In the 55th Sustainable Hour on 10 December 2014 we talk with Andrea Pape from The Give Grid about sustainability in the community service sector, and with Sustainability Officer Tim Mordaunt from Geelong Council about the new Greenhouse Gas Strategy review.

On 5 December, Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons was spruiking sustainable tourism at the launch of an electric vehicle transport service in Queenscliff. In this Sustainable Hour we bring you an excerpt of his speech. See more below.

We also have three visitors from Geelong College – Molly, Gen and Summer – who are doing media projects about climate change and environment, and we talk about cycling in Geelong and the rarely mentioned fact that cycling is creating more jobs in Europe than automakers are in the United States, about emissions reduction and taking control over your energy costs, and about how our action to tackle climate change can make fossil fuel companies the “sub-prime assets of the future.”

Guests in the studio:
Andrea Pape, Project Manager, The Give Grid and Australian Council of Social Service

Tim Mordaunt, Sustainability Officer, Environment & Natural Resources, City of Greater Geelong

Molly, Gen and Summer from Geelong College

Pre-recorded:
Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons’ speech at the launch event for the Bongo Transit in Queenscliff

Listen to The Sustainable Hour no. 55:

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“If you are passionate about the future of the planet, now is the time to step up and either get involved and active in politics and try and change government – or forget about government and just connect with your neighbours and start sustainability in your neighbourhood.”
Andrea Pape

What we talked about…

in the 55th Sustainable Hour

Geelong mayor on the sustainable beat

On 5 December 2014, Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons spoke about tourism and sustainability – and where jobs of the 21st century in his opinion are going to come from – at a launch event for a new EV transport service in Queenscliff, the Bongo Transit.

» See an 8-minute video clip

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Cycling creates jobs

A new study finds that getting on a bike doesn’t just cut carbon emissions — it boosts the economy: Cycling is creating more jobs in Europe than automakers are in the United States.

» www.takepart.com




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Climate change and nations by the numbers

A new index that ranks 62 countries by their carbon emissions per capita and renewable energy portfolios finds that Australia and Saudi Arabia rank lowest in terms of climate change performance. Australia dropped 21 places since last year. Denmark remains the top performer and nations like China have risen sharply, while others, including Austria and the Netherlands, fell in the rankings.

“It is interesting that the bottom six countries in the ranking – Russia, Iran, Canada, Kazakhstan, Australia and Saudi Arabia – all have a lot of fossil fuel resources. It is a curse.”
~ Jan Burck, report author at Germanwatch

This report, produced by the thinktank Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe, covers the top emitters of greenhouse gases in the world representing about 90 per cent of all energy-related emissions.

Denmark is in the best-performing slot, followed by Sweden and Britain. Carbon emissions in Sweden have declined by about 70 per cent over the last five years.

Meanwhile, it is the ambition of the Australian government to reduce carbon emissions in Australia by five per cent over the next five years. In the report Australia is named the worst-performing industrial country in the world.

» Read more on www.theguardian.com




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Finding new lives for old tech at Christmas

Planet Ark’s 12 DOs and the forgotten e-waste

Global sales figures for smartphones, tablets and PCs were recently projected to reach a total of 2.4 billion devices for 2014. Unwrapping a new gadget might provide a short-term high, but it comes with an environmental impact, so Planet Ark is encouraging Aussies to find a new life for their old tech lying around the house this Christmas.

Planet Ark’s awareness campaign ‘The 12 DOs of Christmas’ encourages those who receive an electronic gift at Christmas make sure that their old ones are re-homed or recycled through government-certified recycling programs such as MobileMuster and the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.

The campaign includes tips for recycling items like electronics and batteries, wrapping paper, foil, drink containers and plastic as well as reducing food waste, excess packaging and buying green gifts. By making a few small changes, it’s easy to reduce the impact of Christmas without scrimping on fun.

In the Geelong City Council area, batteries, computers, televisions and cartridges are amongst the top ten items people want recycling options for.

The 12 DOs of Christmas action sheet is available on RecyclingNearYou.com.au, a comprehensive household recycling directory that lists options for a variety of items, by council.

Recorded grabs are available on 12dos.planetark.org/media/grabs.cfm, or Planet Ark’s Spokesperson Rebecca Gilling is available to speak on the 12 DOs of Christmas and the options available for those looking to recycle their e-waste over the Christmas period.

Upcycled Christmas gifts workshop

Sunday 14 December 2014 at 12.30pm to 2.30pm
Fun workshop with local craftsman and master up-cycler Barry Smith from Nauti-knots. Barry will show you how to turn everyday items, like lightglobes and corks, into gorgeous Christmas gift ideas and you will be doing your bit, by keeping these items out of landfill! Everyone will go home with an upcycled hanging terrarium.
Armstrong Creek Sustainable House (Burbank display house) 828 Barwon Heads Rd, Warralily

Summer-proof your Garden

Don’t forget the Summer-proof your Garden talk by Andy Lucas from Backyard Harvest:
Sunday 11 January 2015 at 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Local gardening guru Andy Lucas will give you tips on how to protect your garden, keep your water bills down and grow an ‘edible landscape’. Not to be missed if you want to protect your garden investment from a long, hot summer!
Places are limited, so be sure to book by emailing kyliepollock AT warralily DOT com DOT au

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Even with emissions cuts, climate change will cost billions

Even if global greenhouse gas emissions are cut to the level required to keep global temperature rise below 2°C this century, the cost of adapting to climate change in developing countries is likely to reach two to three times the previous estimates of $70-100 billion per year by 2050, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.

» See more at: www.unep.org

Heads in the sand. 15 new #fossilfuels exploration permits issued. My cartoon @PressNewsroom #nzpols #climatechange pic.twitter.com/8HFY0XJMgO

— Sharon Murdoch (@domesticanimal) December 9, 2014

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Sign up to a 100% clean energy future

“The world is about to sign up to a 100% clean energy future! But the goal to completely cut carbon is at risk at the Lima climate talks. Let’s flood negotiators with messages now to make sure they know the world is watching, and to stand strong for climate action!”

Alice Jay from Avaaz, a 40-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making, wrote the following email to Australian Avaaz members:

Dear friends across Australia,

The world is about to sign up to a 100% clean energy future! But the goal to completely cut carbon is at risk at the Lima climate talks. Let’s flood negotiators with messages now to make sure they know the world is watching, and to stand strong for climate action!

Something huge is happening this week — our governments are about to set a goal to cut carbon pollution completely, putting us on a path to 100% clean energy! This target is now in the draft Global Climate Agreement, but it is at risk.

Right now, Ministers from all over the world are on their way to Lima, Peru to hammer out the agreement. But oil, coal and fracking companies, and countries that want to keep polluting are lobbying hard to pull this crucial target from the text. That’s where we come in.

People power forced through this crucial goal, now we have to protect it! If we don’t, scientists are clear — catastrophic and runaway climate change is inevitable. Our best chance of blocking back-room deals with polluters is bombarding our Ministers with thousands of messages.

If enough of us act, they’ll know they’re being watched and expected to stand strong for the goal of 0 carbon, and 100% clean energy. Send your message now!

secure.avaaz.org/en/lima_summit_100_clean_aus

The Avaaz team is on the ground and will ensure each country’s delegate and media know how many messages have been sent per country, and our messages could even be projected onto screens right in the conference hall and hand delivered to Ministers.

Long time climate activists are saying there is more hope for action now than ever! After hundreds of thousands of us took to the streets in September demanding climate action, the EU, US and China finally started to move in the right direction. Getting their commitment to reduce carbon pollution to zero would be a massive step forward. Let’s lock in this progress before the lobbyists can unravel it.

For years we’ve been campaigning for climate action. And now our governments are finally moving in the right direction, but the stakes could not be higher, and what happens next will depend on us. Let’s do everything we can to win the deal we need to save the world!

With hope,

Alice, Iain, David, Emily, Laura, Oscar, Fatima, Ricken and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

» UN climate talks begin as global temperatures break records (BBC)

» Prior to climate deal, talks begin in Peru (Times of India)

» Will Lima climate talks pave way for a binding treaty in Paris in 2015? (The Guardian)

» Cautious optimism as delegates descend on Lima ahead of UN climate talks (ABC News)

Mik Aidt signed Avaaz’s petition and then sent the following message to Minister Julie Bishop

Dear Minister Bishop,

We are deeply concerned about the future for human beings on this planet. We all know that the transition to a 100% clean energy future is inevitable – all the talk and negotiations in reality are only about in which speed it should happen: FAST, which will demand a bit of an effort from all of us? Or SLOW, which will risk costing us and our children billions of dollars, if not a global economic crash because of climate disruption?

The fossil fuel industry, which profits from inaction, obviously wants SLOW. On the new Climate Performance Index released at the Lima climate talks the bottom six countries in the ranking – the ‘Dirty Six’ – are Russia, Iran, Canada, Kazakhstan, Australia and Saudi Arabia. What these six countries in particular have in common, interestingly, is that they have a lot of fossil fuel resources in the ground. Without further evidence needed, this tells its own story of how the rich and powerful fossil fuel industry has managed to take control of government policy in these six countries.

Really, it stinks. No one else but the shareholders and employees of these companies will benefit from a SLOW transition.

Even if global greenhouse gas emissions are cut to the level required to keep global temperature rise below 2°C this century, the cost of adapting to climate change in developing countries is likely to reach two to three times the previous estimates of $70-100 billion per year by 2050, according to a report from the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP. We all know it: the cost of our current inaction is going to be shamefully huge for our children, grandchildren and future generations.

Our governments have failed to create a strong and equitable climate agreement at the United Nations for 20 years, and sadly, as long as the ‘Dirty Six’ have a voice in these negotiations between 195 countries, the most likely result is yet another useless agreement with weak goals, like we saw in Copenhagen in 2009.

To tackle this situation will require bold leadership. It will require speaking openly about how the governments of the ‘Dirty Six’ have been compromised by shortsighted gains for a small group of private companies.
We urge you to have that wisdom and courage: Liberate humanity from the threats of climate disaster and catastrophic disruption by standing strong on a full decarbonisation by 2050.

The Danish government has shown that kind of courage. When they can do it, you can do it. Now is the time to show us which kind of leaders you are.

Regards,
Mik Aidt
Australia
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Mik Aidt wrote this message as part of an Avaaz campaign for 100% clean energy at www.avaaz.org/en/lima_summit_100_clean_aus

Divestment “tipping point” in 2014

When people such as the governor of the United Kingdom’s central bank and the UK Energy secretary begin to talk about how risky it is to invest in fossil fuels, the divestment movement has suddenly reached a whole new level.

“Mark Carney, governor of the UK’s central bank, has written to British Members of Parliament telling them that his officials have been discussing whether or not coal, oil and gas reserves held by the fossil fuel industry are, in fact, unburnable.”
» Read more on www.climatenewsnetwork.net

Fossil fuel investing a risk to pension funds, says UK Energy secretary

Fossil fuel investing a risk to pension funds, says UK Energy secretary Ed Davey. He says action to tackle climate change could make fossil fuel companies the “sub-prime assets of the future”

The energy secretary said he wanted financial regulators to focus “on the risk that may well be under-assessed and undervalued in terms of investment in fossil fuels”

» Read more on www.telegraph.co.uk

Anglo to sell stakes or exit domestic thermal-coal assets

Anglo American Plc (AAL) plans to sell stakes in or exit its South African and Australian thermal-coal operations that supply domestic markets as part of a review of assets to increase the group’s earnings.

» Read more on www.businessweek.com

Renewed focus on fossil fuel risk

New documents surfaced at Lima calling for full decarbonization and the end of fossil fuel usage by 2050. These reports coincide with a number of calls to recognize the financial risk of fossil fuel investments and the potential for stranded assets as the world moves towards cleaner energy. Cautionary voices include a group of international pension fund and asset managers, UK environment minister Ed Davey, and Saudi Arabia’s climate negotiators.

Chevron earned a special mention as a liability risk after a report found it produced more greenhouse gases than any other energy firm, and Shell asked climate negotiators to allow fossil fuel producers to self-regulate and voluntarily cut emissions.
The Tree

» Bloombergview.com – 8 December 2014:
Cities and Markets Can Fight Climate Change
By Michael R. Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City

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Read more about 100% renewables and the ‘yes, but’

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