Firstly, a massive good work to those of you who braved the chilly temperatures and came along to our doorknock in Dulwich Hill on Saturday! Here’s a brief report back on how we went.
Results
Between the 13 of us we knocked on almost 600 doors and surveyed 95 residents, with fabulous results:
- a massive 91% want to see price tag put on pollution, to help make the switch to cleaner energy
- and a whopping 95% want the Government to implement strong policy to support new jobs and investment in renewable energy
And we were just one of around 40 groups who went doorknocking across the country, with hundreds of people having the same conversations across every state and territory. Woohoo!
Further details are available in the Media Release we’ve sent out today.
Next Steps
Now you’re probably all wondering what’s next?
Well, whilst we were out in Dulwich Hill, the members of the Multi-Party Committee on Climate Change spent all weekend in negotiations about the carbon price. But at the same time, the Australian Coal Association, along with plenty of other big polluting companies, were up to their usual tricks putting claims on carbon price money that could otherwise be going into renewable energy (see latest media here).
So it’s vital that those key decision makers know that our fellow Australians understand the need for the carbon price to deliver on renewables.
Step 1. Take the following few sentences as inspiration:
I am one of thousands of Australians who believe Australia needs to make the shift to a
clean energy future.I write in strong support of a price on pollution with complementary measures that will help
deliver clean energy, a strong and innovative economy for the 21st century and a safe climate
future for our kids.
Step 2. Add in your own sentiments on the issue.
Step 3. Email your sentiments to the MPCCC members, and our local Federal MP:
- Greg Combet – greg.combet.mp@aph.gov.au
- Mr. Tony Windsor MP – Tony.Windsor.MP@aph.gov.au
- Mr. Rob Oakeshott MP – robert.oakeshott.mp@aph.gov.au
- PM Julia Gillard – please fill in this email form – http://www.pm.gov.au/contact‐your‐pm
- Treasurer Wayne Swan – Wayne.Swan.MP@aph.gov.au
- Senator Christine Milne – senator.milne@aph.gov.au
- Senator Bob Brown – senator.bob.brown@aph.gov.au
- Parl Sec Mark Dreyfus – isaacs@markdreyfus.com
- Mr. Adam Bandt – adam.bandt.mp@aph.gov.au
- Mr. Anthony Albanese MP – a.albanese.mp@aph.gov.au
(Click here for this letter in PDF format).
Greens Senator Christine Milne recently told us that our collective voices were starting to be heard – so two minutes of your time will help strengthen the MPCCC’s negotiations and ultimately the carbon price outcomes!
Here’s your chance to have an impact on the future of action on climate and renewables this weekend – by taking part in the National Doorknock Day this Saturday, part of 20,000 conversations nationally.
We know that pollies listen to their communities, and doorknocking is one of the most effective methods of giving those communities a voice.
Plus chatting to other inner westies is not as scary as you might think – it’s easy and fun, check out these videos if you don’t believe us!
RSVP here and meet us on Saturday in Dulwich Hill.
When: 1.30pm-4.30pm, this Saturday.
Where: Morton Park – it’s between Gould Avenue and New Canterbury Rd, Dulwich Hill. Click here for directions.
Transport: If you’re taking the bus, the 428 (Canterbury to City via Newtown) stops on the New Canterbury Road side, or it’s a 10min walk from Lewisham train station.
We’ll provide training & equipment, all you’ll need to bring is comfy shoes and your smile!
If you can’t make it this Saturday, you can still have your say – click here to sign the 100% Renewable petition and send messages to everyone on the Multi-Party Climate Change Committee.
See it is fun! Check it out…
Who fancies a lunchtime trip to Circular Quay tomorrow, to help save solar?
On Friday, the O’Farrell NSW Liberal Government made a decision to retrospectively cut the solar feed-in-tariff, a change that leaves those who invested in solar in order to cut their power bills and do their bit for climate change financially uncertain. It also totally undermines the credibility of the renewable energy sector, and will destroy confidence and certainty, not just for the solar industry in NSW, but all over the country.
If you’re as outraged about this as we are, attend the Solar’s Last Chance Rally, 11.30am tomorrow at Customs House in Circular Quay. Together we can tell the NSW Government to take action and save the solar industry!
This is the last chance for the new NSW government to take action and save the solar industry. Their recent inaction and indecision puts 5,400 green collar solar jobs at risk and leaves 20,000 NSW residents stranded. The State’s Solar Bonus Scheme has been frozen, pending a review, which leaves homeowners $25 million out of pocket for systems that may never be paid a feed in tariff.
More than 20,000 consumers are now in the dark while the NSW government reviews its solar policy.
Solar’s Last Chance rally is a call to action for the NSW government who have a responsibility to the hundreds of small businesses, their families, and the wider NSW public who will be hurt by the cancellation of the scheme.
For more info, check out the Australian Solar Energy Society website or the facebook event page.
EDIT, 7th June: Great news! Because of the major backlash from you guys, as well as pressure from the solar industry, the Opposition and not to mention his own backbenchers, Barry has acknowledged his changes to NSW’s solar legislation would not have passed the Upper House and has back down!
It remains to be seen what will happen now, and an ongoing scheme is still needed to save the renewable energy sector from crisis, but it’s a step in the right direction. Tell Barry “thanks but we need more!”
Give him a call on 02 9228 5239, or email him via his website here!
News links: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/07/3237267.htm and http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/ofarrell-abandons-plan-to-cut-solar-tariff-20110607-1fpmz.html
**updated info below – the morning session has been cancelled, but the afternoon session is still growing – are you in?**
Are you tired of the debate on the pollution price being held hostage by radio shock-jocks, ultra-right politicians and climate deniers, spreading fear about taking action on climate change?
Well quite frankly, so are we!
That’s why CAN is taking part in the 100% Renewable campaign National “Doorknock to Unlock Clean Energy” on Saturday 28th May, part of a national effort from community groups across the country to have 20,000 conversations on renewable energy and climate action.
If you’ve been wondering what you can do in the light of such murky public debate on the carbon tax, and lack of action on climate change and renewable energy, here’s your chance!
Never been doorknocking? Well, it’s easy! We’ll provide full training and all the equipment, so all you need to do is decide if you want to go do some surveys in the Inner West and then have a free barbecue lunch, or if you’d rather have a free barbecue lunch and then go do some surveys??
Click here to register your availability for the afternoon surveying session this Saturday 28th May. (Note it will ask you for your phone number, this will not be published but only used for us to keep in contact).
20,000 conversations
In the meantime, we’re heading out nearly every Sunday this month to the Addison Road farmers markets (and some Saturdays at the Eveleigh CarriageWorks markets) to run 100% Renewable surveys with passers-by, and hold a neat letter-writing stall, complete with armchairs!
- Sat 7th, 10am-12pm, Eveleigh CarriageWorks markets – meet near the ramp at the north end of the market hall.
- Sun 8th, 10am-12pm, Addison Road markets – meet at the entrance gate on Addison Rd
- Sun 15th, 10am-12pm, Addison Road markets
- Sat 21st, 10am-12pm, Eveleigh CarriageWorks markets
- Sun 22nd, 10am-12pm, Addison Road markets
- Sun 29th, 10am-12pm, Addison Road markets
If you’ve got a spare weekend hour or two on any of those days and fancy chilling out at the markets, click here to register your availability. Lydia is willing to bribe people with free coffees to get them out of bed on time if need be!
If you can’t make it on any of those weekends, send your letter from the Environment Victoria website to seven of our biggest polluting whingers and tell them you expect them to clean up their act! We’ll be in touch again soon with other ways you can help from the comfort of your couch, armed with just a phone or pen and paper.
We’re looking to green up our local pubs, and we need your help!
Climate Action Newtown will be working with pubs in Newtown, Enmore and Erskineville to save energy and offset their carbon emissions. Wouldn’t it be great if by drinking locally at our friendly local pubs we were also saving the globe!? Cheers for Green Beers! This initiative draws inspiration from the example of the Agincourt Hotel, which allocates 2.5 cents from every beer sold towards offsetting its carbon emissions. For more information or to help out contact Kate Read on 0422 525 685 or email climateactionnewtown@gmail.com.
Or are you sick of the shock-jocks spreading fear about taking action on climate change?
This weekend, the climate fear campaign is coming to Sydney – Alan Jones and Chris Smith are on air today promoting another rally against climate action like the one they held in Canberra last week and Melbourne the week before. Let’s prove that they don’t speak for Sydney!
When & where: Saturday April 2nd @11am, Belmore Park (behind the Eddy Ave bus stops).
Numbers talk and we need to get the numbers to this rally to get the message out loud and clear that Australians support a price on pollution and demand that it’s a strong one. A few weeks ago, Melbourne showed us how it’s done. When we heard that talkback hosts were planning a rally against climate action, over 8000 Melbournians turned up for our own positive, family-friendly rally.
Across town in Sydney’s Hyde Park there will be an Anti-Carbon tax rally happening at the same time with the Climate Deniers, the talkback shock-jocks and the fear-mongering politicians. By contrast our rally will be peaceful, positive and family friendly.
How will showing up make a difference?
A fortnight ago, when an anti-climate-action rally came to Melbourne, over 8,000 locals joined our rally for climate action. They turned a bad media story on its head – into a positive national story about how many Australians showed up in support for climate action.
So many people and organisations across the climate change and union movements are working to make Saturday’s event a success – but ultimately it comes down to YOU! Will we mobilise more people than the rally against climate action? Please join us on Saturday to do so!
RSVP here, join the facebook event here – and don’t forget to invite all your friends and family too!
Neither the sitting member, Carmel Tebbutt nor the Liberal party candidate, Rosana Tyler attended a community forum on the controversial plans to mine coal seam gas in the Inner West, held in a packed St Peters Town Hall last Monday evening.
The Our energy future forum organised by local groups Climate Action Newtown and Sydney Residents Against Coal Seam Gas, was held with the intention of giving residents an opportunity to hear their state election candidates’ views on specific energy issues in the lead up to the NSW State election next weekend.
Local residents heard the Greens party candidate, Fiona Byrnes, and the Socialist Alliance candidate, Pip Hinman respond to three questions on coal seam gas mining, the expansion of coal fired power and the future of renewable energy programs.
Both candidates opposed the proposed plans to mine coal seam gas in St Peters until the social and environmental impacts have been properly assessed.
“International experience indicates that Coal Seam Gas (CSG) poses unacceptable risks to the quality and integrity of ground water, including pollution from toxic fracking chemicals, salts and other dissolved matters and reducing water tables.” said Fiona.
Pip outlined additional concerns with CSG, “While burning gas produces less than half the carbon of burning coal, gas extraction increasingly leads to gas leaks – which puts methane (which is 70 times more potent than carbon dioxide) into the air.”
Presenting the results of a doorknocking survey of almost 300 residents in the Marrickville electorate Dr Moira Williams from Climate Action Newtown said,
“We are hearing a consistent message that the people of Marrickville do not want the CSG mining to go ahead and would prefer to see investment in clean energy sources like wind and solar.”
Both candidates and residents at the forum voiced disappointment that neither the Liberal nor Labor party candidates had attended to respond to the survey results.
Fiona Byrnes said it was clear that Ms Tebbutt and Ms Tyler were clearly not interested in the view of the community regarding issues like Coal Seam Gas, solar thermal power and the assisting the community in the transition to a clean energy future.”
“The failure of both major parties to address residents at this forum is extremely disappointing given the amount of work we have done to gauge community concerns about coal seam gas mining, the expansion of coal fired power infrastructure, and ongoing cuts to renewable energy programs in NSW” said Lydia from Climate Action Newtown.
“I urge all Marrickville residents to use their vote wisely in next Saturday’s election, and send a strong message showing they are concerned about the health and environmental impacts of coal seam gas and the expansion of coal fired power.” said Lydia.
Organised in collaboration with www.nogasmininginsydney.com
Survey results in Marrickville electorate are viewable here.
Here are the results in our electorate from 270 surveys conducted in Newtown, Enmore, St Peters and Marrickville between January and March 2011.
- 94% of residents support greater investment in renewable energy in NSW.
- 58% had heard of the plans to mine coal seam gas in St Peters.
- 77% said the state government should place a ban on exploration of coal seam gas until proper environmental assessments have been completed.
- 74% disagreed with the government’s decision to scale back the solar bonus scheme which was helping households invest in solar panels.
- 74% said new energy in NSW should come from clean energy sources like wind and solar.
- 84% said they considered these issues when they vote.
So what will our energy future be?
We have some important choices to make about our energy future this year, and Marrickville is one of the most hotly contested seats in NSW.
So come to this community forum and hear your Marrickville state election candidates views on community concerns about coal seam gas mining and coal fired power, and learn more about what you can do.
With SPECIAL GUEST, comedian Rod Quantock!
When: Monday 14th March, 6.30 – 8pm.
Where: St Peters Town Hall, 39 Unwins Bridge Road, Sydenham.
Organised by Climate Action Newtown and Sydney Residents Against Coal Seam Gas.
RSVP on facebook or by email to climate.action.newtown@gmail.com, and for more information, contact Moira on 0420 504 411.
Coal and coal seam gas mining are expanding at an unprecedented rate, threatening our farmland, our climate, our communities, and our water.
Join environmentalists, farmers and concerned citizens from across NSW to take action to protect our irreplaceable farmland and environment.
This election, demand your politicians put communities ahead of mining profits.
Food before coal. Water before gas. For our land, our water and our future.
When: Sunday 20th March, 12pm – 1.30pm
Where: Martin Place, Macquarie St, Sydney
For more information, email rally@lockthegate.org.au, and check out www.lockthegate.org.au and www.nccnsw.org.au.
Transport: buses are being organised from Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and elsewhere. Check the websites above for details in the coming weeks.
RSVP on facebook, and please help spread the word by inviting your family, friends and networks!
Climate Camp still needs to raise around $6000, so please buy some raffle tickets!
Prizes include:
- A double season pass with camping to the Peats Ridge Festival
- A single season pass with camping to the Woodford Folk Festival
- A luxury night away for two at ‘The Tops Organic Retreat‘ in the Barrington Tops
- 12 bottles of Tamburlaine organic wine
Tickets cost: $2 each, $3 for 5, $6 for 10, or a book of 30 for $50.
CAN will be selling raffle tickets at our street stalls in October and November, in the meantime, if you’d like any further information about Climate Camp, to get involved or to buy raffle tickets, contact: info@climatecamp.org.au or call Moira on: 0420 504 411.
