What should the Geelong community’s ‘Zero Carbon Action Plan’ look like? Have your say! Also, write a letter to the editor of the Geelong Advertiser, and get involved on ‘Zero Emissions Day’, 21 September 2017 – the global 24-hour moratorium on the use of fossil fuels. Lots to do! More details below.
The editor of Geelong Advertiser advocated on 14 September 2017 for more coal, more gas, more of the same. The newspaper falsely claims that to “keep the lights on” and to avoid “soaring” energy prices, we need to stick with our current model of burning dirty fossil fuels.
The truth however is that it is completely the other way around: To keep the lights on and energy prices down, Geelong needs to get OFF its fossil fuel addiction and go where the entire world is going now, which is towards 100% clean renewable energy.
Its cheaper, better, safer, and doesn’t pollute like fossil fuels do. And everybody – except of course the fossil fuel industry and its puppies in politics – wants it.
This little video explains about what is happening in Australia at community and municipality level at the moment. As a city we should be joining these 35 other Australian councils on the journey. A development that makes 100% sense.
Byron Bay is aiming for 100% net zero emissions, the City of Darebin has installed 500 solar systems on the roofs of low-income households, and Parkes is producing 324 MWh of solar power every year. From booming urban centres to small rural townships, local governments and groups of determined residents have been energy and climate trailblazers in many ways.
» Find out more at www.citiespowerpartnership.org.au
What do you think? I’d love to hear it in the comment field below – but more importantly, you should let Geelong Council know:
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Community survey
The City of Greater Geelong has just opened an important survey that will guide the creation of a Community Zero Carbon Action Plan for Geelong.
The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and is only open for the next few weeks. Have your say on what a new Geelong community zero carbon action plan should look like.
The Community Zero Carbon Action Plan will map and prioritise projects, programs and partnerships to support a zero carbon Geelong. It will also highlight partnership projects and who is best placed to deliver zero carbon actions. So they are keen to hear from you and other community members to understand what actions you’re currently taking and what support you need to reduce emissions at home.
This is an important opportunity to contribute your ideas for a zero carbon and 100% renewable Geelong.
Please make sure you complete the survey before it closes on 26 September 2017. Click below to take the survey now. You can also help share the survey with your friends and family by sharing this post or the link below on Facebook.
» Take the survey now:
www.geelongaustralia.com.au/yoursay
» Share the video from youtube.com
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But wait, there is more.
You also need to write a letter to our local newspaper:
Call out Geelong Advertiser’s disinformation
“As we close coal-fired power plants how are we going to keep the lights on in our cities?” (…) “We need to get our energy from somewhere and we need reliable base load power,” the Geelong Advertiser editorial said on 14 September 2017. The anonymous editor claims to know that renewables are a “mooted utopia” causing “serious shortfalls, black outs and soaring power bills”.
Shocking misinformation at editorial level, and without a single word about that the reason we urgently need to get off gas and coal isn’t just some utopian dream of becoming “green and clean”, but something which is required of us to tackle the dire threats of climate change.
Stop the dirty politics and get on with the program of leaving fossil fuels in the ground, Addi. Printing such manipulated nonsense that we need to burn more coal and drill for more gas to avoid black outs and soaring power bills simply to throw a bit of mud on Labor Premier Daniel Andrews should be below your level of journalism and integrity as the city’s leading newspaper.
“Wind power is now at least 38 per cent cheaper than coal. Solar is 16 per cent cheaper. And the gaps are getting wider by the day.” (…) “It’s time to get the facts straight on energy policy.”
~ John Durie, in The Australian
» The Australian – 12 September 2017:
Coal hard facts about power shore up AGL’s stance on Liddell
Elsewhere in the world – for instance in Denmark, which is powered by more than 60 per cent renewables, in some regions 100% – renewables cause no serious shortfalls, black outs or soaring power bills. Its time to cut the crap.
Helped by confused, delusional or deliberately misleading media editors such as the anonymous writer of today’s editorial in Geelong Advertiser along with anonymous fake-news Facebook groups using the exact same arguments and language, a back bench cabal of climate deniers are able to hold the entire nation to ransom on renewable energy. The is only one way to stop this farce, and that is to speak up about it.
The underlying political motives of writing this nonsense is seemingly to put Labor Premier Daniel Andrews in a negative light and thereby influence the next election. Renewable energy, however, if far too important for our security and well-being to be taken hostage in a game of mud-throwing between political parties.
» Call out the factual misinformation. Write to: yoursay@geelongadvertiser.com.au (max 300 words and include your full name, address, and phone number).
Lying governments destroying democracy
“Giles Parkinson sets out the blatant lying by our Federal Government in misrepresenting the expert opinions provided by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), to justify the government’s non-existent energy policy.
This total irresponsibility hits at the very foundations of democracy and points to vested interest corruption on a massive scale:”
~ Ian Dunlop
» RenewEconomy – 15 September 2017:
Blackouts and baseload: Debunking myths of AEMO reports and Liddell
The reality Geelong Addi chooses to ignore
CarbonBrief wrote:
Early on Monday morning, 10 September 2017, news broke that two large offshore windfarms would be built around the UK for less than the expected cost of new gas-fired generation. Their £57.50 per megawatt hour price tag took many by surprise.
Columnists and editorial writers responded in force, almost all welcoming the news – you can see the latest leading articles in our updated editorial grid. As the Times leader put it: “These numbers are little short of revolutionary.”
They were most often compared to the £92.50 agreed for the Hinkley C new nuclear plant. But as Carbon Brief’s analysis showed, the result puts offshore wind – together with onshore wind and solar – as one of the cheapest ways to get new electricity generation. It will not only be cheaper than new nuclear, but also new gas – and not far from the market price of power.
The fall in offshore wind costs is likely to challenge preconceptions about renewables. It will also focus attention on the challenge of integrating them into the electricity system, which needs not only cheap generation but also year-round supplies.
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You are not alone
All polls show that blaming renewables is such a loser’s argument. If you wan’t to lose an election, go ahead. Renewables are actually extremely popular in the population. 73 per cent of Australians say they want strong action taken on climate change and energy because it will create opportunities in clean energy, such as jobs and investment, according to a poll which asked 2,500 Australian citizens about their views.
The Climate Institute found that over 90 per cent of conservative voters want renewables to become our main source of energy (95 per cent Liberal, 92 per cent National, 93 per cent One Nation), and as much as 96 per cent of Australians want our primary source of energy to come from renewables.
So who needs the Addi’s editorial writers lecturing us with lies and ‘baseload’ myths? We can’t afford to waste time on losers. We want our city to be a winner. We want jobs. Progress. Safety. Better ways of doing things, healthier ways. We also want time. Time to be with our families and friends. Time to enjoy the surroundings. Good locally produced food, beer and wine. We want to be able to enjoy life.
To achieve that, we have to take control of our future and those challenges we know it will bring in an intelligent and responsible way, where we are not afraid to talk about it, and even use big words if we have to – where we first of all talk about doing what’s best for us all, and not just for some few people in a specific group or industry.
» Newcastle Herald – 14 September 2017:
Clean energy the clear winner with the people
“I doubt the NSW Minerals Council asked whether those people would prefer clean solar and wind to more open-cut pits, particle pollution and runaway climate change, which is the real choice we face today.”
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Zero emissions day
Close your eyes and imagine the future – what do you think the world will be like for humankind, and all our amazing wildlife?
With Zero Emissions Day coming up on 21 September 2017, there’s no better time to remind ourselves of the need to move to a world powered by clean technology – and help safeguard both people and nature.
Zero Emissions Day on 21 September is a global 24-hour moratorium on the use of fossil fuels. The guidelines for the day are simple:
1. Don’t use or burn oil or gas or coal.
2. Minimize (or eliminate) your use of electricity generated by fossil fuels.
3. Don’t put anyone in harm’s way: All essential and emergency services operate normally.
4. Do your best, have fun, enjoy the day!
The solutions to prevent dangerous climate change have arrived – and now it’s up to us to power our planet towards a brighter, renewable future.
For instance, find out how WWF is working to achieve their goal of a climate-resilient and zero-carbon world, and see what you can do to reduce your impact on the planet.
» WWF’s suggestions to concrete things you can do to help our living planet
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STOP ADANI:
“We’re coming”
“This evening I’m feeling grateful to work shoulder-to-shoulder with a community network that feels like it’s cranking up the ambition, strengthening its connections, and swelling with more people every week.
Yesterday was the hottest September day in Sydney on record. It broke a record set only three years ago in 2014. There’s no point being coy, the climate is crumbling. And our elected leaders will let it crumble, for as long as we let them get away with it.
I’m saying today, that the community network I’m so grateful to be a part of is only picking up more and more momentum and I can’t see any point where it will stop. We’re going to push and push, until we take the politics of coal in this country to breaking point.
And once it breaks, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Politicians of Australia, start weighing up which side of history you’re going to stand with, because we’re coming.”
~ Isaac Astill, #StopAdani campaigner
» Join the #StopAdani Geelong group in planning local action. Next meeting is on Saturday 16 September 2017 at 10am at Geelong Library. Come and share the passion!
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Learn more about climate action and inaction
» Centre for Climate Safety:
Spell of climate inaction: lift it with knowledge
» Centre for Climate Safety:
QuickStarter: Get involved
Retweet on Twitter
Community members are fired up about #VicClimateSolutions. Take a look at this blog by Mik down in Geelong > https://t.co/ctFAz7FHey
— Act on Climate Vic (@ActOnClimateVic) September 15, 2017
Read more about…
#ZeroCarbon #RenewableEnergy #CityofGreaterGeelong #DropthePolitics #KeepItintheGround #NoMoreBadInvestments #CoalFree #2020DontBeLate #ClimateSilence #ClimateAction #ClimateSolutions #PlanetEarthFirst #BeADoer #BeTheChange