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The Sustainable Hour no 386
Our guests in The Tunnel on 27 October 2021 are:
[31:00] Tasmanian author Hannah Moloney, the founder of Good Life Permaculture who recently released the bestselling book ‘The Good Life: How to Grow A Better World’. Her very pleasant demeanor doesn’t hide her steely determination to be an active participant in the creation of a better world. As well as the above, she is also a guest presenter in ABC’s Gardening Australia program. Her attitude to the use of the words “activist” and “revolution” is particularly interesting. You can find out more about her at www.goodlifepermaculture.com.au. Hannah lives in a very active household. Her husband runs the second hand electric vehicle company, Good Car Company, who were behind the recent bulk buy of EVs in Geelong.
Peter Vadivaloo from Glen Eira Emergency Climate Action Network. We’ve had Peter on the show before singing his insightful songs, but today we see him in another light as he tells us about the latest GECAN project which is going to be launched on 17 November, Getting Off Gas with Judith Lucy. They are one of the seven energy hubs in Victoria designated by the Victorian government. Peter talks enthusiastically and proudly about what they have planned for this project plus the importance of people power. You can find out more about this and connect with GECAN at www.gecan.org.au
In-between our two guests we play excerpts from an interview with comedian Dan Ilic on CNN – saying “Our leaders don’t work for us, they work for the fossil fuel companies” – and from a speech which Larissa Waters, leader of the Greens in the Senate, gave in Parliament in Canberra on 18 October 2021.
We start the hour with a very brief clip of Zali Steggall addressing our LNP government about the climate change Bill she wanted to introduce into Federal Parliament this week. Mik Aidt questions whether the government have our interests at heart when it comes to climate change, as they currently have 72 new major coal projects and 44 new gas projects planned, and as five of the Nationals’ 21 MPs and Senators own shares in mining companies.
Furthermore, we hear a short statement from Mike Cannon-Brookes, who was interviewed on ABC radio in Sydney about his and his wife’s 1.5 billion dollar donation to climate solutions.
Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook begins this week in the United Kingdom where the global climate summit COP26 opens at the end of the week. The British presidency has organised 50 events taking place from 31 October to 12 November that will drive ambitious climate action.
The event’s President-Designate, Alok Sharma, said “these are aimed at ensuring COP26 is not a talking shop or a photo opportunity, but a moment for governments and all of society to move forward with practical solutions touching on all aspects of how we inhabit our precious planet.”
Elsewhere in the UK, at Bath University, we hear how 5,000 students will have the opportunity to learn about the carbon intensity involved in everyday activities, such as travel, energy use and food consumption. They will earn Carbon Literacy Certification if they complete what’s called The Carbon Literacy Project.
Still in Britain, the BBC has outlined plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. They will pursue a ‘deep decarbonisation’ strategy to achieve net zero, a plan focussed on targeting and eliminating fossil fuel usage across its operations. Details of the strategy include: switching to renewables and electric vehicles; reducing business travel; continuing to implement more sustainable production methods and working collaboratively with the BBC’s suppliers to reduce emissions within their own organisations.
Colin then zooms us to the United States, where President Biden is pushing for passage of a major spending bill that includes a $US150 billion ($AUS203 billion) program that would pay electric utilities to increase the amount of electricity they buy from zero-carbon sources such as wind and solar, and penalise those that do not. He has found opposition to his plan to build wind generators around the nation’s coastline. In the Gulf of Mexico, where oil and gas exploration is a major part of the economy, fossil fuel companies oppose the development as ‘a threat to their operations and business model’.
And finally our favourite carbon-neutral football team, Forest Green Rovers, won 3-1 at home to Salford, increasing their lead at the top of the table to five points. One of the interesting statistics from the match was that the Salford team committed 19 fouls durning the match, to Forest Green’s 8. This keeps to a trend throughout the whole season. The Rovers are not only top – they’re also the cleanest team in their league. Go Forest Green Rovers! – you are setting the bar high for all sporting clubs to follow.
The songs we listen to along the way are OneMoreSong’s ‘Climate Change Song (The Time is Now)’, and XR Choir’s ‘Power To The People’, while we round off the hour with Surf Coast singer SheisArjuna’s ‘Vessel’.
That’s us for another week – a huge event in the history of our planet is coming up in COP26 in Glasgow in Scotland. Will the influence of the fossil fuel industry be silenced so the world can start doing what is necessary as regards the climate emergency we face climate?
We’ll be back next plant activist seeds and encouraging our listeners, both near and far to look for ways of finding your role and joining the climate revolution. Until then: be an activist, and dare to be the difference!
“Activism means that you care. And that is a wonderful thing. Activism is a dirty word in politics – being an activist, a revolutionary. We need to take these words back. They are our words, and they are beautiful.”
~ Hannah Moloney, author of ‘The Good Life: How to Grow a Better World’ and founder of Good Life Permaculture
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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 land. They nurtured it and thrived in often harsh conditions for millenia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceeded. It is becoming more and more obvious that, if we are to survive the climate emergency we are facing, we have much to learn from their land management practices.
Our battle for climate justice won’t be won until our First Nations brothers and sisters have their true justice. 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…
“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”
The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore the climate emergency are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How disrespectful and unfair is that?
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→ The Fifth Estate – 28 October 2021:
Victoria persists with outdated gas mandates despite adding hundreds to residents’ bills
“Victorian homes that ditch the gas connection in favour of all-electric appliances could save around $700 every year on their energy bills, new modelling has shown.”
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The Good Life – How to Grow a Better World
Hannah Moloney wrote on the Good Life Permaculture Facebook page:
‘The Good Life: How to Grow A Better World’ is all about how to live a good live in the face of the climate emergency. Yes, it’s full of practical tips for how to do this… BUT I’m more interested in the framework it all sits in which challenges us to embrace radical hope and our capacity as ordinary people to do extraordinary things towards good.
There’s no time to waste. The climate science and our current trajectory paints a bleak picture. The lack of leadership and duty of care from politics, industry and media is even more bleak. But you know what isn’t bleak? You, me, us. We’re wonderful, glorious deep wells of possibility with more power than we might realise.
There’s room for everyone at this climate-action table, the conversation belongs to us all. So come grab a chair and join in. It’s not going to be easy, but a good life *for all* is worth fighting for.
You can order your own copy here
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THE MORRISON GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO DEBATE THE CLIMATE CHANGE BILL
On October 26th, Scott Morrison presented the Coalition’s climate action ‘plan’ to the media. The plan to deliver net zero – The Australian Way” fails to legislate net zero by 2050 or set a more ambitious short-term 2030 emissions reduction goal.
On October 27th, the Government blocked debate of the Climate Change Bill, scuppering Australia’s last opportunity to agree substantive climate commitments ahead of COP26.
All this in the week the UN Environment Programme released their annual Emissions Gap report which shows despite the impact of COVID-19, the world is still on track for global warming of +2.7C, even if countries deliver their current targets in full. Australians deserve better.”
From Zali Steggall’s home page, climateactnow.com.au
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Events we have talked about in The Sustainable Hour
Events in Victoria
The following is a collation of Victorian climate change events, activities, seminars, exhibitions, meetings and protests. Most are free, many ask for RSVP (which lets the organising group know how many to expect), some ask for donations to cover expenses, and a few require registration and fees. This calendar is provided as a free service by volunteers of the Victorian Climate Action Network. Information is as accurate as possible, but changes may occur.
Petitions
→ List of running petitions where we encourage you to add your name
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Live-streaming: on pause
The Sustainable Hour is normally streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time), but due to the corona lockdown, the radio station has been closed.
» 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.
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