By Lizette Salmon, StopAdani Albury-Wodonga
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Tomorrow our kids are striking from school and on Saturday we’re hosting a funeral for our future.
The Adani Carmichael coal mine situation has become much worse in the past few weeks. It looks like they’ve found a way to restructure the project’s plans to pay for it in instalments, making it far more likely to proceed.
Locals opposed to the mine have tried myriad methods to raise awareness and enlighten our parliamentarians, including phone calls, faxes, petitions, posters, reports, rallies, protests, prayers, letters, logic, door-knocking and denyosaurs. Community awareness has come a long way, with repeated surveys showing the vast majority of people are against the mine. But the COALition remains stuck in its fossil fool ways, supporting this massively destructive mine regardless.
Our children are the ones who’ll be most affected by this disastrous project, so why shouldn’t they take a stand? In some places they’re forgoing school for a month, others a week, many an afternoon. Here in Albury-Wodonga primary and secondary students will leave school on Thursday 29th November and head for QEII Square from 12.00-2.00pm. These kids are our leaders, standing up for what’s important, so please come along and show them your support.
The organiser of the local school strike for action on climate, Jodie Farrugia, has gathered a working group of local young people who are steering the event. This is an opportunity for our young people to voice their concerns about the lack of action on climate change. They want to see the scientific research and findings on climate change taken seriously in their schools, the curriculum, within government, corporate leaders and all adults in their lives. They want to fight for the facts on climate change to be our communities and governments’ priority. Their future depends on it.
The symbolic funeral for our future will be held this Saturday 1st December 1.00-2.00pm in Australia Park and officiated by Fr Peter McLeod-Miller, with a eulogy by Professor Kate Auty , ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and Environment. A coffin’s been made and hymns rehearsed. Please dress in black and bring a picnic for the wake, or partake of the sausage sizzle.
For more information on these events visit eco.redsally.com or the StopAdani Albury-Wodonga Facebook page.
