Will you join the new campaign for Climate Rescue?

Newsletter from Centre for Climate Safety on 1 December 2023 – sent to 381 subscribers

Let’s be honest: we are in trouble. The world is in a mess with climate – no one is doing what is necessary.

Here’s climate scientists David Karoly’s and Bill Hare’s take on it, as reported by the ABC yesterday: 

Here’s the World Meteorological Organization’s take on it in their annual State of the Global Climate report. It summarises: “Extreme weather causes death and devastation”.

At the global climate summit in Dubai, governments seem more focused on helping those who get hit by this devastation rather than on getting to the root of what is causing the problem in the first place.

But don’t panic yet. 

At Centre for Climate Safety, we have been participating in a working group that has come up with the kind of plan which is necessary if we are honest about what we need to do now in order to get us out of this mess we – all humans, collectively – have created. 

We call it the Climate Rescue Accord. 

We are ready to roll, and we need your help with it.

Because getting our Parliamentarians up to speed on this issue is our first step, and that means a lot of us will now have to request meetings with our local MPs in order to discuss this with them.

We are urging local MPs to champion the crucial 3Rs: reducing emissions, removing excess CO2, and repairing the environmental damage already inflicted.

To learn more about what the Accord and the 3Rs are about, you can watch this one-hour video – or read the transcript below on that page.

The system we are using to coordinate and document this is www.letition.org.

. . .

But isn’t the Labor Government finally beginning to step up as we have just seen them announce a push for renewables recently? 

No! For every tonne of climate pollution saved by the policies of the Federal Labor government, seven tonnes are emitted through new coal and gas projects approved or supported by the same government. 

This remains unacceptable. 

Starting in our own communities, via letition.org, we are mobilising to call on our leaders to take much bolder action in addressing the climate emergency. 

This initiative goes beyond previous efforts, challenging MPs to consider positions that may diverge from their party’s line, an act known in parliamentary terms as ‘crossing the floor’.

Here’s an example of what the letition-letter looks like:

What is a ‘letition’?

A ‘letition’ is a hybrid tool – part letter, part open letter, and part petition. This novel approach to citizen engagement wields significant power, reflecting the vested interests and concerns of constituents. It’s a grassroots method of political advocacy, highlighting personal responsibility and underscoring the urgent need for real climate action, not greenwashing.

The effectiveness of this campaign hinges on public participation. Our goal is to amass a substantial number of letters and meeting requests, demonstrating widespread community support. So it’s not just an individual effort; we need to rally our friends, neighbours, and the entire community.

We aim to convey to our leaders that prioritising climate issues is not a minor request but a major movement backed by their electorate. The larger our numbers, the more compelling our collective voice becomes.

Let’s galvanise support, stimulate discussion, and grow this movement into an undeniable force. Our collective efforts are geared towards ensuring that Parliamentarians prioritise the welfare of people and the planet over profit and pollution.

→ To join this movement, visit www.letition.org and click on “Generate your letition”. The process is straightforward and takes just six minutes.

. . .

New blogposts, podcasts and articles on climatesafety.info:

That’s not what COPs are for
COP28 is shaping up as The Predator’s Ball II. That’s not what COPs are for. Their purpose is to find a way to stop the emissions.

Seen, safe and supported
Our guests in The Sustainable Hour no. 485 are Rachel Hay, Research & Projects Officer at Australia reMADE, and Lisa Deppeler from OCEAN.

After 9,999 ways that didn’t work: Time to change the law
We can pass a law that would require the management of the big emitters – or all companies – to stop emitting significant quantities of greenhouse gases. Here’s how.

A declaration to remove the threat of climate horror
An introduction to The Shoalhaven Declaration – a solution for ending the abuses to the environment – by changing the corporate law

. . .

Shouldn’t we just pass a law?

Has anyone else wondered why the climate movement has been so unsuccessful at stopping the global emission of greenhouse gases despite the significant reduction in cost of renewables?

Can it be that we haven’t asked for what we want, big emitters to stop, and have been distracted by half-way measures – e.g. socially responsible investing, unenforceable goals, fathom offsets and greenwashing?

Shouldn’t we just pass a law that would require the management of the big emitters – or all companies – to stop emitting significant quantities of greenhouse gases?

Doesn’t the COP28 in Dubai say it all? So far 27 COPs have failed and there is little indication so far that 28, which started yesterday, will be the magic number which finally forces fossil fuel companies, electric power companies, motor vehicle manufacturers and other emitters of significant quantities of greenhouse gases to stop their destructive behaviour.

Thomas Edison is said to have invented the light bulb on his ten thousandth attempt. When asked about his earlier failures, his response was that he didn’t fail. He just found 9,999 ways it didn’t work.

Getting together and pledging to keep global temperatures from rising above a specified target hasn’t worked 27 times. Maybe it’s time to try something else? Something more direct. Something easier.

How about just telling the big emitters they must stop?

The time for them to force them to stop and fully convert to renewables is here. Enter: The Shoalhaven Declaration

. . .

Get involved in the election

The next federal election could be as soon as August 2024. That means it is time to get to work!

Would you like to help start a Voices of Corangamite movement in our area? We’ve got work to do to help boost the Teal revolution, which could radically change how Parliament looks and works after the next election.

Community groups starting out for the first time have a long journey to build a winnable campaign. In the seats where independent community campaigns have been successful at a federal level, community groups started an average of 10 months before election day. That means now!

We need to identify the perfect community independent candidate, and we need to mobilise volunteers and get organised.

→ Send us an email with expression of interest if you’d like to get involved with making this happen in Geelong.

→ Subscribe to Centre for Climate Safety’s newsletter

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EXAMPLE: Mik Aidt’s letter to his local Member

Dear Richard Marles,

Please find attached this month’s Letition letter, which is about understanding and acting on the 3Rs agenda which is outlined in the Climate Rescue Accord. 

I am a part of your local community and constituency. We are many who are mailing and emailing this Letition to as many as possible of our Federal Parliamentarians to express our concerns about Australia’s inadequate actions on the climate emergency. 

I have learned that for every tonne of climate pollution saved by the policies of your government, seven tonnes are emitted through new coal and gas projects approved or supported by you, according to research by the ACF.

This remains unacceptable. Because, let’s be honest here: we are in trouble. The world is in a mess with climate – no one is doing what is necessary.

Don’t take this from me. Here’s climate scientists David Karoly’s and Bill Hare’s take on it, as reported by the ABC yesterday. And here’s the World Meteorological Organizations’s take on it in their annual State of the Global Climate report. The short version: “Extreme weather causes death and devastation”.

At the global climate summit in Dubai, governments seem more focused on helping those who get hit by this devastation rather than on getting to the root of what is causing the problem in the first place.
Starting in our own communities, via letition.org, we are mobilising to call on our leaders to take much bolder action in addressing the climate emergency.

I hope you will read the letter and meet with us to discuss further.

Kind regards

Mik Aidt

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