By Matthew Charles-Jones, Yackandandah Sustainability
Seldom do we have an opportunity to join with many thousands throughout Australia to express a collective desire for a more positive and hopeful future. Tomorrow looks set to become one such opportunity! Local people across the Border area are gathering in Albury to voice a call for a more meaningful collective action on climate change. We will be joined by hundreds of communities around Australia who also share in this desire for a serious response to the threat of climate change.
The organisers, GetUp!, anticipate that people from all political persuasions will show up tomorrow to express their growing concern; families, singles and couples – people. Many wish to respond to the growing range of record-breaking storms, long droughts and unseasonal bushfires.
A range of national and international reports make it very clear that climate change is progressing quickly and at the upper limits of previous projections. The recently published fifth assessment report from the IPCC categorically makes this point. Therefore, it is unquestionably a radical position to ignore or deny the efficacy of these reports and the underpinning science. Instead, we have the chance to seek a different and better climate outcome.
It seems that this situation is way too important to be hijacked by partisan politics and requires decisive action from each of us. Fortunately, the policy settings are accessible to all our political and business leaders. These include embracing the price on carbon, an urgent downsizing of our reliance on fossil fuels and increasing the uptake of available, affordable and successful renewable energy technologies.
If you wish to show your concern about the new climate reality, why not join us at the Albury Community Wood Fired Oven at 11:30am. You are invited to wear bright yellow or orange clothing for a photo shoot, scheduled for 12:00pm. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch.
For more details, visit the events calendar at www.eco.redsally.com/event.
