Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:00:00 — 17.2MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS | More
In The Sustainable Hour on 11 March 2020, Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher is back to continue our conversation of November last year about leadership and how best to bring both Council staff, the business-owners and rate payers together to help solve complex and collective problems in our community such as the current recycling crisis and the climate emergency.
On 25 February 2020, City of Greater Geelong Council joined 1,400 local governments that have declared a climate emergency after a unanimous vote in the city council chamber. We played excerpts from the meeting back then, and today we listen to Geelong Councillor Jim Mason‘s speech as he was seconding the motion for the declaration and for Council to approve a new Sustainability Framework.
We hear Darebin Councillor Trent McCarthy speaking at the National Climate Emergency Summit in Melbourne in February about the newly formed council-network Climate Emergency Australia.
Youth reporter Ben Pocock delivers his Radio Report no 5 about how to create a climate council at your school.
On the occasion of the National Women’s Week, The Sustainable Hour takes a look at gender, power and climate. Starting with a statement by Julian Cribb in ABC’s Q&A, the excerpts of speeches included in our “introductionary audio-collage” are from the independent member of the Australian Parliament Zali Steggall, Sydney’s mayor Clover Moore, New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern, Finland’s prime minister Sanna Marin, Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen, Extinction Rebellion co-founder Gail Bradbrook from the United Kingdom, Christiana Figueres, one of United Nations architects behind the 2015 Paris Agreement, who was interviewed in ABC The Drum on Monday this week – and two excerpts from Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg’s ‘Averting a Climate Apocalypse’ speech at Davos in January.
We also hear a comment about macho climate denial by Jane Caro, who moderated a session at the National Climate Emergency Summit in February, from New York Times’ deputy editor Rebecca Blumenstein opening Greta’s Davos-session, and from American senator Alexandra Octavio-Cortez.
The song we play is Julia Stone‘s version of Midnight Oil’s ‘Beds Are Burning’.
Until next time, be the difference!
“Better together.”
~ Jim Mason, Councillor, City of Greater Geelong
“We demand participants from all companies, banks, institutions and governments immediately halt all investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction, immediately end all fossil fuel subsidies, and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels. We don’t want these things done by 2050 or 2030 or even 2021. We want this done now.”
~ Greta Thunberg, speaking at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, January 2020
“Five years after the Paris Accord, governments need to reset their goals and businesses are finally and quickly talking about setting goals.”
~ Rebecca Blumenstein, New York Times deputy editor, January 2020
→ Subscribe to The Sustainable Hour podcast via iTunes or Stitcher
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
→ Geelong Council’s Sustainability Framework and community survey
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find your role in reversing global warming
Its time to consider – or reconsider – the role you can play in reversing global warming. “When we come together as a human family, anything and everything is possible,” writes Pachamama Alliance, who offers three online seminars based on the research of Drawdown Project.
In Reversing Global Warming, Pachamama Alliance’s free, 90-minute, on-demand online course, you will discover both the possibility of reversing global warming and the important role you can play in that process. Sign up to get involved in the growing movement to reverse global warming.
→ www.pachamama.org/engage/drawdown
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31 UK businesses have declared a climate emergency
In the UK, 31 businesses have declared a climate emergency. If you own or manage a business and have been thinking about declaring a climate emergency for your business, consider linking up to this free weminar, where you can learn how to develop your company’s own climate emergency plan and learn from the first UK law firm to formally recognise the climate emergency.
The webinar takes place in the evening of Thursday 26 March – NSW and Victoria time 9-10pm which means at 10-11am in the UK.
“Join us for a webinar to learn how to develop your climate emergency plan for this decade of action.
Hear from two professional services firms that are taking immediate and radical action on climate change: Bates Wells, the first UK law firm to formally recognise the climate emergency and Forster Communications who has committed to become climate positive by 2023.
We’ll explore the key elements of a climate emergency plan and practical steps your organisation can take from aligning your corporate mission, to cutting emissions, engaging staff and inspiring clients and suppliers.
This webinar is free but we’d really appreciate a £5 donation to support our work.”
→ Register to attend now:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Petition for an Australian Climate Act in Parliament
Zali Steggall writes:
“My team and I have been busy meeting with all sides of politics and stakeholders about our Climate Change Bill. More than 67,000 people have signed up to support the Bill on our website climateactnow.com.au. We have also received support from Atlassian, The Australian Business Council, WWF, Celeste Barber and her husband Api Robin and journalist Sarah Wilson.
Zali Steggall, MP
When we return to Parliament on March 23 I will be introducing the Bill as a Private Member’s Bill. If you would like to come to support the Bill, I will be introducing it from 10am in the House of Representatives, which you will be able to watch from the public gallery.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How you can create a climate council at your school
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
www.songsforaustralia.com
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24 hour webinar:
Happiness and sustainability around the Earth
On 25 September 2015, 193 member states of the United Nations adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which will guide the social, economic and environmental actions everybody takes to achieve a sustainable future by the year 2030.
Essentially, the SDGs aim to create a better world for all people, and to promote stability, well-being, and happiness. However, oftentimes “sustainable development” as a concept can be interpreted as elite, abstract, and too existential to contextualize. Furthermore, there are numerous barriers to understanding the linkages between the SDGs, including education, exposure, and access to information. Happiness, on the other hand, is relevant across all cultures and intellects.
24 hour webinar
The United Nations have launched a new initiative which will use happiness as a lens to discuss sustainable development:
“Join us as we stream solutions from more than thirteen of our networks around the world for a 24-hour webinar event on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – April 22nd. We are exploring the Sustainable Development Goals through the lens of well-being and happiness. Learn about solutions in your region, engage with experts around the globe, and celebrate happiness and well-being with your fellow global citizens.
The 24 hours of this webinar is being split into two twelve hour sessions. Please view the timing and lists of networks presenting for each session below before registering. If you want to view the entire 24 hours, you will need to register for both sessions.
→ www.unsdsn.org/24hour-webinar
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New report from Climate Council
| Professor Will Steffen from Climate Council wrote in a newsletter on 12 March 2020: “It’s hard to put into perspective the damage of Australia’s summer of bushfires, heatwaves, drought and flood. The unprecedented level of loss and devastation has left deep scars on both the Australian landscape and in people’s hearts. But now that the fires are mostly extinguished, it’s time to look back and analyse their scale and intensity, and more critically, understand why this summer was so extreme. Our new report shows that climate change has fuelled this Summer of Crisis. It is the first comprehensive overview of the extreme heat and dry conditions leading up to summer, and the human, environmental and economic costs of the extreme weather events we endured. |
| While underlining the escalating cost of inaction on climate change, this report finds that: 1. Climate change fuelled Australia’s devastating Black Summer. Extremely hot, dry conditions, underpinned by decades of reduced rainfall, and recent severe drought, set the scene for this summer’s unprecedented fires. 2. The fires were unprecedented in scale and harm. The bushfire season was the worst on record for New South Wales in terms of the scale of the bushfires, the number of properties lost and the amount of area burned. 2,439 homes were lost. More than one billion animals were killed nationally, with 800 million in NSW alone. 21% of Australian temperate broadleaf and mixed forests were burnt, well above the annual average of around 2%. 3. The bushfires are estimated to have spewed more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than Australia’s annual emissions of around 531 million tonnes. The emissions from the fires are estimated at between 650 million and 1.2 billion tonnes, or about equivalent to the annual emissions from commercial aircraft worldwide, and more than Germany’s annual emissions. 4. Climate change-fuelled extreme weather events are increasingly damaging the economy. The tourism sector alone is set to lose at least $4.5 billion from the bushfires. The smoke that blanketed Sydney for weeks is estimated to have cost the city $12-$50 million dollars a day. Share this key finding on Facebook now. 5. The hot, dry conditions that fuelled these fires will continue to worsen without substantial, concerted action to rapidly phase out coal, oil and gas. Taking action now will give us a chance to stabilise, then eventually reduce disaster risks for future generations. |
| If we had heeded climate scientists decades ago, these fires could have been avoided. But the Federal Government ignored repeated warnings, including those from the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, about an impending bushfire disaster. As long as we keep increasing our emissions by burning coal, oil and gas, the environmental, economic and human impacts of climate change will continue to get worse. This Summer of Crisis has shown most Australians that we urgently need a comprehensive plan to deal with climate change. We have the solutions at our disposal, but we still lack the political will to get on with the job. It’s time to use the technology we already have, to get our emissions to net zero. Phasing out fossil fuels, including our exports, will provide a chance to stabilise the climate, eventually reducing future disaster risks for our kids and grandkids. It’s time to act. Professor Will Steffen Climate Councillor P.S. Check out some of the media coverage here, and from SBS, here. P.P.S. Our hard hitting research reports tell truth to power and keep the public informed. Can you chip in now to fund our critical work?“ |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tweets and videos
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ABC documentary about indigenous climate solutions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
→ Podcasts and posts on this website about climate emergency
→ Latest news on BBC about climate change
Acknowledgement
We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future.
The traditional owners lived in harmony with the environment and with the climate for hundreds of generations. It is not clear – yet – that as European settlers we have demonstrated that we can live in harmony for hundreds of generations, but it is clear that we can learn from the indigenous, traditional owners of this land.
When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that…
The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that?
Streaming live
The Sustainable Hour is streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time).
» To listen to the program on your computer or phone, click here – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right.
Podcast archive
Over 290 hours of sustainable podcasts
Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length:
→ Archive on climatesafety.info – with additional links
→ Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly
Help us promote sustainable living
1. Print this A3-poster and put it on a wall or a board at your work place, a local café, shop or where ever you think there’ll be people who’ll find this information interesting.
2. Go to our Facebook-page and give us a click on the LIKE-button.
3. Let the The Sustainable Hour’s listeners know about your green product. To become a business supporter or sponsor, contact: Simon Finch, Marketing & Business Development, 947thepulse.com – Geelong’s Premier Community Radio Station.
4. Maybe support us financially? Even a small donation will make a difference – in particular with printing expenses.
Receive our podcast newsletter in your mailbox
Email address and surname is mandatory. All other fields are optional. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Find The Sustainable Hour on social media
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheSustainableHour
→ Overview of all podcast front covers
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/SustainableHour Twitter tag: @SustainableHour
YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/c/thesustainablehour
Share this on social media
→ Share this podcast on www.twitter.com
→ Share this podcast on www.instagram.com
→ Share this podcast on www.facebook.com
Sharing solutions that make the climate safer and our cities more liveable