia already achieving this goal in plastic bottles. The new frozen cups and lids made of recycled plastic will be available from early 2021. → To learn more National Recycling Week visit: recyclingnearyou.com.au/nationalrecyclingweek Media release: Clever and creative use of recycled materials The City of Greater Geelong has increased its use of recycled materials through a number of clever and creative projects and trials, which find new ways of using waste as a resource. The Annual Report 2019-20 shows the organisation used 8,745 tonnes of recycled asphalt materials to build and renew roads, footpaths and street furniture during 2019-20 and recycled nearly 6,548 tonnes of concrete. This is a significant increase on the annual baseline expectation of 8,000 tonnes of asphalt recycled inhouse and 3,000 tonnes of recycled concrete. The equivalent of 3,500 kilograms worth of plastic was saved from going into landfill through a trial of PlastiPhalt, a new form of durable asphalt made from recycled plastics. The microplastic-free asphalt was used on 1,100 metres of road on Roslyn Road in Highton, Moorabool Street in Geelong and Purnell Road in Corio earlier this year. The City assesses every project during the design phase to identify opportunities to use recycled materials during construction and include items such as recycled plastic bollards and benches. Highlights during 2019-20 include: Green concrete, which includes waste materials, was used during the construction of the Bella Wiyn Birralee Family Centre in Drysdale and Korayn Birralee Family Centre in Corio, which opened to the public this year;A recycled rubber athletics track was unveiled late last year at Goldsworthy Reserve in Geelong’s north; andSeawall concrete blocks from Eastern Beach were reused at the Western Beach Park last year. In May this year, a tender was awarded to five businesses to provide asphalt products using innovative recycling methods. The successful tenderers are currently researching the use of foam bitumen containing recycled road pavements and asphalt, and GripPhalt, which uses up to 90 per cent of recycled and renewable material. One business has committed to trialling glass in base layers of pavements in Greater Geelong. The City has also submitted grant applications to support the use of crumb rubber mix and recycled asphalt pavement to pave roads. The Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2020-30 was adopted in April this year, which guides the City on how it can contribute to a circular economy. → The Annual Report 2019-20 can be viewed at www.geelongaustralia.com.au/annualreport Glimpses from our Twitter feed "Scientists have found evidence that frozen methane deposits in the Arctic Ocean – known as the “sleeping giants of the carbon cycle” – have started to be released over a large area of the continental slope off the East Siberian coast."https://t.co/MLLY8PtQ4x— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 27, 2020 77% of Australians agree tackling climate change creates opportunities in clean energy for new jobs and investment according to Climate of the Nation survey out today. The work of ⁦@beyondzeronews⁩ #millionjobsplan and others has cut through. https://t.co/YlyYxR5mI9— Eytan Lenko (@eytanlenko) October 27, 2020 This is on the money, and jobs. Great work @BlueprintInsti1 https://t.co/zj5B8ViUoW— Kane Thornton (@kanethornton) October 27, 2020 In Europe, MEPs have voted to keep fossil fuels out of the rescue plan. Next week, more than 1,3 million EU citizens call @silviamodig @EP_Environment to stand strong and back a #Greenrecovery plan for #EuropeOfTomorrow pic.twitter.com/hX7GvPgq5v— Put Climate First (@PutClimateFirst) October 27, 2020 https://twitter.com/mcannonbrookes/status/1321048628534759424?s=20 This New York #startup lets residents give or sell #solarpower to each other through a #blockchain-powered microgrid allowing residents to bypass the power company.We have the solutions to the #climatecrisis. Let's implement them. #PanelsNotPipelines#ActOnClimate #climate pic.twitter.com/nfanxqElGW— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) October 27, 2020 The gas industry employs far fewer people than most Australians think, a new study has found. Gas mining and exploration employs less than 0.2 per cent of the 12.5 million people employed in Australia. @smh @npomalley https://t.co/CXdrREZQby— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) October 27, 2020 "Science tells us every day with more precision that urgent action is needed – and I am not dramatizing, this is what science says – if we are to keep the hope of avoiding radical and catastrophic climate change. And for this we must act now. This is a scientific fact." @Pontifex https://t.co/2FMEf7Nekv— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 27, 2020 Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:→ www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour→ Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media The Sustainable Disaster Hour: We take an encouraging step on the #StairwaytoHiatus in #TheTunnel this week. Together with our three guests we discover how to live – and live well – in the #climateemergency. https://t.co/woKFES0KFL— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) October 28, 2020 → Share this podcast on www.twitter.com and www.facebook.com

In The Sustainable Hour on 21 October 2020 we have two people closely associated with the making of the award-winning film ‘In My Blood It Runs‘: Traditional elder William Tilmouth, founder of the Children’s Ground and an advisor on the film, and the film’s director Maya Newell. This film was 10 years in the making. This involved much yarning and letting go of colonising attitudes by the white film crew as they built trust with the First Nations community in Central Australia. It was very patient work that involved building trust and empowering an entire family to tell their story. “It’s a contest of space between humanity and nature. Let’s give nature some space as well, because at the end of the day: We abuse it, it will spank us,” Tilmouth says. “Let’s change our practices and the way we do things.” Colin Mockett begins his Global Outlook with a new report stating that global greenhouse-gas emissions are down 8.8 per cent due to worldwide Covid restrictions – but countered with the release of figures showing that global average temperatures in 2019 were 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and 2020 is set to mark the end of the hottest 5-year period on record. There are positive signs following the election wins in New Zealand and the ACT – both of which winners were Labor-Green coalitions with strong emissions-reduction policies, and Denmark’s adoption of a policy that all future government policy decisions must take the impact on climate and environment on board. This is what ‘putting climate first in every decision’ looks like at a national level. Colin rounds his outlook segment off with two newly-released UN reports, one stating that world-wide coal-fired energy production is in sharp decline, and the other noting that climate change is responsible for a doubling of the numbers of natural disasters since 2000. Until next week – don’t forget to vote before 6pm on this Friday 23 October when you can Vote the Difference if you haven’t already. We start and end the hour with a quote – an unusually strong statement – from this speech by the United Nations’ Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “If we don’t act now, this century may be one of humanity’s last.” ~ Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General "We've upset the energy balance of the entire planet,""Year after year we see temperature records being broken.""This is a warning message from the Earth itself,""We ignore it at our peril."#ActOnClimate #ClimateChange https://t.co/xW0xVP5PLZ— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) October 21, 2020 The number of natural disasters has almost doubled over the past 20 years and the climate crisis is to blame, the UN said.Researchers said the failure to take meaningful action could turn the world into "an uninhabitable hell for millions of people." https://t.co/IjEQ9IpuVs— CNN (@CNN) October 13, 2020 → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “We are told to make our children ready for school, but why can’t we make schools ready for our children?” ~ Margaret Kemarre Turner, Arrernte Elder, Children’s Ground director, Film Advisor Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #JoinTheCountdown Watch the Countdown Global Launch, TEDtalks and Youtube’s call to action on climate change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vote as if you life depends on it Dozens of local councils pledge to do more to tackle climate change. They'll support industries which invest in a low carbon future and help communities hardest hit by climate disasters. Unlike the Fed Govt, local govts are leading on climate action.https://t.co/XgZs58vhqo— Climate Council (@climatecouncil) October 20, 2020 Canberra became the first city outside Europe to be powered by 100% #renewable, #CleanEnergy! An epic achievement in only a few short years.We have the solutions, let's implement them. #ActOnClimate #climate #energy #tech #climatecrisis #GreenNewDeal pic.twitter.com/lkQvNZOrcV— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) October 21, 2020 An almost real time data crunching system estimates CO2 emissions from human activities and provides immediate feedback to society and governments on the evolution of our carbon journey, hopefully, to decarbonisation. https://t.co/Uk1uWrXQ0M— Pep Canadell (@pepcanadell) October 15, 2020 Furniture chain IKEA is turning its stores into #solarpower stations. It wants all its stores to run on 100 percent #cleanenergy within ten years – and feed excess electricity back into the grid.We have the solutions. Implement them. #ActOnClimate #climate #energy #go100re pic.twitter.com/VL30gNOn7F— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) October 17, 2020 An astonishing, almost biblical image opens this fascinating fly-on-the-wall documentary about a year in the life of the teenage eco-warrior Greta Thunberg. https://t.co/4qLu9qLltb— The Times (@thetimes) October 16, 2020 The Arctic is “unraveling” faster than scientists ever predicted, and if emissions remain on their current trajectory could warm by as much as 4 degress Celsius from pre-industrial levels by 2050. In a multimedia feature, The Guardian looks at just how damaging climate change is for this fragile ecosystem—and humanity’s opportunities to prevent further harm. Earlier this year, The Guardian looked at how the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge faces “death by drilling,” as the Trump administration opens up the land to oil and gas exploration.In its annual report, the International Energy Agency says the world is on track for warming above the Paris Agreement’s most aggressive goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius, Bloomberg Green reports. To fix that, the agency says, governments and private industry will need to spend potentially trillions more than are already pledged, and people across the world—not just in developed countries and megacities—will need to adopt unprecedented behavioral changes. Some personal reflections on 2020. As a climate scientist it's not easy acknowledging these fears out loud. We live in a time when everyone, everywhere, is needed to turn this around… https://t.co/3MuUjzngZ7— Joelle Gergis (@joellegergis) October 14, 2020 It's like we're all on a ship and a few assholes are drilling holes in the bottom while saying "what holes? there are no holes."That's the fossil fuel industry and the climate deniers. Are we going to let them sink us all?— Peter Kalmus, the people's climate scientist (@ClimateHuman) October 17, 2020 Just because it's not front page news doesn't mean topsoil-wrecking industrial agriculture isn't wiping out butterflies, worms and bees as the Earth enters the fastest, most extreme climate change in 65 million years threatening unsurvivable conditions as early as the 2030s.— Ben See (@ClimateBen) October 17, 2020 After one day we have 330K views on our first ad. We're already making a difference and it's only the beginning. Stay tuned for more great climate ads!pic.twitter.com/7xLc5M5prx— Climate Ad Project (@ClimateAd) October 17, 2020 Business Coca Cola produces 3 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year – equivalent to 200,000 bottles a minute. They say they can't change because customers wouldn't like it. Send coke a message. End #plasticpollution.#Useless #WasteLess #BuyLess #BreakFreeFromPlastic pic.twitter.com/I3LQHyAOjf— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) October 15, 2020 Coca Cola produces 3 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year – equivalent to 200,000 bottles a minute. They say they can't change because customers wouldn't like it. Send coke a message. End #plasticpollution.#Useless #WasteLess #BuyLess #BreakFreeFromPlastic pic.twitter.com/I3LQHyAOjf— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) October 15, 2020 Journalism Humanity will likely face simultaneous global crop failures & worldwide food shortages between 2030 and 2060 as global warming reaches a highly dangerous level but if corporate media editors allow journalists to reveal the threat maybe a shift in public opinion could spur action?— Ben See (@ClimateBen) October 15, 2020 https://twitter.com/denalidevo/status/1317492630163320835 Australia’s climate policies are ‘at odds with even the most conservative approach to economic management. Increasingly, the Morrison government is an outlier on the world.’ @ScottMorrisonMP #auspol https://t.co/dTUFatQ3uv via @ConversationEDU— Doctors for the Environment Australia (@DocsEnvAus) October 15, 2020 Geelong These are a part of the Oslo vision zero strategy: no vulnerable road users were killed on roads there last year. No pedestrian or cycle fatalities. Not one. Anyone opposing these interventions is happy with child road deaths, right? https://t.co/U37buQdsvu— Katy Rodda Still Wants 2m (@KatyCycles) October 15, 2020 World’s biggest battery in Geelong The latest plans to build the 'Victorian Big Battery' – the world’s largest lithium-ion battery – on farmland in Geelong have been revealed. https://t.co/mj8xPyLXff— Harrison Tippet (@Hwtippet) October 12, 2020 Susan Langridge for #ColacOtwayShireCouncil: "I am no politician. Don’t like being the centre of attention. But I’m standing for #election because I want babies born today to have as good a life as I have had. That won’t happen unless we #putclimatefirsthttps://t.co/lQGD4jmhdj pic.twitter.com/YH2M4jsJQ7— Put Climate First (@PutClimateFirst) October 14, 2020 Given the high costs of inaction on the #ClimateCrisis, why are we not stepping up? #auspol https://t.co/uT3n6NE97g— Doctors for the Environment Australia (@DocsEnvAus) October 14, 2020 ⁦@ScottMorrisonMP⁩, a net zero emissions target would unlock investments worth billions. Are you planning to deprive Australia of this investment? Why won’t u declare a net zero target? #ClimateChange ⁦@simonahac⁩ ⁦⁦⁦@zalisteggall⁩ https://t.co/TLlfFqVRzt— Steve Meade (@Steve_Meade) October 12, 2020 “Far too few of us are engaging in this conversation. A recent survey from Yale (& GMU) found that only a third of Americans talk "at least occasionally" about the climate crisis. Even fewer – a quarter – hear about it once a week in the media.” https://t.co/B06XeOsG9s @KHayhoe— Anthony Leiserowitz (@ecotone2) October 14, 2020 There is a much simpler reason why nobody should support Cormann for OECD: "Australia is the worst-performing country on climate change policy, according to a new international ranking of 57 countries".Any further info needed?#auspol #ABC @David_Speers https://t.co/F5OL3jJG7B https://t.co/0lqjDtY3ns— Neil Plummer (@N_Plumm) October 15, 2020 Australia must prepare now for climate-related disasters or pay more later, insurance regulator says https://t.co/PELBAmiLD3— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) October 14, 2020 A problem is a chance for you to do your best. – Duke Ellington #quote #ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/PLNtiqSyF6— CLIME-IT Solutions (@CLIME_IT) October 16, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share this podcast in social media Let's change our practices and the way we do things – In #TheSustainableHour no 337 we have two people closely associated with the making of the award-winning film ‘#InMyBloodItRuns‘: William Tilmouth and Maya Newell. #Aboriginal #FirstNations https://t.co/rSfQF3uNFW— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) October 21, 2020 → Share this podcast on www.twitter.com www.facebook.com

While our Hiatus in the Tunnel continues, on 14 October 2020, we focus on a panel of three giving their views on what a ‘Clever & Creative’ Geelong needs to do to transition to a post-Covid and post-carbon world. Our panelists, in order of appearance, are: • Tom O’Connor, a candidate standing for the Bellarine Ward as well • Stephanie Asher, City of Greater Geelong Mayor in caretaker mode and now a candidate standing for City of Greater Geelong’s Bellarine Ward in the local government election • Carl Obst, director of IDEEA Group, the Institute for Development of Environmental-Economic Accounting Colin Mocket’s global roundup begins with the ongoing US wildfires, now in their third month with the smoke reaching as far as Europe. Californian governor Gavin Newcomb is quoted: “It only underscores our urgency to address head on the issue of climate and climate change, and to double down on our efforts here in California.” Meanwhile in London, the Energy Transitions Commission announced its seven key priorities for a Covid recovery, all of which are angled toward climate change with the top one being ‘Unleash massive investment in renewable power systems’. And finally, back home, the Top 40 list of tax-dodging companies was released with ExxonMobil Australia again topping the list. The company has had an income of $42.3 billion over the past five years in Australia, but, through a complicated avoidance structure, it has paid no tax during that time. If you haven’t already, it’s time to #VoteTheDifference “We need to recast the environmental and social discussion into the finance and economic mindset which is dominating the decisionmaking.”~ Carl Obst, director, IDEEA Group → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [ Global outlook ] Danish government to #putclimatefirst in every decision: Carbon emissions must now be taken into account in all parliamentary bills and political proposalsAn inspirational initiative for governments at all level around the planet: Just as one counts on the socio-economic costs of bills and proposals, the government will now count the climate impact and thereby streamline the green thinking in all ministries.Policy proposals with a climate impact above a certain level must be discussed in the government’s new Green Committee.Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen (Social Democrats) is now following up on Minister of Finance Nicolai Wammen’s announcement on Friday of new socio-economic climate calculations with a guide on how all relevant bills and major political initiatives from now on must also be assessed for their climate impact, reported the Danish newspaper Information.“When we make policy in Denmark, we must fundamentally take the environment, climate and nature into account in a way that has not been done before,” said Dan Jørgensen, who today will be publishing his new Guide on assessing consequences for climate, environment and nature.“For decades, we have been really good at counting on all the economic dimensions of what we do, and that also makes sense, but now it is being supplemented with a much better decision-making based on its environmental impact,” he said. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View this post on Instagram Did you see that @creucassel has another new series starting next week?⠀ ⠀ Big Weather (and how to survive it) starts on ABC TV on Tues 13 October.⠀ ⠀ Craig has been so influential in helping people to shift their behaviour through his previous shows – #waronwaste and #FightForPlanetA – so we're super keen to see what he discovers about the future of our continent and changing weather patterns in this series.⠀ ⠀ And don't forget you can still watch Fight for Planet A on ABC iview if you haven't seen it yet.⠀ ⠀ Look out for our appearances in Episodes 2 and 3 where we helped Oatlands Public School reduce their carbon footprint by 31%!!!⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #bigweather⠀ #craigreucassel⠀ #sustainablehouse ⠀ #sustainablehome ⠀ #sustainableliving⠀ #sustainablelivingtips⠀ #climateclever⠀ #Climatecleverinitiative⠀ #ClimatecleverHomesApp⠀ #drvanessarauland⠀ #climatechange ⠀ #climateaction⠀ #climateactivist ⠀ #climatecleveractivist⠀ #savetheplanet⠀ #lowcarbonfootprint⠀ #lowcarbonfuture⠀ #carbonfootprint⠀ #zerowaste⠀ #turnoffthelights ⠀ #turnoffappliances⠀ #sustainabilitymatters ⠀ #environmentalsustainability ⠀ #sustainablefuture⠀ #LowerMyFootprint⠀ #ABCTV⠀ #thefightforplanetA A post shared by ClimateClever (@climate_clever) on Oct 7, 2020 at 12:33am PDT See it on iView A breakthrough in sustainable food chain thinking. New guidelines developed @IDEEAGroup @futureoffoodorg @UNEP provide a holistic way to measure the impact of #foodsystems on people, society, the environment and natural resources. Download for free.https://t.co/3VEGSQzgLm pic.twitter.com/80tMzUJUba— IDEEA Group (@IDEEAGroup) October 6, 2020 Natural capital, nature’s contribution to people, ecosystem functions, benefits from nature, ecosystem services, biodiversity’s benefits, the list goes on. It's a confusing list at best. So what's the solution? Calm the noise with classification…https://t.co/woypdcau0y pic.twitter.com/DeFtaVe7F6— IDEEA Group (@IDEEAGroup) September 14, 2020 The National Farmers Federation has thrown its weight behind an aspirational economy-wide target of net carbon zero by 2050 (NCZ2050), yet another emerging trend for the development and adoption of #naturalcapitalaccountinghttps://t.co/R8xb3fe2Mj pic.twitter.com/9JACzGpJo4— IDEEA Group (@IDEEAGroup) September 11, 2020 #JoinTheCountdown: Watch the Countdown Global Launch– a call to action on climate change Rewatch or share the sessions or individual talks with friends and family. Want to take action on climate at home, at work or in your community? Consider joining the #RacetoZero or Count Us In. Susan Langridge for #ColacOtwayShireCouncil: "I am no politician. Don’t like being the centre of attention. But I’m standing for #election because I want babies born today to have as good a life as I have had. That won’t happen unless we #putclimatefirsthttps://t.co/lQGD4jmhdj pic.twitter.com/YH2M4jsJQ7— Put Climate First (@PutClimateFirst) October 14, 2020 Given the high costs of inaction on the #ClimateCrisis, why are we not stepping up? #auspol https://t.co/uT3n6NE97g— Doctors for the Environment Australia (@DocsEnvAus) October 14, 2020 ⁦@ScottMorrisonMP⁩, a net zero emissions target would unlock investments worth billions. Are you planning to deprive Australia of this investment? Why won’t u declare a net zero target? #ClimateChange ⁦@simonahac⁩ ⁦⁦⁦@zalisteggall⁩ https://t.co/TLlfFqVRzt— Steve Meade (@Steve_Meade) October 12, 2020 “Far too few of us are engaging in this conversation. A recent survey from Yale (& GMU) found that only a third of Americans talk "at least occasionally" about the climate crisis. Even fewer – a quarter – hear about it once a week in the media.” https://t.co/B06XeOsG9s @KHayhoe— Anthony Leiserowitz (@ecotone2) October 14, 2020 There is a much simpler reason why nobody should support Cormann for OECD: "Australia is the worst-performing country on climate change policy, according to a new international ranking of 57 countries".Any further info needed?#auspol #ABC @David_Speers https://t.co/F5OL3jJG7B https://t.co/0lqjDtY3ns— Neil Plummer (@N_Plumm) October 15, 2020 The number of natural disasters has almost doubled over the past 20 years and the climate crisis is to blame, the UN said.Researchers said the failure to take meaningful action could turn the world into "an uninhabitable hell for millions of people." https://t.co/IjEQ9IpuVs— CNN (@CNN) October 13, 2020 Australia must prepare now for climate-related disasters or pay more later, insurance regulator says https://t.co/PELBAmiLD3— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) October 14, 2020 https://twitter.com/EnviroVic/status/1315781038224760832 View this post on Instagram A fire in northern California has now exceeded one million acres (about 400,000 hectares), elevating it to a new classification that has never been used in modern times in the state – a 'gigafire.' Fires have now burned through more than four million acres (1.6 million hectares) of California – more than double the previous record for a season. Climate change is fuelling worsening bushfire conditions around the world. #CaliforniaFires #CaliforniaWildfires #Wildfires #Bushfire #ClimateChange #2020 A post shared by The Climate Council (@theclimatecouncil) on Oct 6, 2020 at 10:39pm PDT View this post on Instagram Before and after bleaching. In the last 30 years, 50% of the world’s corals have died and the situation is only getting worse. To save them we need rapid global action, including reef protection & restoration. Others steps include adopting more sustainable lifestyles that help #ClimateAction and mitigate coral bleaching, such as choosing a more plant-based diet & clean fuels & technologies. Visit glowing.org to sign our petition for greater ocean protection. Together, we can protect the ocean that supports us all. : @theoceanagency / XL CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY #GlowingGone #ForNature A post shared by UN Environment Programme (@unep) on Oct 6, 2020 at 6:07am PDT “On average, global populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles plunged by 68% between 1970 and 2016”Everything is not fine!#ActOnClimate #ExtinctionRebellion #ClimateCrisis https://t.co/LlMNNTRkVA— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) October 9, 2020 Brain-eating amoeba moving north across America, and climate change may be why https://t.co/xtR67cs2m6— GO GREEN (@ECOWARRIORSS) October 8, 2020 "Qantas' 'flights to nowhere' should be renamed 'flights to a hotter planet'," a Flight Free Australia spokesperson, Mr Mark Carter, told The Sunday Times.https://t.co/2aHL6cjY3F— Mark Carter (@mcarter_nofly) October 4, 2020 View this post on Instagram The thought of us giving up on the 1.5 or well below 2°C-targets of the Paris Agreement – without people even knowing what the full consequences of that would mean to future generations and to the most affected people and areas – is simply unacceptable. The way the global aspect of equity and climate justice is being systematically and completely ignored in the European debate is shameful. Yes, WE might be able to ”adapt”, for a while. We have the infrastructure and the resources. But the global majority has not. When the EU's climate policies and targets are being discussed, the aspect of equity doesn’t even seem to exist. Apparently it’s not even worth a mention. And yet, climate justice is the very heart of the Paris Agreement. And we have clearly signed up to lead the way. #mapa #climatejustice #FaceTheClimateEmergency (Picture of the sculpture by Isaac Cordal called “Follow the leaders” or “Politicians Discussing Global Warming” ) A post shared by Greta Thunberg (@gretathunberg) on Oct 6, 2020 at 12:01pm PDT Yesterday, Ben Winch, a writer from the Adelaide Hills, disrupted work on Adani’s rail corridor, 20km from the Suttor River. Ben was protesting the controversial scheme allowing Adani to drain 12.5 billion litres of water a year from the Suttor while 65% of Qld is in drought. pic.twitter.com/UvOR9TM2TJ— Stop Adani (@stopadani) October 9, 2020 View this post on Instagram Once. That’s how many times Treasurer Josh Frydenberg mentioned the climate crisis in his speech last night.⁣ ⁣ Then in the very next breath, he pledged to open up five mega gas zones across Australia. ⁣ ⁣ This government is not just ignoring the climate crisis, they’re actively making it worse. ⁣ ⁣ Join our fight to stop new gas development by tapping the link in my bio⁣ ⁣ #budget2020 #climateemergency #nonewgas A post shared by Adam Bandt (@adambandt) on Oct 6, 2020 at 8:13pm PDT Back of the pack: Australia now the worst OECD country for climate change action https://t.co/RwEl0ADyTZ— Doctors for the Environment Australia (@DocsEnvAus) October 6, 2020 The world will change very quickly if Biden wins the presidency.In WW2 the US mobilised to win the war and stimulated 30 years of economic growth. "This time the mobilisation will be for the war against carbon" https://t.co/y9ErNRA5cE— Eytan Lenko (@eytanlenko) October 7, 2020 View this post on Instagram UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just revealed a plan to power all UK homes with wind by 2030, as part of the government's 'Build Back Greener' plan. As the windiest inhabited continent, Australia should be giving the UK a run for its money – but we're at risk of being left behind as the world decarbonises. #windenergy #AusVsUk #renewableenergy A post shared by The Climate Council (@theclimatecouncil) on Oct 5, 2020 at 11:23pm PDT X Gas – expensive and more won't lower pricesX More gas infrastructure displaces renewable energy, not coalX Investing in more gas will not provide the jobs neededX We have enough gas and there are stranded asset risks#Renewables more jobs, safer climate#cleanenergy— Neil Plummer (@N_Plumm) October 9, 2020 View this post on Instagram Flowerlands: forged by fire. An ecosystem born on volcanic basalt and cultivated by First Nation People for millennia. Volcanic plains inspired. Darebin creek, remnant grasslands, Wurundjeri lands. These images are actually all part of one big image, an ode to the remnant ecosystems still surviving through colonisation. The Victorian grasslands plant, animal and fungi communities have so much story to share, especially of resilience, survival and diversity. This work is on its way to the Rights of Nature week in Brisbane next week. Check out the week of powerful talks and new (old) ways of speaking about law and ethics @earthlawsaus The future I am working towards has rights for water, land and sea. #rightsfornature #victorianvolcanicplains #wurundjeriland #biodiversity #ecology #ecologicalart #remnantecosystems #grasslands #watercolour #worksonpaper #charcoal A post shared by Aviva Reed (@aviva_reed) on Oct 6, 2020 at 3:16am PDT R u in the top 2%?https://t.co/tEdVVyi4I9. https://t.co/HgA4V0fPcN pic.twitter.com/YkGtSTGKZ3— Climate Watcher (@pmagn) October 9, 2020 Cruise ships torn apart after coronavirus sell off#ClimateAction https://t.co/SeVpduBjdE— Climate Watcher (@pmagn) October 9, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share this podcast in social media Change of mindset to take Geelong forward | Geelong Council candidates Tom O’Connor and Stephanie Asher together with Carl Obst, director of IDEEA Group, give their views on the what will take the municipality forward #CleverCreativeGeelong #GeelongVotes https://t.co/SQkNDO7mgf— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) October 14, 2020 → Share this podcast on www.twitter.com

While our Hiatus in the Tunnel continues, on 7 October 2020 our focus is on three candidates who have put themselves up to represent the citizens of Greater Geelong in the upcoming local government election. Two of these are sitting councillors, who are currently in caretaker mode, hoping to be re-elected. “The gravity is moving in the community. For once, the climate topic is up high in the frame of the election,” says Jim Mason who stands to continue to represent the residents and ratepayers from the Bellarine Ward. Sarah Mansfield is re-standing for Brownbill Ward as a Greens candidate. Regular listeners would know of both Jim and Sarah’s many progressive, science-backed ideas to contribute to the City of Greater Geelong’s transition to a safer, more just, inclusive and healthy post-carbon world. Today we hear loud and clear from them that this quest will continue if they are re-elected. Our third guest is Greens member Cory Wolverton who also wants to represent the residents and ratepayers of the Bellarine Ward. 32-year-old social worker, Cory and his wife are bringing up their two young children in Ocean Grove. Despite his relatively young age, Cory brings a wealth of experience to the table and if elected will no doubt bring that youthful enthusiasm and fresh thinking to the city hall chambers. #GreenRecovery: Information to vote for a different post-Covid Geelong Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook today takes us initially into the global betting shops as they recalibrate the odds for the US presidential election. We also hear about a stern warning to Australia because of our lack of real action on climate from the South Pacific Forum. A warning from the representatives of the people watching the oceans rise around them. Colin concludes his report with yet more hard evidence, this time from Lord Adair Turner, chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, a group representing all the world’s major emitters. His assessment about the rate at which the world will electrify will surprise many. Time is up: #votethedifference. “Politics is about what we think we can do and what we can’t do, but beyond all of that is our one planet, that little blue thing zooming along in the darkness of space if you’re standing on the moon, it is a little self-sufficient spaceship and it needs to be sustained – and that is not politics, that is the reality of our observed environment.”~ Jim Mason, candidate for the Bellarine Ward in the City Of Greater Geelong election → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geelong council candidates respond to community questions Election forums in Geelong region DateTimeWardOrganiserWed 7 Oct12:00-1:00pmKardiniaThe Pulse – Zoom + Fb livestreamWed 7 Oct1:30-2:30pmWindermereThe Pulse – Zoom + Fb livestreamThurs 8 Oct1:30-2:30pmBellarineThe Pulse – Zoom + Fb livestreamThurs 8 Oct7:00-8:30pmBellarineCBCAFri 9 Oct12:00-1:00pmBrownbillThe Pulse – Zoom + Fb livestream?? Oct?? pmWindermereLara Community Network Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Candidate Survey – the results are in A team of volunteers behind the Geelong Community Survey have created a special election survey for the Geelong Council election candidates. The group says it has aimed “to make this informative yet not too long so that you can make an informed decision about who to vote for.” If you live in City of Greater Geelong, find out how the candidates reponded in your ward: Brownbill Ward Kardinia Ward Bellarine Ward Windermere Ward The group of community researchers wrote: “At election time, there are so many scorecards and interest groups coming out to spoon feed you and tell you who to vote for. We hope our survey will empower you to make up your own mind. Do the candidates share our community’s concerns?We have asked the candidates key questions based on the priorities from the Geelong Community Survey to show whether they share our concerns and will take meaningful action to address them. It’s encouraging that a vast majority of candidates are indicating they will act on these key issues. We recommend reading the full responsesPlease take 10 minutes and honour the effort that has gone into this work and the candidates who have decided to step up and participate in the democratic process by taking the time to read the full candidates’ responses. You will get a much better picture of candidates by reading the full report than an abbreviated summary, (which we aim to release later this week.) Make sure you enlarge the documents if you find the type too small to read, use the slide bar on the bottom right of your screen to do this. Ask yourselfSome things you may like to ask yourself as you read these responses : Are they capable of making strategic decisions? Are their concerns and values aligned with mine? Are their priorities consistent across responses to show they truly understand an issue? Are they interested in improving communication with residents so that we understand better what Geelong Council is doing? For those who have been Councillors before, were their actions when they were in office in line with their responses now? Only you can answer that by researching the candidates properly before you vote.  Over to usIt’s over to us now in our role as citizens. Our job does not stop once we have voted. We have many examples of what happens to democracies when their citizens are not engaged. Let’s play our part by participating and then holding them to these positions if they are elected.” → Source: www.geelongcommunitysurvey.org/candidatesrespond View this post on Instagram Jim working hard for you Find out more about what I will focus on if elected for a Secord Term via the link in my bio or send me a DM @jimmasonbellarine ________________________________________________ Standing again for COGG Council – Bellarine Ward in October 2020 Bellarine Candidate #jimmasonbellarine www.jimmason.com.au Working Hard for the Bellarine! ________________________________________________ . . . . . . . . . . #bellarine #bellarinepeninsula #cityofgreatergeelong #geelong #geelongbusiness A post shared by Jim Mason Bellarine Peninsula (@jimmasonbellarine) on Oct 3, 2020 at 7:02pm PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ICYMI: Prince Charles called for a military-style Marshall Plan to combat climate change #ClimateWeek https://t.co/T02GqWrOUL pic.twitter.com/akR4Vlo4I0— Reuters (@Reuters) September 27, 2020 View this post on Instagram Did you see that @creucassel has another new series starting next week?⠀ ⠀ Big Weather (and how to survive it) starts on ABC TV on Tues 13 October.⠀ ⠀ Craig has been so influential in helping people to shift their behaviour through his previous shows – #waronwaste and #FightForPlanetA – so we're super keen to see what he discovers about the future of our continent and changing weather patterns in this series.⠀ ⠀ And don't forget you can still watch Fight for Planet A on ABC iview if you haven't seen it yet.⠀ ⠀ Look out for our appearances in Episodes 2 and 3 where we helped Oatlands Public School reduce their carbon footprint by 31%!!!⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #bigweather⠀ #craigreucassel⠀ #sustainablehouse ⠀ #sustainablehome ⠀ #sustainableliving⠀ #sustainablelivingtips⠀ #climateclever⠀ #Climatecleverinitiative⠀ #ClimatecleverHomesApp⠀ #drvanessarauland⠀ #climatechange ⠀ #climateaction⠀ #climateactivist ⠀ #climatecleveractivist⠀ #savetheplanet⠀ #lowcarbonfootprint⠀ #lowcarbonfuture⠀ #carbonfootprint⠀ #zerowaste⠀ #turnoffthelights ⠀ #turnoffappliances⠀ #sustainabilitymatters ⠀ #environmentalsustainability ⠀ #sustainablefuture⠀ #LowerMyFootprint⠀ #ABCTV⠀ #thefightforplanetA A post shared by ClimateClever (@climate_clever) on Oct 7, 2020 at 12:33am PDT The fact that the Amazon is at a tipping point of becoming a savannah rather than rainforest isn’t headline worthy shows the failing of the media to present the true scale of this emergency.https://t.co/35r35vHX0e— Extinction Rebellion Youth (@XrYouth) October 5, 2020 Proud to be out in London supporting today's climate action #WeWantToLive #ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/tWKzgMSFGp— Music Declares Emergency (@musicdeclares) September 1, 2020 “There will be industries, sectors and firms that do very well during this process because they will be part of the solution,"“Companies that don’t adapt will go bankrupt without question.”US coal companies have already lost 90% of their value https://t.co/GHIZDalOew— Paul Dawson (@PaulEDawson) October 4, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share this podcast in social media Election candidates reaching for a bigger green – Our focus in #TheSustainableHour no 335 is on three candidates who have put themselves up to represent the citizens of Greater #Geelong in the local government election. #GeelongVotes #ClimateEmergency https://t.co/ridQlaykzB— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) October 7, 2020 → Share this podcast on www.twitter.com

The Sustainable Hour no 334 On 30 September 2020 we host a panel of ‘Put Climate First’ candidates for the City of Greater Geelong and one from the Surf Coast Shire for the local government elections that are rapidly approaching via our postboxes. The Geelong candidates are:Belinda Moloney standing for Kardinia WardElise Wilkinson standing for Bellarine WardMonique Connell standing for Windermere WardSandi Dwyer standing for Brownbill WardAnd from Torquay Ward in the Surf Coast Council we have well-known community organiser Monica Winston. Join us as we listen to these very articulate women outline what they will bring to the table, should they be elected. The main planks in their campaigns are: Zero carbon emissions by 2030Localise goods and servicesRegenerate ecological and local systemsCreate a Citizens’ Democracy You can find out more at their website: www.putclimatefirst.org Today, as always, Colin Mockett has us zooming all over the world in his Global Outlook. An item from the World Meteorological Society leads us off. Here Colin highlights recent weather events that have wrecked recent havoc all over the Northern Hemisphere as well as weather records that have been smashed. He updates a couple of familiar extreme weather induced disasters in that part of the world. Additionally he takes us to the United Nations General Assembly where we hear about the Chinese leader’s address where he explains that his country has no choice but to fund a Green Revolution as part of their post Covid economic stimulus. This in the wake of unprecedented floods where over 250 of their citizens perished. Mik concludes this segment with news from his birth country, Denmark: their new Green Future Fund where they will invest over three billion Euros in green and clean energy solutions. Unlike Australia, none of this will go towards propping up fossil fuel. If you find our podcasts useful, please help extend our reach and share far and wide. Till next week, take care and educate yourself so you can #VoteTheDifference #GreenRecovery: Information to vote for a different post-Covid Geelong “Change is not the enemy.“ (…) ”There is an interdependent relationship between architechture, agriculture, science, transport – there is so much that we can do, and it is not one thing doing it on its own, it is this interdependent relationship, where we are all on board to flatten that curve, it is about saying: How can we all do this together?”~ Sandi Dwyer, council election candidate in Greater Geelong’s Brownbill Ward → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Questions to your local election candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View this post on Instagram Leaflets ready to go out – use your COVUD 2 hours of fitness for a good cause and help distribute in Darebin…. #cooltheplanetnow #climateemergency A post shared by Adrian Whitehead (@vote_adrian) on Oct 2, 2020 at 12:57am PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View this post on Instagram The climate crisis is more urgent than ever yet our governments still seem to be ignoring it. ___________________________________________ . . . #ourplanet #canada #climatechange #climatestrike #vegan #stopclimatechange #globalwarming  #gretathunberg #environmentaljustice #environmentalist #activism #anarchism #leftistmemes #socialism #politics  #politicalmemes #blacklivesmatter #feminism #anarchocommunism #defundthepolice #eattherich #ontario #climatecrisis #uniformityisdeath #kropotkin #toronto #markham #montreal #vaughan #vancouver A post shared by Uniformity Is Death (@uniformityisdeath) on Oct 3, 2020 at 8:47am PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Clever and creative women putting climate first: On 30 September 2020 The Sustainable Hour hosts a panel of '#PutClimateFirst' candidates for Geelong and one from the Surf Coast Shire for the local government elections – #GeelongVotes #SurfCoastVotes https://t.co/s1bw0MhohG— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) September 30, 2020 → Share this podcast on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The Sustainable Hour no 333The school strikers are calling again. This Friday, 25 September, is a global school strike – and a national day of action protesting our government’s destructive obsession with gas. In Geelong, the strike will take place in The Tunnel – on zoom – and Facebook. Joining us in The Tunnel and Stairway to Hiatus on 23 September 2020, we have five guests: Geelong Sustainability President Vicki Perrett tells us how this year’s Sustainable House Day will be held online and gives us an overview of the types of houses and gardens that will be on display for those two days. Details of Sustainable House Day 2020 can be found here: Geelong Sustainability SHD2020. Vicki then welcomes three people whose homes will be on virtual display over the Sustainable House Day weekend: Ryan Thompson who has retrofitted a heritage 1940’s house, and partners Jenny Knox and Malcolm Fisher who have recently moved into their newly built house. Vicki leaves us with the strong impression that although this year’s Sustainable House Day has to be online, there’ll still be something for everyone. Monique Connell is standing for Windermere Ward as part of the Put Climate First ticket at the upcoming City of Greater Geelong elections. We hear from Monique why she decided to stand and what issues are a priority for her if she is elected. Here’s a video excerpt of the interview. James Whelen, the founder of The Change Agency, tells us about their community organising fellowships, applications for which close at the end of October. There are part and full scholarships available because of the very generous support of close a number of philanthropic foundations. In his Global Round Up this week, Colin Mockett takes in the ongoing Californian wildfires and Russian arctic diesel-spill clean-up, while featuring European president Ursula von der Leyen’s first State of the Union address. This outlined her plans for Europe to recover from the pandemic recession with an ambitious plan to invest 20 per cent of its $3 trillion budget in eco-aligned recovery projects that would see Europe become the first climate-neutral continent by mid-century. Europe’s new target is to cut its CO2 emissions by 2030 by at least 55 per cent from 1990 levels, lifting the target from 40 per cent. Colin’s report finishes with New Zealand’s world-first legislation requiring its financial sector to report on climate risks alongside financial date. If you find our weekly efforts to tell the truth on climate-related matters and to look at real solutions, feel free to share this far and wide. Victorians, we are a week closer to our local government elections, so do your research before you #VoteTheDifference and #PutClimateFirst. “When water becomes the same price as gold, the wealthy will always be able to afford it. But those people who are on the margins, less wealthy, who are working pay to pay and struggling to put food on the table, those are the people who are first affected by climate change. The people in my ward are such an important group of people, and I really want them to understand that I will represent them in Council. I will be a voice for them – to support everybody to get on board and make a change for the environment.”~ Monique Connell, ‘Put Climate First’ candidate for the Windermere Ward at the Geelong Council elections → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Excerpt of the interview with Monique Connell in The Sustainable Hour no 333 View this post on Instagram #PutClimateFirst #GeelongVotes #SurfCoastVotes A post shared by Put climate first (@putclimatefirst) on Sep 20, 2020 at 4:43pm PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Questions to your local election candidates View this post on Instagram Who wants a corflute? A post shared by Adrian Whitehead (@vote_adrian) on Sep 22, 2020 at 7:04pm PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Climate strikers: “Fund our future – not gas” School strikes in Australia This Friday 25 September 2020 is a national day of action protesting our government’s destructive obsession with gas, called by the school strikers. Over 250 actions have been registered in towns and suburbs across Australia. Register on the map so politicians see how many actions are happening! Here’s the starter pack from SS4C and here’s Extinction Rebellion’s Gas Campaign Pack. There’s still time to plan something, could be as simple as making a sign and holding it somewhere public. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View this post on Instagram A big announcement from China at the UN this morning. Chinese President Xi Jinping has said China will achieve a peak in carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. He also urged all countries to pursue a “green recovery of the world economy in the post-COVID era.” The announcement puts China more closely in step with a mid-century net zero emissions goal and gives us a chance of limiting the damage associated with the climate crisis. More here: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-assembly-climatechange-idUSKCN26D2DH A post shared by 2040: The Regeneration (@2040film) on Sep 22, 2020 at 7:01pm PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share a post about this podcast in social media The Sustainable House in the age of change: Hour no 333 about Sustainable House Day in #Geelong, a '#PutClimateFirst' election campaign, #TheChangeAgency and the #SchoolStrike4Climate on Friday. #SHDGeelong #FridaysForFuture https://t.co/udDhZopk5w— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) September 23, 2020 → Share the news about this podcast on twitter, facebook and instagram

The Sustainable Hour no 332 Joining us in our in the Tunnel and Stairway to Hiatus on 16 September 2020, we have three guests: Sarah Jones and Jamie Marloo Thomas, the co-founders of Bacchus Marsh Earth-based wellness group Wayapa Wuurrk. Jamie is a proud First Peoples man who believes that as a traditional custodian, it is his responsibility to share his connection to country and teach others how to respect and care for it, to heal it and let it heal us. He is very ably complemented be his Welsh-born partner and co-founder Sarah Jones. Election candidate Belinda Moloney then explains why she is standing as a ‘Put Climate First‘ candidate for Kardinia Ward in the upcoming City of Greater Geelong elections. She also explains the issues on which she is standing. We welcome back our Youth Correspondent, 11-year-old primary school student Ben Pocock as he presents the fruits of his thorough research on recycling. We marvel at the professional way he presents this information.  Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook starts by updating us on the out of control fires along the western side of the US – he tells us how the situation has been going on for over six weeks and has now spread to 12 states – so reminiscent of the situation in Australia nine months ago – and a dire warning about what we could easily face here as summer rapidly approaches accompanied by our forests and grasslands drying out. Next item provides some light relief and irony as we hear about Donald Trump’s claims to be the “best ever US environmental president’ as he is about to visit fire-ravaged areas this week. Colin then brings us back home as he focuses on global mining giant BHP Billeton’s bold targets as part of their shared responsibility for mitigating their contribution to the climate crisis we face. Finally he analyses the results of the recent City of Greater Geelong’s community survey on sustainability and congratulates Geelong Council for passing resolutions to take these concerns seriously at their most recent meeting. Till next week, if you appreciate the work we so happily produce each week, feel free to share it far and wide. To all Victorians out there reading this, #VoteTheDifference: #PutClimateFirst “Local government needs to do something to build onto the growing momentum around sustainable practices.”~ Belinda Moloney, ‘Put Climate First’ candidate for the Kardinia Ward in the City of Greater Geelong council elections → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Mother Earth has sent us to our rooms for being disrespectful to her. We need time to think about and re-evaluate how we have been treating her.”~ Jamie Marloo Thomas, co-founder of Yayapa Wuurrk Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share the news about this podcast in social media Making the tree change: standing with Earth | The Sustainable Hour no 322 with Sarah Jones and Jamie Marloo Thomas, co-founders of Wayapa Wuurrk, election candidate Belinda Moloney and youth correspondent Ben Pocock – #putclimatefirst #imstandingwithearth https://t.co/YyIZ7qeLFS— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) September 16, 2020 → Share on www.twitter.com, on www.facebook.com and on www.instagram.com

The Sustainable Hour no 331 We have three guests in our Hiatus Tunnel on 9 September 2020: Social researcher and climate activist Rebecca Huntley is the author of the recently released book ‘How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way that Makes a Difference’. Rebecca explains what led her to write the book as well as how to approach different people differently. Victoria McKenzie-McHarg revisits the show, this time as the manager of Womens’ Environmental Leadership Australia, WELA. She took part in the WELA program a couple of years ago and believed in its potential so much that she managed to talk them into putting her on full-time to expand their reach. We hope that some of our female listeners apply for this very successful program in 2021. Melbourne psychiatrist and climate/health campaigner Dr Pia Brous talks about her concerns about the health implications of our reliance on fossil fuels. These concerns are such that she is part of the organising committee for a webinar which aims at seriously questioning the call for a gas led recovery from Covid-19.This webinar is on Tuesday 15 September 2020. Global Outlook: Colin Mockett starts his look around our planet this week with two bad news items. The first is from the record heatwave in California where their unprecedented out-of-control wildfires have continued unabated for another week and left tens of thousands of acres of native forests destroyed in their wake. Next he revisits Mauritius and the damage being done to the wildlife there, but this time it’s caused by the cleanup efforts. His final two items herald more hopeful news. Firstly, protest actions outside Murdock Press offices and printing presses in England highlights that gigantic media corporation’s inability or unwillingness to tell the truth on all matters climate. Finally he brings us back home with the recent announcement by Aldi – the German supermarket chain’s commitment to take its responsibility to be part of the solution to the climate emergency we face seriously by generating its own renewable electricity. Colin concludes by pondering if this will inspire our two supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths to do the same. We couldn’t resist giving Keb Mo some more airplay with his song ‘Put a Woman in Charge’. Until we return to the Tunnel next week, educate yourself about what each candidate is pledging to push for should the be successful in the upcoming City of Greater Geelong elections. This time around we must #VoteTheDifference. “If we want solutions that are going to work, that are going to be long-lasting, and are going to bring communities along with it, then we need womens’ leadership at scale right across society for the issues of climate and the environment – and we need to see that across government, across business and across the not-for-profit sector.”~ Victoria McKenzie-McHarg, manager, WELA program “There is no one single approach that will work with every doubtful person you speak to about climate change, but there is a way that will work with everyone if you can establish common ground with them.”~ Rebecca Huntley, author Excerpt of interview with Dr Pia Brous Why it the climate emergency so important, why does it overshadow all other decisions we make – and why do things need to change now? Dr Pia Brous, who was guest in The Sustainable Hour this week, gave us an answer to that. What she says here in just a few minutes is useful for any conversation, interview or election panel discussion you are participating in about the topic of climate change. This is how our doctors are now talking about the issue. People generally have a level of respect for their own doctor. Doctors obviously know something that our politicians – including some councillors – simply don’t understand, because they never received the relevant education. Or, as Dr Brous tells us, they pretend not to understand it because of vested interests. “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. If everyone takes that approach, we can do anything.”~ Zali Steggall, independent member of the Australian Parliament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher Acknowledgement We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future. The traditional owners lived in harmony with the land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices. Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that… “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The gas fallacy: Event description Drought, floods and the recent catastrophic bushfires have brought home the reality of the climate crisis to Australia – the burning of fossil fuels is destroying our world. The Covid caused recession creates an opportunity to transition rapidly to renewables as part of economic recovery, but the federal government maintains a gas-led approach to recovery is necessary. This is despite the fact that gas produces unacceptably high greenhouse emissions and that renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels, and better for the economy, environment, climate and our health. Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action Network (PECAN), Glen Eira Emergency Climate Action Network (GECAN) and Bayside Emergency Climate Action Network (BECAN) are bringing together key experts to help us understand the proposal for a so called gas-led recovery, and how an alternative renewable led recovery would work. This forum is supported by many other climate action groups throughout Melbourne’s South East, from Melbourne Central to Western Port Bay and The Mornington Peninsula. The Panel Professor Penny Sackett is Professor at the Climate Change Institute, ANU and was previously Australia’s Chief Scientist. She will speak about the impact of plans for gas expansion on greenhouse gas emissions and the climate. Dr George Crisp, a GP and Committee Member, Doctors for the Environment, will speak on the less well known effects of gas on people’s health. Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor and gas expert at the Australia Institute will speak on The National COVID Coordinating Commission’s plans as well as the renewable alternatives to gas. The webinar will be moderated by Esther Abram, Consultant and Strategic Advisor at Estuary Resources and formerly the inaugural CEO at the Moreland Energy Foundation and Director of Environment Victoria. The Issues The speakers at the webinar will cover these questions:  What impact will plans for gas expansion have on greenhouse gas emissions and on the climate?What impact would it have on people’s health? Why is the Australian government supporting this gas expansion? Do we actually need more gas? Can the transition to renewables be achieved without gas? Why this Webinar? This important webinar will give us all the opportunity to learn more about gas and its impacts, and the government’s plans. It will also be an opportunity to make our voices heard to our parliamentary representatives before the federal budget, on 6 October. Many of Melbourne’s south east federal seats are held by Commonwealth Government members– some being key ministers. A Call to Action Climate For Change will be present to guide participants to engage with their local MPs through a letter writing activity. Our voices combined, can matter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MEDIA RELEASE – 9 SEPTEMBER 2020: Climate change posing new disease risk – Biosecurity experts sound the alarm Climate change is a key factor in the emergence of new, potentially dangerous diseases, a new group of biosecurity experts has warned. The group of 18 former chief veterinary officers and senior government veterinarians have written to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, urging him to commit Australia to reaching net-zero emissions before 2050. They have also asked the Prime Minister to meet with them to discuss how climate change is threatening Australia’s biosecurity. Chief veterinary officers advise state and territory governments on how to keep emerging diseases out of Australia. Dr Helen Scott-Orr, inaugural Inspector-General of Biosecurity for Australia and former NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, said the distribution of pests and spread of diseases was already changing both in Australia and abroad as global temperatures increased. “We know that over the past few decades, between 60 and 70 per cent of new diseases affecting humans have originated from animals, including COVID-19,” Dr Scott-Orr said. “Climate change is an important factor behind the emergence of new diseases and it is not a future issue, climate change is happening now,” she said. “Australia has an important role to play in preventing this problem from escalating further, because with our natural resources, we could be selling clean, renewable energy to the world, instead of exporting polluting fossil fuels like coal and gas.” Dr Ron Glanville, former Chief Veterinary Officer, Chief Biosecurity Officer and Chief Inspector of Stock for Queensland, organised the letter, with the support of the Veterinarians for Climate Action movement. “We have spent our lives tracking the spread of infectious diseases and we can already see how global heating, combined with other factors such as habitat destruction, is changing the distribution patterns of disease,” Dr Glanville said.  “I worry that unless the Australian government treats the problem of climate change with the urgency it deserves, which means committing to net-zero emissions by 2050 or preferably earlier, my grandchildren’s lives will be much less safe and comfortable than my own,” he said.  Nobel-prize winning immunologist Prof Peter Doherty, who originally trained as a veterinarian, said the former chief veterinary officers were thoughtful, conservative people whose advice should be heeded. “The health consequences of climate change, apart from the obvious ones of excess heat, go right across the board.” ·         A copy of the former chief veterinary officers’ open letter is here. ·         Biographies of each of the signatories to the letter are here. ·         Video and audio grabs from Prof Peter Doherty are here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Doctors sound the alarm to government: Climate change is a health emergency → 9News – 9 September 2020:COVID-19 brought countries to a halt but climate change kept devastating the world, UN report says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MEDIA RELEASE – 9 September 2020: Greater Geelong Council takes determined stand on environment Council has committed the City of Greater Geelong to strong targets and actions that aim to protect the region’s environment and address significant environmental issues and impacts on the region. The Environment Strategy 2020-2030, which is supported by a two-year action plan, was last night adopted by council following extensive community consultation. Greater Geelong features diverse urban, rural and coastal environments, including 1,300 hectares of protected natural habitat managed by the City, 133 kilometres of coastline, indigenous vegetation and flora and fauna of state, federal and international significance. The strategy’s key targets include: All City-managed operations to be carbon neutral by 2025;All City-owned light fleet vehicles to be powered by zero-emission sources by 2030;100 per cent renewable electricity supply for all City owned and operated buildings and streetlights by 2025;Establish an additional 1,000 hectares of protected natural habitat by 2030;Plant 1 million new trees in Greater Geelong by 2030;Achieve a net gain of biodiversity within Greater Geelong during the term of this strategy; andHalve the volume of organic materials going to landfill from residential waste bins between 2020 and 2030, with a target of 20 per cent reduction by 2025. Forty submissions and 194 online comments were received during community and stakeholder consultation in May and June 2020, showing overwhelming support for the goals, principles and actions contained with the strategy. Significant community feedback was received on the importance of addressing climate change including the need for a region-wide response and to further engage with Traditional Owners. The changes made to the Environment Strategy based on community feedback include: ·         Strengthened climate change commitments, including expansion of partnerships to reduce community emissions; ·         Increased the number and scope of biodiversity commitments and strengthened targets; ·         Increased commitments to collaborate with Traditional Owners to connect culture and biodiversity; and ·         Aligned the strategy with commitments to reduce the use of single-use plastic. The Environment Strategy’s development was a key action within the Sustainability Framework 2020. The strategy and action plan replace the Environmental Management Strategy 2014-2017 and are supported by strategic work including the Urban Forest Strategy, Stormwater Services Strategy and Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy. Quotes attributed to Cr Eddy Kontelj, Chair, Environment portfolio:“The council group’s commitment to the Environment Strategy acknowledges our significant responsibility to care for and protect the region’s unique environment. Responding to challenges and threats that impact our distinctive environment and building resilience is vital to improving sustainability.” “The City is already running so many ‘clever and creative’ projects and initiatives in the environmental protection space, but we can always do more. This strategy will help the City improve its environmental performance, management of natural assets and delivery of services.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → The New Daily – 7 September 2020:‘We’re completely trapped’: More than 200 airlifted, 20 injured as fires rage across central CA“The situation only can be described as just hellish conditions out there for those poor people,” Sheriff Pogue said. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . https://twitter.com/GreaterGeelong/status/1300323740472008704 View this post on Instagram On this National Threatened Species Day, we're pausing to remember the Bramble Cay Melomys – the first mammal in the world to become extinct due to climate change. The native rodent was listed as endangered, but no active steps were taken to protect the species, which lived on a low-lying atoll in the Torres Strait. Eventually, storms and rising sea levels led to its extinction. Australia is home to more than a million species of plants and animals, yet our track record on conservation is woeful; climate change is making it even harder to protect our natural ecosystems and unique wildlife. A post shared by The Climate Council (@theclimatecouncil) on Sep 7, 2020 at 12:28am PDT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour Events in Victoria The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . → Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency→ Latest news on BBC about climate change Live-streaming on pause The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed. » To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right. Podcast archive Over 300 hours of sustainable podcasts Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length: → Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); First name Last name * Organisation/position Phone Website Email address * Leave this field empty if you're human: We send this newsletter out around eight times a year. Email address and surname is mandatory – all other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time. Find The Sustainable Hour on social media Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour → Overview of all podcast front covers Twitter:www.twitter.com/SustainableHour   Twitter tag: @SustainableHour YouTube channel:www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour Share this podcast in social media Planting seeds of climate leadership – a Sustainable Hour with Rebecca Huntley, Victoria McKenzie-McHarg and Dr Pia Brous. #ClimateEmergency #CommsDeclare #TheSustainableHour #StoryChange https://t.co/8m88lrXUqR— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) September 9, 2020 → Share this podcast on www.twitter.com