Lighthouses and climate strikers shine on our future

Australian matters, Local Geelong matters

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The Sustainable Hour no. 482 | Podcast notes

Our guests in The Sustainable Hour on 8 November 2023 are Shaun Deverson from Lighthouse Futures and climate school strikers Joey Thompson and Myles Wilkinson.

We also listen to calls from climate hunger striker Gregory Andrews sitting at the Parliament front lawn in Canberra, and American climate scientist Peter Kalmus.

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Shaun Deverson is founder and Principal Consultant of Lighthouse Futures. He helps corporations and organisations with making Ecological, Social and Governance (ESG) aspects of their business to be at the forefront of strategy and tactics, not a backstory. 

Shaun talks about how climate change, artificial intelligence, interconnectedness and social and political upheaval combined could forge a future of constant crisis and disruption. This will affect the way we work, live and travel. 

A world where businesses could be sunk with a simple social media post. Disaffected communities could rise against organisations and governments in hours instead of months. War, pandemics and natural disasters in other parts of the globe could have devastating effects for businesses in Australia.

However this is not only a threat, Shaun explains – it also presents opportunities. Using sensitivity and collaboration win-win outcomes can be enabled and lead us towards a just, smart and ecological transition. Shaun formed Lighthouse Futures to guide businesses through this transition. 

→ More info on their website, www.lighthousefutures.com.au

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Joey Thompson and Myles Wilkinson from School Strike for Climate talk about the “why”, “what” and “how” of the next school strike for climate which will be happening on Friday 17 November 2023. 

If you want to learn more or get actively involved with School Strike for Climate, then check out their national Instagram page – @schoolstrikeforclimate, or their website www.schoolstrike4climate.com

→ To find your nearest strike or register to organise your own, go to ss4c.info/nov17

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“What we face is systematic lying from the fossil fuel industry, from the polluters, from the billionaire oil barons, and from our politicians who are paid by them. We’ve had decades of lie after lie after lie, and it is a tactic to confuse people like you and me – to confuse the voting public – so we don’t know what to believe anymore.”
~ Dr Patrick Hart, on TalkTV in United Kingdom

British doctor Patrick Hart talks on TalkTV about the health emergency we face, emphasising the need to understand the horrible implications for our wellbeing as we face up to the climate emergency and the amount of support there is for non-violent direct action.

Climate hunger striker Gregory Andrews is now seven days into his strike outside Parliament House in Canberra. He explains why he is doing this as well as his demands. You can sign his petition here.

We also hear Gregory’s big brother Uncle Johnny Huckle talk about the need to embrace the truth and work together, share this world together and build a fair world.

On the American channel Democracy Now we hear NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus explains about state capture as seen from the American perspective.

We listen to Julia Stone‘s interpretation of Midnight Oil’s ‘Beds Are Burning’.

. . .

Colin Mockett OAM‘s Global Outlook for this week begins in Europe where storm Ciaran swept in causing widespread flooding in parts of the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France then picked up speed to cause rivers to burst their banks in Italy. The deaths have yet to be finalised but it’s at least 14 in France. Hundreds of people have been evacuated in Italy and damage was estimated in hundreds of millions of Euros. Scientists all agreed that man-made climate change from burning fossil fuels was behind the unusual build-up of storm conditions in the Atlantic.

Elsewhere in Europe, at the Vatican, Pope Francis announced that he plans to attend the COP28 Climate Talks due to start 28 November 2023 in Dubai. He told Italian Television that he intends to spend three days at the summit, presumably lobbying. Now 86, the Pontiff now spends much of his time lobbying on behalf of climate change, and he said that the COP28 talks could signify a change of direction, if participants could be persuaded to make binding agreements.

Next to the United States where president Joe Biden faces a dilemma after a new analysis has found that liquefied-natural-gas exports may be worse for the environment than burning coal. This is likely to impact the Biden Administration’s climate decisions, according to Bill McKibben writing in the New Yorker. Bill said the President now faces one of his most difficult climate choices: whether his Administration should continue to allow the expansion of liquefied natural gas exports, which his Inflation Reduction Act has seen as a bridging fuel between burning coal and clean energy generation. “The stakes,” McKibben wrote “are enormous.”

Now to Paris where a new IEA report forecast that demand for climate-warming fossil fuels is likely to peak before 2030, signalling an accelerating global shift to clean energy. But the transition still needs to accelerate to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the temperature that scientists say will avoid the worst impacts of climate change. 

The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and it’s unstoppable. It’s not a question of ‘if’, it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’ – and the sooner the better for all of us,” said Fatih Birol, IEA executive director, in a statement. The agency represents countries that make up more than 80% of global energy consumption.

The annual IEA report estimates that in 2030 there will be 10 times as many electric vehicles on the road worldwide and 50 per cent of the cars sold in the United States will be electric. The agency says solar panels installed across the globe will generate more electricity at the end of the decade than the U.S. power system produces now. And the report projects that renewable energy will supply 50 per cent of the world’s electricity needs, up from about 30 per cent now.

Back home here in Australia, Treasurer Jin Chalmers, in a speech to the 2023 Economic and Social Outlook Conference acknowledged that Labor’s policies would see Australia fail its climate policy promises, but forecast a change of direction in six months. He said that “without more decisive action … the energy transition could fall short of what the country needs. He cast doubt on Australia’s pledge of an 82% renewable target by 2030, arguing it’s likely to be closer to just 60% and he unveiled plans to provide the Productivity Commission with its first-ever “Statement of Expectations” that will make the energy transition central to its agenda. He said the statement would make clear that guiding our country towards a successful net-zero transformation will be one of the key focus areas for a revamped and renewed Productivity Commission. 

Chalmers added that “the availability of public and private capital is a really important issue, but it’s not the only one. That means incentives like the type we’ve seen in the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States can be part of an answer, but they’re not the whole answer.” 

The Treasurer’s office certainly has not yet been given the news about LNG’s rejection as a transition fuel. You can bet there are many discussions about this in Canberra right now.

And finally our carbon-neutral sporting club, Forest Green Rovers, in the United Kingdom, which played Scarborough Athletic in the FA Cup last weekend, and drew 1-1 There will now be a replay, which I’ll watch out for you – because that’s our Global Roundup for the week.

. . .

We hope that you have all gained something from our 482nd episode. 

How impressive were our teen climate activists Joey and Myles. Any politician who takes them lightly will be making a huge mistake. They are seriously concerned about the world in which they will live, work and perhaps raise families. Yes, they have a full understanding of what’s at stake and are not prepared to accept anything but full attention being paid to protect that very future.

Shaun is motivated by similar concerns and has created a business to help protect that same future by helping current businesses reduce their emissions and commit to a circular economy. We’ll be back next week with more active hope beacons.

“I think we have a lot to learn from First Nation communities. Listening to them and learning from their wisdom, because they’ve been living on this planet in a circular economy, you could say, for thousands and thousands… over sixty thousand years. One of our major principles at School Strike For Climate is to use First Nation ideas and wisdom to tackle the climate crisis. I think that is something we should all think about and take action on.”
~ Joey Thomson, 16-year-old student organiser of the School Strike for Climate on 17 November


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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 millennia before they were invaded. Their land was then stolen from them – it wasn’t ceded. 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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Petition: Hold fossil fuel companies accountable

Fossil fuel companies have known of the climate threat since the 1970s, but they spent billions to spread misinformation and doubt.

The New Horizon wrote:

“Fossil fuel companies knew that their decisions were advancing the climate crisis and they lied to the general public. We must hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.

We need the Parliament to hold fossil fuel companies to account for misleading the public and lying about climate change.

The costs of the climate crisis in 2022 alone were more than $5 billion, and climate disasters by 2050 are projected to cost more than $611 billion.

Disadvantaged and marginalised communities, which have made the fewest contributions to carbon pollution face the most devastating impacts to their health, homes and livelihoods.

For over 50 years the fossil fuel industry has used illegal methods to lie and manipulate public perception of a global crisis. It’s time these companies are held to account!

→ Sign the petition to the Australian Parliament: Hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.“

Read more:

Massive fossil fuel profits yet again

A majority of voters believe the oil and gas industry has far too much power in our political system and want corporate polluters to pay for the climate damages they cause. So, it should come as no surprise that their price gouging at the pump has resulted in massive profits yet again in the third quarter of 2023. Here’s a quick rundown:

Exxon:
Q3: $9.1 BILLION
Year to date: $28.6 BILLION

Shell:
Q3: $6.2 BILLION
Year to date: $20.9 BILLION

Chevron:
Q3: $5.7 BILLION
Year to date: $18.2 BILLION

BP:
Q3: $3.3 BILLION
Year to date: $10.8 BILLION

ConocoPhillips:
Q3: $2.6 BILLION
Year to date: $7.8 BILLION

These numbers are shocking, sure, but they’re not surprising. Oil and gas CEOs have shamelessly put profits over people every step of the way. To put these profits into perspective: Exxon’s Q3 profits alone exceeded the GDP of more than 40 countries. 
~ Alex Witt, Climate Power, Washington, USA

U.S. petition: Hold oil and gas CEOs accountable

Gregory Andrews’s climate hunger strike – background

Statements, social media posts, links, media coverage, historical background: blogpost

“What we face is systematic lying from the fossil fuel industry”

Dr Patrick Hart on TalkTV in the United Kingdom
NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus talks about state capture on Democracy Now
February 2020: Julia Stone: ‘Beds Are Burning’

Petition: Ensure a healthy future for all Australians

Decarbonising transport is good for health | Climate and Health Alliance

Health professionals and community members are calling on Australia’s Transport Minister Catherine King to create a healthy transport system. Thousands of Australians die from transport-related air pollution each year.

“Federal Transport Minister, we are calling on you to ensure a healthy future for all Australians by creating a cleaner, greener transport system.”

→ Add your name to the petition on www.healthytransport.au/petition

“The review of federal environmental law provides an opportunity for the government to tackle climate change. Continuing to ignore climate in this law would be a serious failure in national leadership.”
~ Environmental Lawyer Rob Fowler

→ The New Daily – 5 November 2023:
Rising to the occasion: Can the Albanese government deliver a landmark climate law?
“The Albanese government has a once-in-a generation opportunity to leave its mark in the legislative history books by tackling the greatest threat facing the country, and the planet – climate change.”

CLASSICAL MUSIC MEETS CREATIVE ACTIVISM

After police threatened to take their instruments, MAn Orchestra were determined to keep energies up and sang Mozart’s ‘Dies Irae’ (day of judgement) while blocking the A12 in the Netherlands in protest of fossil fuel subsidies. Dutch parliament have since voted to phase these out.

Stop fossil fuels, corporate greed and climate chaos

Greenpeace UK wrote in their newsletter on 3 November 2023:

In the past 3 months the UK was hit by Storm Babet, Libya was devastated by floods, and Brazil battled cyclones. But the fossil fuel giants driving this climate crisis have been getting filthy rich in the meantime. Shell has raked in a staggering £5.1 BILLION in profit in the past 3 months. [1] 

Don’t allow climate criminals like Shell to continue profiting off the climate crisis. Take a stand now by signing our huge people-powered petition urging world leaders to hold them to account.

Amid Shell’s glossy adverts about wind farms and tree planting, their actions tell a different story. They’re increasing fossil fuel production and scaling back on renewables. In short: Shell is lying to us about their green energy transition while fuelling the climate crisis. What’s even more shocking is that countries least responsible for emissions, like Pakistan and Malawi, are being hit first and worst by the climate crisis, while Shell continues to pollute and make billions. [2, 3] 

Shell gets away with driving this chaos because they have an army of lobbyists who hold sway over world leaders. Shell may have millions but we’ve got millions of ordinary people on our side and if we unite, we can overpower Big Oil’s lobbying. So please can you make our collective voice as loud as possible by signing our enormous petition? The more signatures we get, the harder it will be for politicians to ignore us and they will be forced to stop putting Big Oil over the demands of ordinary people.

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of this corporate greed and climate chaos, but people everywhere are rising up against Big Oil right now. The state of California is currently taking some of the world’s biggest oil companies to court to make them pay for climate damages. [4]

This is a historic legal challenge that could allow countless more communities to hold Big Oil to account. This just shows what can be done when ordinary people take the fight to Big Oil. Together we can and will win – so thank you for taking action.  

In solidarity, 
Aiyan Maharasingam
Greenpeace UK  

Sign the petition

NOTES:
[1] Shell posts $6.2bn profit as oil prices rise again
[2] Malawi Appeals for More Cyclone Freddy Recovery Aid
[3] Pakistan faces a flood bill of up to $20 billion: polluters must pay
[4] California sues oil companies claiming they downplayed the risk of fossil fuels

→ Heated – 8 November 2023:
Surprise! Billionaires aren’t solving climate change
“A new report shows “disappointing” philanthropic giving to climate causes in 2022: climate-related giving made up less than 2 percent of the $811 billion in philanthropic giving in 2022.”

→ SBS – 24 October 2023:
The collapse of this Antarctic ice sheet is now ‘unavoidable’, even if emissions are controlled
“A study has found melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet will continue to accelerate this century, at a speed three times faster than during the 20th century.”



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Article in Geelong Advertiser on 4 November 2023



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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

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→ List of running petitions where we encourage you to add your name

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The Sustainable Hour is streamed live on the Internet and broadcasted on FM airwaves in the Geelong region 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.



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