September 30th

SYDNEY CLIMATE STRIKE 

Produced by Vivien Langford in Sydney. Thanks to Michaela and Andy in Melbourne

Speakers:

Gadrian Hoosen – Garawa and Yanyuwa man from Boroloola, Pacific Warriors, Jean Hinchcliff, Tommy John Herbert MUA, President of Teachers’ Federation, ASU,PSA, ETU, CFMMEU, APHEDA, Parents and Grandparents and a Concerned Scientist .

Music: Ready by Montaigne and New Orleans by David Rovics

It felt like an historic turning point. Not just the 100,000+ in the Domain but the new energy in the climate movement. One of the marshalls was Jenny, a climate activist I knew from 12 years ago. She reminded me of the street theatre we used to do down at Circular Quay, dramatising the climate emergency. I’d borrow a polar bear suit from a Greenpeace Giant and was glad of the disguise as I didn’t want to be recognised from my workplace. I had piles of fur around my ankles but Japanese Tourists would put their arms around me and want a cute photo. Most people didn’t understand at all that we were doing a “Die In” Climate Change was not mainstream. Now, Jenny said, she went to organising meetings and”it’s all new people”.

The kaleidoscope has turned and a new coalition of students and workers, parents and professionals, has unified around the disbelief that we are still making profits out of an economy that is creating catastrophe.

The media reported this as a children’s event and missed the fact that unions and churches were there in great numbers. The students have been making allies with unionists and have been on a steep learning curve about the  dire realities of striking for most workers in Australia. As I wove through the crowd I learned that many workers are affected by climate change already. You will hear from a ship builder working inside the metal hulk on a heatwave day, of the firemen and forest workers confronted by uncontrollable fires in areas where they are running out of water. Factory workers processing milk are losing jobs because of the drought. Electricians working on solar farm installations are horrified at unskilled casuals working for $10 an hour and no regulation of the work.  There were hundreds of stories there to be told 

As we walked past the parliament I imagined a cynical sign in the sky “....Tell someone who cares!” because this new climate awareness of workers and young people does not seem to be registering among our leaders. You can send this podcast to any of them in case they are trying NOT to hear the message from the streets. https://www.3cr.org.au/beyondzero

POWER OF COUNTRY TOUR  at Sydney Town Hall

Music by Stuart Nuggett in Jingili Language –Bundurru (food)

Speakers:

Millie Telford – Seed Mob, Indigenous youth climate movement

Stuart Nuggett – Jingili Musician from Beetaloo Basin

Nicole Hutton – Garrawa woman from Boroloola

Naomi Hogan – Lock The Gate Alliance/Stop Origin Fracking the NT

Julie Lyford – Groundswell Gloucester. The town that said NO to AGL gas.

“Now is NOT the time in history for Origin Energy to be rolling out polluting and damaging fracking gas fields across the NT” Lock the gate.

Naomi Hogan held up the latest Beyond Zero Emissions report “The 10 gigawatt vision for the NT” and Sydney Town Hall roared. We were there to hear traditional owners and NT Community members help us understand the risks to precious waterways, to local health and to all of us if that gas is ever allowed to hasten climate catastrophe.

Millie Telford, a vivacious young leader, animated the conversation on stage with musician Stuart Nuggett and Nicole Hutton. She said

 “We can’t do it alone. It’s time to take this fight all around the country”

City people were urged to stand with our fellow citizens in remote parts of the NT. They cannot rally 100,000 climate activists, as we can in the cities, but we can support them by sending a message to Origin Energy and the NT government who lifted their moratorium on fracking for gas.It's not too late to bring it down again.

Julie Lyford encouraged the NT people from her experience in Gloucester, they fought off AGL gas and the Rocky Hill Coal Mine and call themselves  the mouse that roared.

She said “Do not be scared at AGMs Tell them how it is. Stick to the facts, Truth is everything. Media is your power. Documents are your tools. Look after each other, stay focused and united.”

Message from SeedMob:

 Melbourne 3rd October 6pm Collingwood Town Hall . 144 Hoddle St. Power of Country Tour. Get your tix online at EVENTBRITE.

Message from Lock the gate: 

Sydney  16th October, 8am, Martin Place near Macquarie St

Origin Energy AGM. Stand with Traditional Owners for land water culture and Climate.

Breaking News

“NSW Independent Planning Commission refuses consent for Bylong valley Coal Mine” They cited agricultural and heritage impacts and said the proponent had not done enough to “minimise GHG emissions associated with this project”