Forty local people rallied and marched through Wonthaggi on Tuesday 20th June, calling for the banks to stop funding fossil fuels.
The rally was led by students from Newhaven College, Bass Coast College and the Village School, who spoke out at each branch about the uncertain future we face if fossil fuels are mined and burnt, continuing to pollute our heating planet.
Joseph Thompson, Newhaven College student, said “The big 4 banks cannot continue allowing the expansion of the destructive fossil fuel industry. This is a direct attack on our future as young people, and so we are rising and rebelling, and we will come back, again and again, week after week, to demand an end to these climate crimes.
We will continue to advocate for climate justice, until we are taken seriously by these big corporations like NAB and Whitehaven.”
The rally began at NAB. Whitehaven Coal, a Queensland-based coal company, needs a loan of $4.4 Billion to expand their coal operations. National campaign “Move Beyond Coal” is calling for NAB to stop any loans to Whitehaven Coal. An announcement about whether the loan is approved is expected any day.
Indigo Aurora, a student at Newhaven College, said “It’s so uplifting to fight for such a crucial movement with so many passionate people from all walks of life. People have been fighting for the climate for decades, and we’re not going to stop now.”
The march continued around the streets of Wonthaggi, to ANZ and Westpac banks, with songs and chants echoing through the wintry streets.
After the rally, a number of local people made clear to the protesters that they plan to change their bank accounts to an ethical alternative.
On most Fridays there is a familiar small gathering of people and posters beside the Princes Highway at the western end of Bairnsdale. A similar scenario is also frequently seen on Fridays on the highway at Swan Reach and sometimes in Stratford.
These committed locals are part of a worldwide action known as “Fridays for Future”.
Fridays for Future developed out of a youth led and youth organized movement that began in August 2018 after 15 year old Greta Thunburg and other activists sat in front of the Swedish Parliament for 3 weeks every school day, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She held a sign that read “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (“School strike for climate”). After posting what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it went viral. The action changed to promoting student strikes on a Friday, rather than every school day.
Inspired by Greta, students and people generally gathered worldwide to express concerns about climate. A global strike on 15 March 2019 gathered more than one million strikers in 2,200 strikes organised in 125 countries. On 24 May 2019, in the second global strike, 1,600 protests across 150 countries drew hundreds of thousands of strikers.
Having a local weekly roadside prominence to support climate action was first considered by East Gippsland Climate Action Network (EGCAN) in November 2020, as Victoria was coming out of COVID lockdown. In February 2021 a small group gathered on a Friday by the highway, holding clear signs with messages about the importance of climate action. This group mirrored a similar action in Warrnambool, bookending eastern and western ends of the Princes Highway in Victoria. Ballarat and South Gippsland also joined in the action.
Two and a half years later Fridays for Future remains a commitment by local climate -conscious activists from 3.30 to 4.30 most Friday afternoons. Drivers who pass this way regularly on a Friday have come to expect their presence. There are many who toot or give a thumbs up and of course a number who are not supportive.
The message from the global Fridays for Future network remains at the essence of the local action:
“We are fighting for our future and our lives because they are directly threatened by climate crisis and the ecological breakdown. We are taking action against it because we want to protect the beauty of the earth, the diversity of species and the lives of all beings. Our goal is to overcome the climate crisis and to create a society that lives in harmony with its fellow beings and its environment.”
Remember these positive ideals when you next drive past a Fridays for Future gathering.
THE renewable energy transition is gathering pace across Australia. Homeowners are lapping up opportunities for solar and/or battery installations, with plenty of financing options, timely government incentives, and reduced energy bills for years to come.
For renters, low-income earners, people living in flats or other dwellings unsuitable for rooftop solar, the outlook is less promising, with energy bills expected to spike over the next few years. While most power companies offer “green energy”, it’s often at a premium price, further excluding low-income earners from accessing renewable energy.
What if there was a way to share your excess solar with friends, family and people in your community who are doing it tough? Or at the very least, a way to ensure some of what you pay for electricity is redirected back into your community?
Based in Bass Coast, the Mycelia Energy Collective is a profit-for-purpose social enterprise and registered charity with community energy and equity at its core.
Mycelia was recently selected by WWF Australia for its ambitious Innovate to Regenerate Program rolling out across Australia. The Program aims to support community-led solutions that encourage impact investment in priority areas such as food, biodiversity and climate, and to establish a powerful network equipped to regenerate Australia through linked projects.
Mycelia is proud to be launching this project across Bass Coast and South Gippsland, where there is a history of environmental stewardship and passionate people and organisations taking the lead on climate change.
We are seeking a combination of 100 households and businesses to participate in the pilot phase. By joining up, you’ll help shape and test the model for further rollout across the state, and potentially communities across Australia.
The collective offers 100% certified renewable energy at no extra cost, so nobody is left behind. Members include people with solar panels, some with solar and batteries, and some with neither.
We will use energy matching technology provided through our partnership with The People’s Grid to share energy among members. A pay-it-forward option is also being developed so members can donate their feed-in-tariff to a friend, family member or anyone in the collective being affected by high energy prices. Essentially, the Collective is a means for using your electricity bill to do good!
Ultimately the collective will be able to set real targets for local energy generation, use and storage that yields benefits to members, their communities and the grid, as we navigate the ups and downs of transitioning to renewables.
The benefit sharing fund will direct profits back into partnering communities through energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. Community-based advisers are working with Mycelia to determine how the fund is distributed and breaking down barriers to participation.
First Published Environment Connect Winter Issue 23*
East Gippsland Shire Council Deputy Mayor Cr Arthur Allen proudly unveiled East Gippsland’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network in Bairnsdale on Saturday 20 May. The launch took place during Sunrise Rotary’s Electric Vehicle Expo, where attendees had the opportunity to explore a variety of electric vehicles and learn about the technology.
Council’s 50-kilowatt fast chargers have been operational since February, and in just two months, over 315 cars have used them, consuming 7,500 kWh of 100% renewable electricity. This not only demonstrates the success of the charging network but also highlights the environmental benefits, with a reduction of 2.3 tonnes of CO2 emissions so far. The expo showcased the increasing interest and support for electric vehicles in East Gippsland.
Presentations were given by industry experts on charging options for homes and businesses, addressing concerns and promoting the wider adoption of electric vehicles. Bryce Gaton, from EV Choice and The Driven, provided valuable insights into the industry’s latest developments and upcoming electric car models in Australia. Council sponsored Bryce’s attendance at the Expo and were pleased to see attendees gain a deeper understanding of the advantages and potential of electric vehicles as a new and sustainable mode of transport from this presentation.
Attendees also had the opportunity to test drive electric vehicles and speak to local EV owners, gaining a hands-on experience and further understanding of their features and benefits.
The launch of East Gippsland’s EV charging network and the Electric Vehicle Expo showcased the region’s commitment to sustainable transportation and encouraged the community to embrace electric vehicles for a cleaner future. East Gippsland Shire Council remains dedicated to advancing environmentally friendly initiatives and promoting the benefits of electric vehicles throughout the region, and would like to acknowledge Sunrise Rotary, volunteers, local businesses, the St Marys Parish Centre and the Gippsland Climate Change Network for making the event a success.
Note: In 2022 Australia’s transport sector made up 19% of Australia’s emissions. Council’s new charging stations offer a dual charging option and are powered by 100% renewable energy (as part of VECO), making them an environmentally friendly and a more sustainable transport option.
What an amazing journey it’s been since ‘The Power Trip’ – my first Bass Coast Post article on October 1, 2020.
The Nissan Leaf e+ discussed in that article is still going strong with over 46,000 kilometres on the clock. It has only been charged away from home twice, at a cost of $8 each time at the fast chargers at Moe Folk Museum. That equates to an expenditure of $16 for nearly three years and 35,000kms of travel.
The rest of the power came from home, with most of it coming from the 12kW Solar PV on the roof. The addition of a Zappi car charger last year provides us with the ability to transfer all our excess solar power into the car’s battery.
The blue curve is the power being transferred to the car battery. The first two yellow “exported” power spikes on the top graph represent the two trips into town.
Our state and federal regulators still haven’t approved bidirectional chargers for battery electric vehicles, though the South Australian Government has approved them and smart solar PV inverters for use in the home.
Basically this means that we are allowed to install large-scale batteries in our homes but not if those batteries have wheels, lights and a steering wheel!
We have also installed an Eddi, which works together with Zappi. If there’s any excess solar power left after the car’s battery is charged, then Eddi regulates it to the electric hot water services during the winter months when the vacuum tube solar hot water systems aren’t working as well.
The following three titles – all on different aspects of climate change – have been purchased recently by the East Gippsland Shire Library.
The first is Voices of Us by Tim Dunlop (Newsouth Publ. 2022) which is an account of the “independents’ movement transforming Australian democracy”. Dunlop concentrates on the early independents in particular Cathy McGowan and the ‘Voices for Indi’* and to a lesser extent that of Zali Steggall and the campaign to defeat Tony Abbott in 2016, culminating in the clean sweep of the so-called ‘teal’ independents in 2022. The book is, of course, all about politics and, in particular, the politics of climate change. Dunlop noted:
“In the end it’s climate stupid. Climate change presents us with a social and political problem of such magnitude that incremental, business as usual politics won’t be enough. Individual responses will not work. Extractive capitalism will not work. The power of the status quo to resist reforms remains strong…The 2022 election gave us a reprieve. It gave us a new government more focused than its predecessor on climate change [but] the new independent office bearers…are going to need to be far more radical than any small-l liberal, centrist positioning allows. There is no sensible centre on a dead planet.” (pp.210-11)
The second volume is Humanity’s Moment: a climate scientist‘s case for hope by Joelle Gergis (Black Inc. 2022). This is the second book by the IPCC scientist – the first A Sunburnt Country: the history and future of climate change in Australia is reviewed here. The back page blurb notes: “Joelle takes us through the science in the IPCC report with unflinching honesty, explaining what it means for our future, while sharing her personal reflections on bearing witness to the heartbreak of the climate emergency unfolding in real time.”
Finally there is No Miracles Needed: how today’s technology can save our climate and clean our air by Mark Z. Jacobson (Cambridge Uni Press, 2023) which is a practical plan in detail, neatly summarised by the subtitle in its 400 plus information packed pages. In 15 chapters Jacobson concentrates on what works and has chapters on all the obvious solutions including wind, water and solar (WWS). He also has one long chapter on what doesn’t work, again including obvious suspects such as nuclear and direct carbon capture and storage.
Eventually I hope we will have full reviews of these books.
First published in the Great Eastern Mail April 23
It does seem that East Gippsland Shire Council (EGSC) is making headway with their move towards lowering council emissions as council managed facilities have avoided releasing 141 tons of CO2 emissions in the past year while at the same time saving ratepayers money. However if you take a look at The Municipal Emissions Snapshot for East Gippsland it indicates that there is only a very slight reduction in CO2 emissions for the past 3 years, and certainly not enough to meet the 2030 targets. It appears that the big emitters in the area are agriculture at 300,000t, then transport at 139,000t with residential emissions from households still at 126,000t. Direct emissions from council are a very small percentage of the overall community emissions so behaviour change at the individual and household level becomes critical.
The first duty of government is to protect its people and climate change is an existential threat that is intensifying far greater than most people realise. Engaging at a household level is an effective place for councils to start as they are after all best placed to work directly with their constituents to increase awareness and understanding of the changes we all need to make to tackle the climate crisis we are currently in. Everyone must be encouraged to see taking action to reduce our emissions as the normal and necessary thing to do, and councils are best placed to understand local conditions and the ways to assist their community to work together to achieve a better future. What could be better than knowing we are all working together to achieve the same critical goal, and where better to go for advice than the local council.
In Victoria 41 out of the 79 Councils have already declared a Climate Emergency for their area after considering the risk assessment data. There are compelling reasons for East Gippsland Shire Council to now join the many other government bodies representing well over 1 billion people worldwide who have already declared a Climate Emergency.
The following are a few of these reasons –
1. It would demonstrate that Council is acting in accordance with the Victorian Local Government Act to undertake climate mitigation and risk management while seeking the best outcomes for current and future generations.
2. It would help to engage the community to ensure adequate preparation for increased weather variability, reduced water availability, and the increased risk of bushfires and flash flooding.
3. It would demonstrate bold leadership and decisive, strong actions to tackle the tasks required at a local level.
4. It would demonstrate that they are aware of the rapid progression of climate change and that they care about ensuring a safe future for constituents.
5. It would indicate to the community the importance of taking immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change, and when combined with appropriate education would foster a higher level of preparedness and resilience.
6. It would provide reassurance to all people, but especially the young, that we have a plan and are prepared which would reduce the level of fear experienced.
7. It would indicate the scale of the problem we face and the speed of the response required, after all we must dramatically reduce emissions this decade, and there are only seven and a half years left.
8. It would demonstrate a commitment to preserving and caring for the natural environment and the areas so loved by East Gippslanders.
9. It would demonstrate that Council is keeping up with the times and are in tune with world developments, as well as show that they wish to reduce the problems that will be exacerbated by further delay.
10. It would demonstrate to any people who are not yet ready to believe the overwhelming science about the reality and consequences of man made climate change, that this is a real and urgent problem with potentially dire consequences if we fail to act quickly.
11. It would assist farmers to address the issues they face from the growing climate instability that threatens food security and productivity in the area.
12. It would help raise awareness of the risk mitigation required for properties located in areas where they face either becoming uninsurable or the insurance becoming too expensive to afford.
Old stove used prior to 2012 now have induction cooktop
Media release EGCAN *
Members of East Gippsland Climate Action Group (EGCAN) have been busy writing letters to councillors and the Shire calling for action to help us Get off Gas. Tony from Bairnsdale wrote that he would like to see the council ‘take action to discourage the use of gas as a domestic fuel in our region.’ and that “There is now strong evidence of the major impact domestic gas is having on people’s health… It is estimated that 12% of childhood asthma is attributable to the use of gas cooking stoves.’
In another letter, Robyn from Clifton Creek said that a number of organisations including the Climate Council ‘…advise (us) to decarbonise at speed and this means moving away from gas as a fuel source. As a leader in our community in reducing emissions, it is time for the East Gippsland Shire Council to step up further in education and leading by example – electrify everything, accelerate the transition to clean energy, invest heavily in renewables and storage, and prioritise energy efficiency in new homes and social housing.’
Angela from Bairnsdale summed up a common congratulatory note for the shire on what it was already doing as she wrote that she acknowledged ‘the already powerful and effective measures taken by the council in recent years. East Gippsland Shire Council (EGSC) is finding useful ways of doing our bit in this actual and existential emergency. Congratulations.’
However, Nola from Metung pointed out that some information on Shire web pages is out of date and that ‘Developers can also be strongly encouraged to not supply gas to any new developments or projects. Ultimately money can be saved by both the developer and the homeowner as an all-electric house with solar panels is substantially cheaper to run.” Judy from Clifton Creek added that ‘Programs that support the approach to “electrify everything” are the way forward for our communities.’
Grace from Johnsonville calls for the council to look at a range of options to encourage people to get off gas, including carrots such as rate relief and education as to the benefits of going efficient affordable all-electric households.
The Future we Choose – surviving the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett_Carnac (Knopf Doubleday, 2020) *
Two very well informed people have come together to deliver a book of reality, hope, and a pathway to achieving the future our children are entitled to. Christiana was Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 to 2014, and Tom was president and CEO of the Carbon Disclosure Project USA and a former Buddhist monk. Together they offer education about the urgent and critical situation we face, as well as practical steps we can all take immediately.
The pair describe the irresponsibility of climate deniers and the destruction that has been caused as a result of delayed action in order to make more profits, and how those most impacted are the powerless and those not yet born. They highlight the immense responsibility that lies with people to act in this decade – in order to have even a 50% chance of keeping warming at below1.5 degrees Celsius we must cut global emissions to half their current level by 2030, and how the demise of the human species will be inevitable if we continue on our current trajectory.
The need for a total change of mindset is explored as our current economic modelling is based on the assumption that we can continue to draw from the planet far more that it can regenerate, and pollute far more than we clean up. As a species we are used to taking but not giving. They highlight that what is needed is both systemic transformation and individual behavioural change, but this needs to be supported by optimism to face what is the greatest challenge of human history. A section of the book is devoted to the description of the abundant regeneration that is possible if we have the will, maintain an optimistic approach, and work with Nature rather than against. Also mentioned are the amazing benefits available for humanity that will come from this reconnection with Nature. “The time for doing what we can has passed. Each of us must now do what is necessary”
Practical steps we must all take –
1. Let Go of the Old World – honour the past but let it go as things have to be different.
2. Face Your Grief but Hold a Vision of the Future – a regenerative world where humans and Nature can thrive together.
3. Defend the Truth – believe in the science, learn to ascertain the truth and then accept the reality.
4. See Yourself as a Citizen not as a Consumer – one involves give and take, the other just takes.
5. Move Beyond Fossil Fuels – they are polluting for the planet and bad for our health and there are alternatives.
6. Reforest the Earth – through rewilding, planting trees, eating mainly plant based foods, and rejecting products that contribute to deforestation.
7. Invest in a Clean Economy – put your money where it does good and does not contribute to the problems of the world.
8. Use Technology Responsibly – evolving technologies have great capacity for good but also to be destructive to humanity so know what is happening.
9. Build Gender Equality – work towards social and financial independence, and representation for all.
10. Engage in Politics – true democracies require participation and even not acting is taking a stance.
There are also useful tips of what each of us can do right now, today or tomorrow, this week, this month, this year, by 2030, and by 2050. We have to be up for the challenge.
East Gippsland Climate Action Network Media release
With headlines once again saying there will be gas shortages this winter in Victoria, it’s the right time to get off gas.
Many homes in East Gippsland use natural or bottled gas — for heating and cooking. Burning gas for energy produces carbon dioxide. CO2 and methane is released at every stage of gas production from the well to the house. Twice as much gas is used to process gas for export than is actually used in our homes! The recent United Nations and IPCC report are clear that we must electrify everything and stop burning fossil fuels.
Gas prices are high, with producers able to make massive extra profit due to the war in Ukraine. Now is the best time to get off gas!
If you are thinking of building a new home or your gas appliances are nearing the end of their life or you have been thinking of shifting from electric appliances to gas, now is the time to Stop and Plan:
Don’t connect to gas in the first place: You will only have one supply charge for energy, saving hundreds of dollars a year before you use any energy. Buying gas appliances is a wasted investment and we will need to replace existing gas to reduce carbon emissions. It is likely that regulations will discourage new gas connections. In future people will see buying a house reliant on fossil fuels (gas) as poor value.
What you can use instead: Heat pumps have almost miraculous efficiency. A heat pump can range from 200% to more than 500% efficient. You buy 1 unit of energy and get two to more than 5 times the energy in heating or cooling! The added bonus for reverse cycle air-conditioners they efficiently cool a house in summer.
If you have solar panels on your roof you get a double benefit. Your heat pump hot water service can be set to heat during the day using your solar output. In hot weather you can cool your house using your solar during the day.
Even without rooftop solar, you will be using increasing amounts of renewable electricity. Australia already produces more than 30% of its power from renewables with significant periods much higher. As more renewables are installed our electricity will become even cleaner.
A significant concern with gas appliances is that they produce emissions in the home with serious affects on health. There is a higher chance of children in a home with gas cooking to develop asthma and people of all ages are affected by the dangerous pollution created in the home by cooking with gas.
East Gippsland Climate Action Network is calling on government and individuals to work together to get off gas.
