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The Sustainable Hour no 391
Our guests on 1 December 2021 are:
[09:24] Bruce Shillingsworth first came to our notice in October 2019 on ABC’s Q&A where he gave an impassioned tirade from the audience of the complete mismanagement of the Murray Darling River system soon after a devastating fish kill there. Today he shows he hasn’t lost any passion or determination to get true justice for his people. He lists the litany of injustices that First Peoples are subjected to each and every day. We soon learn that he is determined to be an active participant in righting these wrongs. We also learn of his firm belief in his First Nations being at the centre of discussions around their future. Bruce isn’t afraid to talk strongly to power, but when we hear about his work with a new visionary project called Lore Enforcement we can see that he isn’t afraid to ‘walk his talk’. More details of this visionary project can be found here.
[23:52] Gabrielle Bond and Steven Hail work together with a world-wide network of people on Modern Monetary Theory. They have two projects intriguingly called Modern Money Lab and Sustainable Prosperity Action Group. They give us a well thought and logical explanation of why our current economic system has way too much collateral damage in terms of damage to both people and our environment, and how the new monetary system they are developing gives much fairer outcomes for everyone with none of the damage. We’ll be hearing more about Modern Monetary Theory as we navigate our way to a post carbon world.
If you want to know more about Modern Money Lab, go to www.modernmoneylab.org.au, and you find the Sustainable Prosperity Action Group here: www.sustainable-prosperity.net.au
Gabie and Steven will be part of a two-day seminar in Melbourne during the first weekend in February next year. Places are going fast, but if you get in quick, you’ll get in. Here’s some info on the seminar and how to register for this inexpensive event.
[02:42] Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook starts us out this week in the United Kingdom where they announced that from 1 October 2024, Great Britain will no longer use coal to generate electricity, a year earlier than planned. The move is part of ambitious government commitments to transition away from fossil fuels and decarbonise the power sector in order to eliminate contributions to climate change by 2050.
Then a little bit north with a follow up to last week when we reported that Scotland will phase out single-use plastic bags, straws, stirrers, six-pack rings, cutlery and take-away food containers by 2023. Today we report that Canada will phase them out by the end of this year. That’s six weeks’ time. They’re essentially not available in Canadian shops now. Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, said. “These items are harmful to our environment and their value is lost from the economy when they are tossed in the trash. This proposed ban will help drive innovation across the country as new and easier to recycle items take their place in our economy.” The ban is part of a larger push by Canada to phase out plastic waste completely by 2030.
The International Energy Agency plans to decarbonise its activities in a lesson on putting your money where your mouth is. Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director, said: “The IEA is committed to helping all countries achieve their energy and climate goals, with our Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 providing a narrow, but achievable pathway to this critical goal.” (…) “As I have pointed out repeatedly, it’s not enough to simply talk about net zero – you have to act. That’s what we’re doing by putting in place practical measures that follow the recommendations of our Roadmap. We are determined for the IEA to reach net zero by November 2024 – the 50th anniversary of the founding of our Agency.”
The IEA plan to reduce emissions across all aspects of its company, including its staff members’ commutes, procurement of goods and services, waste generation, water use and use of every IEA office.
Then we zoom to India: In Delhi, the schools are scheduled to reopen from Monday. The state government also stated that all government offices will also open from next week but state employees should use public transport and government-run feeder buses. Although, with improved wind, earlier this week the pollution levels dropped marginally but the Air Quality Index on Thursday still touched 393 on a scale of 500, indicating risks of respiratory illness from prolonged exposure. In order to control the pollution levels, the Delhi government also announced a ban on the entry of diesel trucks with non-essential goods, and only natural gas and electric-powered vehicles have been allowed into the city of more than 20 million people. The Delhi government has hired an extra 700 CNG buses to encourage people to use public transport. And a ban on construction has been reimposed to curb dust, a major source of pollution.
And finally, no Sustainable Hour would be complete without news of our carbon-neutral vegan football team, Forest Green Rovers, which faced a daunting week with three games in seven days. Colin has overall good news on this front.
Mik Aidt starts off today’s show singing the praises of the City Of Greater Geelong as last week they passed a motion to make the entire municipality, which currently emits more than three million tonnes of carbon every year, into a carbon neutral community by 2035. Mik has published a blog post about the new plan which you can see here.
We round the hour off with a short film on a powerful call to action to save the planet
That’s all we could squeeze in for this week. Three more solution activists who we trust will inspire you all and give you hope for what is possible when we connect and build momentum for the climate revolution – the peaceful and exciting all-encompassing revolution which will take us all to a safer, more just, inclusive and healthy post carbon world.
If you find The Sustainable Hour nourishes you, please share us far and wide. Thanks for all the people who have been giving us feedback in terms of what we have done as well as suggestions for future shows. We appreciate this and hope that it continues.
Happy Summer! Enjoy the sun, take care and be the difference!
From your TSH team: Mik, Colin, Jackie, Ben, Rusty and Tony
“Mother Earth is crying out. Wake up, listen and respond. Our First Nations people have been living on this continent for over 80,000 years. We nurtured the land and Mother Earth looked after us. We lived in a sustainable environment, we relied on Mother Earth for our survival. What’s happening across the world right now is that there’s a great movement, a waking up of the people. First Nations people are feeling the brunt of what’s happening with the climate change. The drying up of our rivers. We want to say to people, we only live on one planet, there’s no other planet that we can go, so we have to learn to live on this planet here. It’s time to bring healing. Healing needs to come to us as humans and it needs to come to Mother Earth.”
~ Bruce Shillingworth, Muruwari and Budjiti First Nations river and civil rights activist
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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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Rethinking Capitalism | Melbourne weekend intensive
Economics as if people and the environment matter.
This two-day seminar will include discussion on some of the most pressing economic issues facing Australia today. Topics include inequality, insecurity, climate change, grey corruption, the federal budget and a campaign for a fairer and more sustainable economy, drawn from modern monetary theory and ecological economics.
Saturday 5th – Sunday 6th February 2022
→ Book here
Cross-bench leads the charge to clean up dirty politics
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Shillingsworth’s tirade on national tv
HAMISH MACDONALD: “I want to find out a little bit about how this is impacting Indigenous communities, as well, in those areas. Bruce Shillingsworth is in the audience tonight. Bruce, I know you’ve been travelling to those areas, as well. Can you describe the impact?“
BRUCE SHILLINGSWORTH: “Look, we’ve just come back from the big Yaama Ngunna Baaka Corroboree on the rivers – Walgett, Bre, Bourke, Wilcannia, Menindee. And look, it took a group of… There was a convoy of 300 people. And on the rivers, we had about 1,000 in the Corroboree each night. Those Indigenous people that come on that journey spoke to a lot of our elders in those communities, and they wanted to hear from the voices of those communities, those voiceless… They’ve been voiceless over the last couple of years. Look, the impact of the water mismanagement, and the corruption and the corporate greed and capitalism in this country has killed our rivers.
They have killed our communities. Look, we’ve been out in those communities. Now, the health has deteriorated in our communities. Our old people are now dying. Our young people are at a higher rate of mental health… Suicides, dialysis. People that are on dialysis can’t get water to flush their machines, so they’ve got to move on, now, migrate to bigger towns, bigger rural towns and cities. So, a lot of the First Nation people are leaving their tribal…their lands that they’ve been…you know, that they’ve lived on for thousands of thousands of years. How do we bring back the 50-year-old cods? How do we bring back the freshwater mussels? How do we bring back the aquatic life, the ecosystem and the animals that relied on the river and the water? They’re now completely dead. They’re extinct. This has happened over the last 100 years. Australia needs to wake up.
I’m listening tonight, we’re listening to… There’s two things that I can hear. It’s water and profit. Why are we selling water to make profit? That’s what I’m hearing. And here, my people on the river, that relied on those animals for their food source for thousands of years, are now dying. This is the second wave of genocide. It’s happening in my community. So, I’m going to speak on my community, and I want to raise a voice for those that have been voiceless…over the last 230 years. That’s what’s frustrating me, and that’s what’s frustrating our community. Why are our people dying young? Why are our people suffering? Because of the greed. The taking of our water. Where is our rights to water? First Nation rights to water? We have a right to fresh water. Put the water back in the river. Not just for us…but for the environment.”
HAMISH MACDONALD: “Thank you very much, Bruce Shillingsworth. You’re watching Q&A across Australia.”
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Greater Geelong region could usher in 24,000 new jobs in next five years
Geelong Sustainability and ACF Community Geelong have tabled the results of a research project which, with coordinated planning in government, would see the creation in the greater Geelong region of more than 24,000 new jobs in in various sectors ranging from building retrofits, renewable energy generation, manufacturing and electric transport in the next five years.
The jobs will be created in the local government areas of the City of Greater Geelong, the Borough of Queenscliffe, Golden Plains Shire, Surf Coast Shire and Colac Otway Shire.
The project’s consultants concluded:
- Setting ambitious zero emissions targets will drive investment and opportunity to the region
- Coordinated local, regional, and state government planning will support the transition to a zero emissions environment
- Emissions from all sectors (energy, transport, land use, waste, and industry) need to be considered
- The Geelong region is well placed to advocate for resources from the state and federal governments to realise these opportunities.
The project- The Roadmap to Zero Emissions: Job Analysis for the Geelong Region– was undertaken by Ironbark Sustainability, a national consultancy that works with councils and their communities to reduce greenhouse emissions, tackle climate change, and implement sustainability projects and programs.
The Geelong project is the first in Australia to employ a new form of analysis to determine how many jobs could be created if policy and investment was targeted towards reducing emissions if the region joined the race to net zero.
A cross-section of organisations including the Geelong Trades Hall, Victorian Trades Hall, Committee for Geelong, Geelong Manufacturing Council, RACV Solar and G21, which represents the five local government areas, were briefed recently on the Ironbark Sustainability report before its public release.
President of Geelong Sustainability, Vicki Perrett said “we want Geelong to capture the economic opportunities from repositioning itself to benefit from a world in rapid transition. Around our region there are many exciting innovations from renewable installations, rooftop solar, community power hubs, wind farms, the Big Battery and the circular economy. The time is now for us to work together to speed up and scale up the transition and realise the net zero jobs potential over the next five years.
“More than fifty percent of the 24,000 jobs are in two sectors, building and construction and renewable energy and its transmission. The balance will be found in electric buses and green transport, cleantech manufacturing, recycling and the circular economy and land use.”
Sally Fisher of ACF Community Geelong further endorsed the need for a co-ordinated approach at all levels of government. “The climate science is irrefutable so we must now make the transition to a decarbonised environment as smooth as possible to help create jobs on the ground and to help ensure Geelong’s economy is positioned for a zero emissions era.”
The job numbers are calculated using the total national job numbers determined in the Beyond Zero Emissions Million Jobs Plan (MJP). These national job numbers have been allocated to each local government area in Australia according to the relative capacity of each area to provide these jobs.
The allocation is determined using a range of factors from 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics census data including population, the SEIFA index of socio-economic disadvantage, labour force, participation rate, job hours per capita and per worker and proximity to renewable energy, transportation, re-vegetation and industrial zones.
A formula using these factors was developed to distribute the total number MJP jobs to each local government area. The report provides information for the LGA’s in the Geelong region.
The job allocations have been rounded to the nearest whole number. The report can be viewed or downloaded by going to www.geelongrenewablesnotgas.org.
Geelong community solar
| Gary Ablett joins the Geelong Community Solar Program Gazza and mum Sue had solar and batteries installed on their homes as part of the Geelong Community Solar Program, and you can too. You have until December 31st to sign up. The two-time Brownlow medallist is passionate about the environment. “I love getting out in nature, I love my hiking, surfing and having renewable energy in my house is important to me to keep costs down as well as ensure a sustainable future. “Now that we’ve got solar and a battery installed, it’s nice to know everything I am doing is all powered by solar. It has been great, and I want to encourage others on the surf coast to look into it,” Mr Ablett Jr said. Find out more Led by Geelong Sustainability and supported by local councils, you can leverage the buying power of your community. Save on power bills with quality solar and battery storage for your home or business, all with the peace of mind knowing it’s delivered by Led by Geelong Sustainability, delivered by RACV Solar and Mondo Energy Backed by leading warranties and products Supporting your local economy and the environment Donating solar panels to your community with every installation Helping the region create a clean energy future Open to homes and businesses across the Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Colac Otway and Golden Plains Shires and Borough of Queenscliffe. The program is closing on 31st December – register your interest. www.geelongcommunitysolar.com.au |
Climate election
Introducing Zoe Daniel, the community-backed independent candidate for Goldstein
“I had no intention of entering politics before I was approached by Voices. I’d been a reporter for nearly three decades — an observer not a participant. I’ve spent a lot of time in the room where it happens, watching. It’s time to step up to the table.”
~ Zoe Daniel
Zoe Daniel is a journalist and foreign correspondent with nearly 30 years of experience.
She has covered everything from economics and finance to natural disasters and foreign affairs. Having reported on floods, typhoons and bushfires around the world, Zoe has seen first hand the harsh impacts of climate change.
Like so many of us, Zoe is sick of waiting for the government to lead on climate change and restoring integrity to politics. She’s worried that the major parties are squandering the immense business and economic opportunity the renewable climate economy presents. And, as a mother, Zoe is motivated to act in the interests of her teenage children’s future.
That’s why Zoe has put her hand up to be the community-backed independent candidate for Goldstein. She joins an increasingly impressive field of fresh, female independents, including Allegra Spender, Kylea Tink, and more.
Independent MP Zali Steggall podcast interview
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Book: Mapping Abundance for a Planetary Future
In Mapping Abundance for a Planetary Future, Candace Fujikane contends that the practice of mapping abundance is a radical act in the face of settler capital’s fear of an abundance that feeds. Cartographies of capital enable the seizure of abundant lands by enclosing “wastelands” claimed to be underdeveloped.
By contrast, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) cartographies map the continuities of abundant worlds. Vital to restoration movements is the art of kilo, intergenerational observation of elemental forms encoded in storied histories, chants, and songs.
As a participant in these movements, Fujikane maps the ecological lessons of these elemental forms: reptilian deities who protect the waterways, sharks who swim into the mountains, the navigator Māui who fishes up the islands, the deities of snow and mists on Mauna Kea. The laws of these elements are now being violated by toxic waste dumping, leaking military jet fuel tanks, and astronomical-industrial complexes.
As Kānaka Maoli and their allies stand as land and water protectors, Fujikane calls for a profound attunement to the elemental forms in order to transform climate events into renewed possibilities for planetary abundance.
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Energy production and consumption in Australia – right now
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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 and FM listening
The Sustainable Hour is broadcasted on FM in the Geelong region and 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 and then start on click on the player – or go to www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right.
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Podcast archive
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