Switch off Hazelwood!

On Sunday September 12-13, 2009 people from across Victoria, and Australia, will come together for a peaceful community mass civil disobedience to Switch off Hazelwood and Switch off Coal -taking action for renewable energy.

Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal is the first in a series of national fun, creative and inspiring community mass civil disobedience actions at one of the main causes of climate change - coal burning power stations.

Hazelwood coal power station is one of the dirtiest coal stations in the industrialised world, spewing an average of 17 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Hazelwood was scheduled to be shut down in 2005, however it was given a life-line by the ALP state
Government to keep operation until 2031. We need to remove that lifeline and extend it to climate protection and renewable energy.

This polluter of the past has to be switched off to allow us to switch on renewable energy for the future.

We are all affected by climate change and it is time for us to remove the social licence for polluting dinosaurs like Hazelwood.

Join us for a peaceful day of community protest and mass civil disobedience. Be creative, be inspired and be there!

There are many opportunities for people to get involved in making this event happen from joining the creative collective, media team, community outreach group or even helping with our fundraising Trivia night on Aug 15.

If you would like to know more about the event, or how to get involved, email info@switchoffhazelwood.org or come along to our weekly organising meetings every Thursday, 6pm at the Climate Action Centre: Level 5, New (rear) Building, Victorian Trades Hall, Cnr Victoria and Lygon Sts, Carlton South.

After the rallies...

You can see more pictures and commentary on the rallies at the Climate Action Centre website.

In the meantime, here's some ideas for what you can come along to in Melbourne to support the ongoing climate emergency protest movement. These events are just a sample of what's on in the next week! If you want to keep in touch beyond that, subscribe to the Victorian Climate Diary and/or the Climate Action Calendar.


Public Debate - IS THE GOVERNMENT’S EMISSION TRADING SCHEME BETTER THAN NOTHING?
Speakers:
· Peter Christoff - Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies, University of Melbourne, & Vice-President of the Australian Conservation Foundation
· Adam Bandt - National Convenor of The Greens
· Chris Breen - Solidarity National Committee Member

Tue 16 June 6.30pm at RMIT University Function Room (enter via Swanston St next to Commonwealth bank)
Info: 0403 013 183 or melbourne@solidarity.net.au
Organised by Solidarity www.solidarity.net.au


Public Protest Meeting NO TO THE NORTH EAST LINK (F18 FREEWAY) YES TO SUSTAINABLE AND CHEAPER TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS!
The MP for Ivanhoe, Craig Langdon, has invited representatives of the Southern Integrated Transport Authority to advise the community on how the Mullum Mullum Tunnel was built. This is in an effort to eliminate concerns about the planned freeway/tunnel through Banyule Flats – the NE Link or F18 Freeway.

The NE Link will destroy the amenity of our Parklands and natural spaces. Staging sites and vent stacks will further degrade our area. The NE Link does nothing against climate change or the reduction in carbon emissions. Nor does it improve public transport or encourage modal shift from private car use to public transport. Another freeway is not the solution. There are cheaper, better and sustainable alternatives.

Make your voice heard and join the protest with your Family and Friends. Everyone is welcome! Banners and placards will be provided.

Wed 17 June, 7.15pm sharp - Outside Bellfield Community Centre (Crn Banksia Str & Oriel Rd.) HEIDLEBERG WEST
Info: Marion Ware 0413 41 88 32 info@friendsofbanyule.org
Organised by Friends of Banyule and Associated Groups


HOW TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE: WHY IS CARBON TRADING SO CONTROVERSIAL? A discussion of the Rudd government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS).
Speakers:
• Kenneth Davidson (columnist from the Age newspaper & co-editor of Dissent magazine)
• Trent Hawkins (Resistance organiser & climate change activist)
• Merryn Ridenbach (Moreland Climate Action Group)

Thursday 18 June, 7pm at the Anatolian Cultural Centre, 195 Sydney Rd, (100m sth of Reynard St), Coburg
For more info: ph 9639 8622 or 0407 023 672.
Organised by Socialist Alliance.

Hazelwood power station: direct action protest in September
first meeting 6pm Thursday 18 June @ Climate Action Centre.
Info Louise 0408906310


DISCUSSION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, screening of "SISTERS ON THE PLANET" and CLIMATE JUSTICE Powerpoint presentation

Organised by Diamond Valley Oxfam

Speaker: Don Stokes, Diamond Valley Oxfam-member and CEN trained climate change presenter.

Don will show a Powerpoint Presentation put together by the Friends of The Earth Climate Justice Collective and he will lead the discussion on the issues of climate change, and climate justice.

Come and discuss what we as individuals and as an Oxfam group should and can do to address the problem.

Friday 19 June, 8pm at Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre, 739 Main Rd ELTHAM.
Info: Stephen Lavender 9439 2063

National Climate Emergency Rally

1pm, Saturday, June 13 State Library, Melbourne
(march to Treasury Gardens)

Speakers and entertainment includes: Peter Marshall - United Firefighters Union, Emeretta Cross -Tuvaluan climate activist, David Spratt - author Climate Code Red, Greens leader Senator Bob Brown, Rod Quantock - Melbourne comedian and Taegan Edwards - Yarra Climate Action Now. Music by Melting Pot.
Bring noise making instruments if you can.

Please tell your family, friends and workmates.

Interstate events: www.climaterally.org

Info: 03 9639 3660 or info@climateactioncentre.org
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If you have thought of taking action on climate change, now is the time. Drought, bushfires, floods and rising seas are already hitting hard. It's an emergency and we need emergency action.

In December 2009, governments of the world will meet in Copenhagen to create a new global climate agreement. Australia must support, not stop, strong global action.

We can tackle the recession and climate change together. Direct investment in renewable energy will create jobs, stimulate the economy and begin to create the carbon-free economy of the future.

• 100% renewable energy by 2020
Australia must make the shift from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy from wind, solar and other available technologies.

• Green collar jobs not job cuts
We can renew our economy by creating hundreds of thousands of 'green jobs' and supporting workers to make a fair and just transition to sustainable industries.

• Strong international action with climate justice
Australia must take the lead in global climate talks, not undermine them with an ineffective 5%-15% target. Globally, we must to listen those who are most affected by climate change and least responsible for it.

• Don't pass the Carbon Pollution law
We need climate policies that make the big polluters pay and not allow big companies to go on polluting. The CPRS won't reduce Australia's greenhouse pollution.

• Protect Australia's Forests
Logging and clearing vegetation are major contributors to climate change as forests and woodlands are important carbon stores.

1pm Saturday, June 13, State Library
Only a strong and growing movement for change will make a difference. Come with your friends and family to the Rally. Help promote the rally in your community.

www.climateactioncentre.org
www.twitter.com/climatecentre

National Climate Emergency Rally 2009

Join thousands around Australia in calling for real action for a safe climate.

1pm State Library Saturday, June 13

For other states' rallies & other details click here

Organising Meetings: 6.30 PM every Thursday at the Climate Action Centre- 5th floor, annex building at Trades Hall (corner Victoria & Lygon St).

Download leaflets for Melbourne Rally (2.12MB pdf file)

Call the Climate Action Centre on 03 9639 3660 or email for more detail.

THE ARCTIC ICE IS MELTING AT A RECORD RATE

While politicians and investors debate the merits of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels of between 450 and 550 parts per million, the current level of around 390 parts per million is causing the Arctic sea ice to melt. The 2008 melt is climaxing this week and is almost as much as the record 2007 melt. By 2013, the ice may be all gone in summer.

This is a trigger for runaway global warming.

If the Arctic is ice free, the warmer sea will melt Greenland (causing a 7-metre worldwide sea level rise) and the frozen Arctic permafrost soils. According to the CSIRO, permafrost could release up to 1500 billion tonnes of carbon, twice the amount of CO2 already in the atmosphere.

There is already too much CO2 in the atmosphere – fossil fuel use must be rapidly abandoned and excess CO2 drawn out of the atmosphere. This is an emergency, but governments and corporations are continuing with business as usual.

We are protesting the corporations who continue to invest in new fossil fuels to burn, and the government that supports them with new fossil fuel power stations, desalination and new tollways.

From the folks who brought you the July 5th Climate Emergency Rally & Human Sign, which saw over 4000 people rally in Melbourne to protest the government’s inaction in the face of climate emergency, we bring you:

The inaugural Melbourne

CLIMATE CRIMINALS TOUR

We will meet at 4pm on Friday September 19, on Southbank by the river outside ExxonMobil's Southbank office, and with comedian Rod Quantock leading the proceedings, we will move through the city to BHP Billiton, to Peter Batchelor’s Office, then finishing with speakers at Parliament House from 6pm. Join us at the start, or meet us at Parliament as you are able!

Chris Breen, event organiser says:
“We have called the climate criminals tour protest, to hold government and corporations to account for their insanity in failing to act to cut emissions, when the technology exists to do this and when they know that the climate crisis threatens us all; they are literally putting profit before life. Carbon trading won’t solve the problem, you can’t solve market failure with more market failure, we need massive government investment in renewable energy and public transport”

Some information about these climate criminals:

BHP Billiton this year posted a 14.7 per cent rise in full-year net profit to $US15.39 billion, its sixth consecutive record annual result. BHP Billiton has refused to set any targets for absolute reduction of its greenhouse emissions. BHP Billiton chairman Don Argus recently called for nuclear power in Australia & warned of “carbon leakage”, in other words the threat that if BHP Billion and similar companies have to pay to pollute, they will take their industries offshore where they can pollute more freely. Rather than using its wealth to help solve the climate crisis it has played such a large role in creating, BHP Billiton is currently leading the grab for resources, oil, gas, gold, & iron ore that lie beneath the melting arctic.

ExxonMobil leads the charge against efforts to reduce global warming pollution worldwide and despite record profits, it still refuses to invest in renewable energy.
ExxonMobil continues to fund think tanks and organizations who are running decade long campaigns denying the consensus of urgency from climate scientists & attacking policies to tackle climate change.

As stated by James Hansen, NASA Climatologist before the US Congress in June this year. “CEO’s of fossil energy companies know what they are doing and are aware of the long-term consequences of continued business as usual. In my opinion, these CEO’s should be tried for high crimes against humanity & nature”.

The Victorian State Government are using tax-payers money to fund a new polluting coal power plant in the Latrobe Valley. If allowed to go ahead this new coal powered station will add 2.4 million tonnes of greenhouse polluting emissions into the atmosphere each year. It will also consume over 3 billion litres of water per year from the Latrobe Valley river system which is already under immense pressure. We need massive cuts to our greenhouse emissions in order to avoid runaway climate change. We’d like to know why the government is investing in more dirty coal power instead of clean energy.

Ben Courtice, event organiser, says:
"Corporations who continue with practices that fuel climate change with all that we know now should be considered equivalent to James Hardie with asbestos. We should ban their polluting products like coal and oil.
"These industries should have their resources taken over to be used for sustainable energy production. They owe us compensation for the time they have been denying and hiding the truth about the consequences of their money-making activities which are doing possibly irreversible damage to the planet. Whether they have technically broken any laws is not the point. If they are tried in the court of public and scientific opinion I am confident they will be found guilty in regard to global warming. I hope this protest can bring them into public scrutiny."

OUR MESSAGE

• More renewable energy
• No New Tollways, More Public Transport
• Green Jobs to build a sustainable future
• No Desalination Plant, No Deforestation

We need urgent action on climate change!

A call for a national week of protest action beginning September 21

Climate change is already occurring, much faster than the world's scientists have predicted. Recent data including the very real possibility of the arctic sea-ice melting by September this year demonstrate that this is a climate emergency.

We are concerned that the Australian government's proposed Emissions Trading Scheme will be full of loopholes and by the government's own admission will allow emissions to continue rising for some years. We believe such incremental measures are unacceptable: We need greenhouse emissions to start to fall immediately and sharply.

To begin to solve the problem we need action on many fronts including:

* No new coal;
* Massive public spending on renewable energy;
* More public transport not new freeways;
* End logging of old growth forests.

We call for a national week of protests across Australia at the Spring Equinox, in the week beginning September 21. This week of action can highlight the summer melt of the Arctic ice and other worrying signs that demand urgent measures to de-carbonise the economy from state and Federal governments.

We ask climate change campaign groups and networks and all environmentally concerned organisations across Australia to work together for a co-ordinated and effective week of public protest around these themes.

Call issued by the organising committee for the July 5 Climate Emergency rally in Melbourne www.climaterally.blogspot.com

Endorsed unanimously by participants at the final session of the August 2 Climate Justice seminar in Melbourne www.climatejusticeseminar.blogspot.com

An initial organising meeting has been called for Thursday August 7, 6:30PM at Ross House 247 Flinders Lane.

Please circulate this message widely.