Martin Ferguson, our local Federal member, recently released his Spring update of what he and the federal government have been up to the last few months. See post below for details. As you would expect light on for renewables and not taking the action needed now to avert dangerous climate change.

DCAN has taken the liberty of updating his Spring report with what should have been in there.

• We will be distributing in the local area. If you are up to some exercise for leaflet dropping, please contact us to help out!

A report today in The Age sites the recently released World Energy Outlook report of 2011. The World Energy Outlook report is compiled yearly by the world’s International Energy Agency. The section on climate change makes for disturbing and alarming reading and paints the timeline we’ve got to avoid runaway dangerous climate change.

• From the Age article: 

 ”the world is on track to build enough fossil-fuel power stations, energy-intensive factories and buildings by 2017 to close the door on keeping climate change to a safe level.

The outlook says coal consumption needs to peak well before 2020 if the world wants to halt global warming at a 2 degrees rise, which scientists say is needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

If energy and climate policies currently proposed by all world governments – including Australia’s carbon tax – are put in place, temperatures will rise by 3.5 degrees. If the world remains on its current path of growth in fossil fuels global temperatures will rise by 6 degrees, the outlook says.

Agency chief economist Fatih Birol said if by 2017 there is not a start to major new clean infrastructure investments ”the door to 2 degrees will be closed”.

”I am very worried,” he said, ”if we don’t change direction now on how we use energy, we will end up beyond what scientists tell us is the minimum. The door will be closed forever.”

It makes it clear that we simply don’t have time to transition slowly to so called “clean” gas, and need to skip this step and head straight to 100% renewables - right now! Can it be done, yes it can, here is the Beyond Zero Emissions stationary report again that explains how:

• Martin Ferguson’s response

Yet again our local member Martin Ferguson rallies against taking action….how did Martin Ferguson respond to this dire forecast of the future of the world?

“The flexibility of gas-fired technology and the fact it is the cleanest fossil fuel make it an attractive investment option. In addition to gas, the message I am getting firsthand out of China and India … is that coal-fired power will increase and Australia is well placed to supply coal to fuel their growing economies.”

Good on you Martin – business as usual, head in the sand, no problem….. unbelievable stuff, especially given the IEA are regarded as a conservative factual based organisation. They are not prone to alarmist reporting with out very good cause. So, who should we trust – the IEA or Martin. Hmmmm

• Martin made Ministerial Chair at the IEA

What’s more disturbing is that Martin now holds the role of “Ministerial Chair” (p22) at the IEA – his role is to “lead and facilitate the discussions among all the ministers, of member countries and of visitors alike,  as they discuss developing the tools needed to improve energy security and sustainability in the face of a number of pressing challenges to the global energy picture”.

Disturbing stuff now that the IEA Ministerial Chair is heading by our very own Martin – I wonder what this will do to the IEA in rallying for action against global warming?

Are they aware that Martin is regarded in Australia as one of the top 12 green house gas mafia members? This is a disguinshed club of key players in Australia rallying against action on climate change and now one them (Martin) is the Ministerial Chair, right when we have 5 years left to avert unavoidable run away climate change – in our kids life times!!The mind truly boggles.

Not to mention that Martin is contradicting the distinguished organisation that he is now the Ministerial Chair of??  The mind boggles again!

he’s “Getting on with the job” of fossil fuels apparently!

Martin Ferguson, our local Federal member, released his Spring update of what he and the federal government have been up to the last few months. Plenty of lovurly photos as you would expect.

However, as the Federal Minister for Energy, he just doesn’t seem to get the climate emergency we are facing. He has lumped gas in with solar and wind. Martin, given the latest science is calling for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and for a developed country like Australia we need to be at zero emissions within 10 years, do you believe there is a place for gas? Perhaps 10 years ago this may have been viable, but we simply don’t have time to muck around anymore with small half steps. Infrastructure such as gas costs a hell of a lot of money, and once installed generally has a lifespan of decades, certainly not less than a decade. Also, any money, time, effort and resource directed to gas is resources not directed to where we need to be headed, which is 100% renewable.

So, DCAN members, please stay tuned – we’re organising an event soon and publicity campaign with letter drop to highlight this dangerous failing in our local member. We simply can’t wait for Martin to ‘get it’, and get going with the rapid transition we need. We’ll need your help, so stay tuned to see what you can do!

The other issue has been eloquently explained by Beyond Zero Emissions in their critique of Martin’s very belated selection of the Solar Flagships Round 1. A solar technology that can be used with gas backup was selected – amazing stuff. Read their Beyond Zero Emissions review here: http://beyondzeroemissions.org/media/releases/labor%E2%80%99s-solar-flagships-smoke-and-mirrors%E2%80%A6and-coal-seam-gas-110622

A great bike riding day was held by the 50 or so riders that made the trek from Preston, through Northcote and Thornbury to Docklands for the moving planet day. DCAN met up with Climate Action Moreland and CERES along the way which made for a massive bell ringing opportunity. Variously adorned helmets and bikes were in attendance making for a fun atmosphere, and plenty of cheers and bemused looks from on-lookers.

This event was organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition  who did an awsome job sorting out the bikes, speakers, and all. The bike-a-sourous made an appearance too. This 5 person bike is indeed something to behold. The subwoofer just tops this bike off. Here’s the campaign about why we all did it….

The Moving Planet day, which is the day of action for the target 350.org.

Radio Interviews on 3CR

Also, as luck would have it, we stopped by at the Human Powered Cycles along the way for an energy leg pumping keep them going coffee and Chris Starr who runs the cafe, also runs a show on Mondays on 3CR. Chris, never one to miss an opportunity, pulled out the microphone from somewhere very quickly and was busy interviewing about why we were riding for this important issue. Check out our new radio careers here at this pod cast………….

Photos

the photos have been loaded up here. many thanks to Mike and Chris for providing these….

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darebincan/sets/72157627761795450/

We need your help to trial the games and give your feedback. The games are suitable for everyone (aged over 16) and we are looking for people who have different levels of engagement – i.e. you don’t need to be an expert on climate change to take part. PLEASE EXTEND THIS INVITATION TO YOUR FRIENDS!

You are warmly invited to join Darebin Climate Action Now members for a night of fun and lively discussion on the games!

Please click here for  the flyer…

• MONDAY 19^th SEPTEMBER at Northcote Town Hall meeting rooms, 189 High St
• 6.30pm for finger food – please bring some finger food to share
• There will be an entry cost of $5 to help with room hire
• 7pm the games start!   We will end about 9pm.

PLEASE RSVP so we can set up enough games groups!
DarebinCAN@gmail.com
This event is suported by Alphington Community Centre

Here’s the map of the route, and meetings point etc. Please click this map to download what you need.

And here’s the route in Google maps…

For Moving Planet in Melbourne come and join a giant human sign for a transition to 100% renewable energy!

It’s time to get moving on the climate crisis.

On the 24th of September in Melbourne people will converge – by bike, roller skates, tram, boat, train, pogo stick, skateboards – to form a giant human sign for 350 and a safe climate future in Waterfront City, Docklands.

Come along to this family-friendly event to hear inspiring speakers, have your face painted, meet great people, and be part of something huge. Planet Moving Day on Saturday 24 September is part of the global 350.org campaign. In Melbourne there will be an event at Docklands at 2pm. DCAN is riding through Darebin picking up people along the way. Departing Preston Library at 12PM, and down high st, Canning st, through city to Docklands at 2pm.

We’ll have some strange and wonderful bikes. And there will also be a group of DCAN members taking placards and banners to the event on trams.

A great night was held by DCAN at the Northcote town hall, where David Spratt and Jane Morton presented the key outcomes of the recent climate change conference held at Melbourne University. At this conference the world’s leading climate change scientists presented a stark and bleak vision of the future for Australia at 4degrees+ above normal temperatures, and that under the current rate of emissions we could be there as soon as 2060! Here’s the link to the conference and the presentations: http://www.fourdegrees2011.com.au

David’s began his presentation by stating that it would be difficult to cram 3 days of non-stop climate science presentations into one 45 minute presentation. But an excellent job was done and the key outcomes of the conference can be found by clicking on David’s presentation below……. Certainly one of the key take aways was that from the key note presentation of Prof. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber in his opening address “What is the difference between 2 degrees and 4 degrees? The difference is human
civilisation“. Other items presented included: Agricultural systems have broken down, crops yields decimated. Human health is tested by extremes beyond the endurance of many citizens. Shorelines and the island homes of Pacific neighbours – communities who have contributed nothing to rising greenhouse gases – are consumed by rising tides. Coral reefs erode and lifeless oxygen-starved ”holes” grow in the ocean depths, the physics and chemistry of the water having been utterly changed. Read more at The Age.

And Jane summed up the current strategy taken by those advocating for change on climate change, and that of the climate deniers. The approaches of the two groups has been markedly different, with the climate deniers happily using as much climate science as possible to back their cause – unfortunately most of completely wrong. However, the strategy has worked well for them and time for the climate movement to take a leaf out of this book and truly present the science, the facts and focus on the dire and fearful outcomes that will result from runaway climate change.

Here are some photos from the night……

DCAN invites you and your friends to join us at our special Climate Science update event.

Following from the recent climate science conference here in Melbourne, some of the world’s and Australia’s leading climate scientists provided an update on the climate science with specific focus on a world at 4 degrees or more. The key outcome was that at this level of temperature change, the world will be in dire dire peril and that this could happen possibly as soon as 2060! Here’s the link to the conference and the presentations: http://www.fourdegrees2011.com.au

DCAN will bring to you the key points of this conference, and the impacts that will occur if urgent action on emissions reductions is not taken.

• Location: Northcote Town Hall (click here for map)
• Date: August 8 @ 7pm

DCAN’s Climate Science Update Forum is supported by the EnviroGroup in Thornbury who will provide several door prizes to lucky attendees.

Darebin CAN recommends the EnviroGroup’s Information evening on Solar Power. Previous such events have been attended by DCAN  members and found to be most informative and useful. Click here for details.