Great community action in Bathurst March 25, 2009

MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Code Red! It’s an EMERGENCY!

Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN) action to be held at Hon. Bob Debus’ Bathurst Office Friday March 27.

Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN) members and supporters will be gathering on the doorstep of Member for Macquarie, Bob Debus, on Friday at 10.30am.
Dressed in red to signify emergency, they will hand in a letter urging him to stand up in parliament and take a stand for strong, effective measures against climate change. They will also hand out information leaflets and mock “pollution permits” to passers-by to raise awareness of the shortcomings of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation that is now before federal parliament.

The federal government has announced a target of a five per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, rising to a 15 per cent reduction if there is an international agreement at this level. The government’s vehicle for this reduction is an emissions trading scheme to be codified in the CPRS legislation.

“We are asking our local federal member to go out on a limb and tell the government that the proposed legislation actually threatens the possibility of reaching even the low five per cent target,” BCCAN President John Kellett said. “This is because of the vast concessions made to the fossil fuel lobby and other big carbon polluters. What we need instead is a higher initial target and a massive investment in renewable energy.

“The government is handing out money willy-nilly to stimulate the economy. Let’s invest in a more targeted fashion, in energy solutions for the future.”

The full text of the Open Letter to Bob Debus, Federal Member for Macquarie, will be available after 10.30am on Friday. (Bob Debus may be in Canberra on the day, in which case the letter will be handed to a staffer.) Bob Debus’ Bathurst office is at 3/217 Howick Street between George and Rankin Streets, accessed via the lane next to Goodyear.

•    Friday’s action comes the day before Earth Hour, where everyone is urged to switch off the lights for an hour from 8.30pm on Saturday night to support action on climate change. The Rahamim Ecological Learning Community, an initiative of the Sisters of Mercy, has invited people to share Earth Hour at St Joseph’s Mount, 34 Busby Street, Bathurst, on Saturday night from 8pm to 9.30pm.

FOR COMMENT CONTACT JOHN KELLET ON 6331 8917 or 0402 049 770
http://www.bccan.org.au

Step it up: 27th March 2009 March 24, 2009

The Government is pursuing a climate change policy that will not result in swift and effective emissions reductions. We have held-hands around parliament, and now its time to take our protest directly to our elected representatives.

The Exposure Draft Legislation for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will be released in the coming weeks. Join communities around Australia sitting-in at their MP’s offices to demand better.

On this website, you can download a simple guide to help you plan your protest.

You can also visit Flickr and see how colourful, fun and family-friendly sit-ins can be.

If you’re on Facebook, find the March 27th events here.

There are other resources on this site to help you, and plans are already being made right around the country. Be part of history and take action to protect our children’s future.

Details of Actions – 27 March March 16, 2009

VICTORIA

* Office of Lindsay Tanner, Member for Melbourne, 280 King St, Melbourne at 12 noon. Info Pablo on pabs101 – at – hotmail.com.

* Office of Kelvin Thompson, Member for Wills, 3 Munro Street, Coburg at 10am. Info Ellen on ellenmroberts – at – yahoo.com.au.

* Office of Martin Ferguson, Member for Batman, 159 High Street, Preston at 8am. Info Carol on caride – at – bigpond.com.au.

* Office of Jenny Macklin, Member for Jaga Jaga, 149 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg at 10am. Info Bridgit on bbattova3 – at – bigpond.com.au.

* Office of Peter Costello, Member for Higgins, 1343 Malvern Road, Malvern at 10am.  Info Sue on 0411 885 126.

* Office of Nicola Roxon, Member for Gellibrand, 1 Thomas Holmes Street, Maribyrnong at 10am. Info Shaun on westsax – at – westnet.com.au.

* Office of Simon Crean, Member for Hotham, 401 Clayton Road, Clayton at 10am. Info Imogen on imogen.jackson – at – gmail.com.

* Office of Steve Gibbons, Member for Bendigo, Cnr Williamson and Myers St, Bendigo at 10.30am. Info Dean on dc – at – masg.org.au

* Office of Senator Jacinta Collins, 1013 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill at 10.30am. Info Carol on ci – at – the.inter.net.au.

* Office of Sophie Mirabella, Member for Indi, 9am, meet outside Bill Tilley’s office, 14 Stanley St, Wodonga. Info Lizette on lizettejohn – at – iprimus.com.au.

* Office of Richard Marles, Member for Corio, 17A Yarra St, Geelong at 12 noon. Info Mitch on 0448 997 415, bukitmouth – at – hotmail.com.

* Office of Michael Danby, Member for Melbourne Ports, 117 Fitzroy St, St.Kilda West at 12 noon. Info David on david.robinson – at – y7mail.com.

* Office of Andrew Robb, Member for Goldstein, 368 Centre Road, Bentleigh at 10am. Info Coni 9598 3272.

* Local residents meeting with Jason Wood, Member for La Trobe.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

*4pm-5.30pm Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices, 100 King William St, Adelaide. Info Gemma on gemma.weedall – at – student.adelaide.edu.au.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

*8am Federal Department of Climate Change, 2 Constitution Ave, Canberra. Info Leigh on 0421 282 825.

NEW SOUTH WALES

* Anthony Albanese, Member for Grayndler – 9am, 334a Marrickville Rd , Marrickville NSW 2204. Contact Climate Action Newtown: Moira 0420 504 411.

* Maxine McKew, Member for Bennelong – 10am, 230 Victoria Rd , Gladesville NSW 2111. Contact Ryde Gladesville Climate Action Group: info – at – climatechangerg.org.

* Bob Debus, Member for Macquarie – 10am, 98 Bathurst St , Katoomba NSW 2780. Contact Katoomba Area Climate Action Network: 0400 302 279.

AND 10.30am, 3/217 Howick St , Bathurst NSW 2795. Contact Bathurst Community Climate Action Network: judygreg.walker – at – gmail.com.

* Peter Garrett, Member for Kingsford Smith: 11am, Level 6, 806-812 Anzac Pde, Maroubra NSW 2035. Contact scarlet.wilcock – at – gmail.com

* Julie Owens, Member for Parramatta – 12 noon, Suite 8 , The Octagon, 110 George St, Parramatta NSW 2150. Contact Parramatta Climate Action Network: 0425 265 169.

* Tanya Plibersek, Member for Sydney – 12 noon, 422 Crown St , Surry Hills NSW 2010. Contact Climate Change Balmain-Rozelle: ccbrmail – at – aapt.net.au

* Labor Party Headquarters – 3pm, 377 Sussex St Sydney NSW 2000. Contact Friends of the Earth Sydney: 0402 564 862.

* Senator Forshaw – 4pm, Suite 2, Level 1, 33-35 Belmont St Sutherland NSW 2232 (opp. the library) – a peaceful protest, a bit of theatre, deliver a letter to Senator Forshaw. Contact Sutherland Climate Action Network: jon – at – doig.net.

* Sharon Bird, Member for Cunningham – Shop 501, Globe Lane, Wollongong NSW. Organised by Wollongong Climate Action Network, UoW Environment Collective.  March 27th, 1-2pm.  Phone: 0425329963.  Email: bendigo1977@yahoo.com.au

* Greg Combet, Member for Charlton and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change – 8.30am, 324 Main Road, Cardiff, following a footpath march from Cardiff Station from about 8.15 am (Newcastle train arrives 8.12am). Organised by Climate Action Newcastle (CAN), Lake Macquarie Climate Action (LMCA) and Rising Tide. Contact Zoe 0425 316 496 or zoetiarerogers – at – gmail.com.

* Sharon Grierson, Member for Newcastle – 10am, 427 Hunter St, Newcastle. Organised by members of the Newcastle University Student Association. Contact simon.cunich – at – gmail.com.

QUEENSLAND

* Office of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Member for Griffith, 630 Wynnum Road, Morningside at 1pm. Info Dominic on dominicale – at – optusnet.com.au or 0436 638 772.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

* Office of Stephen Smith, Member for Perth, 953A Beaufort St, Inglewood at 8.30am. Phone 0417 319 662 or 08 9339 0803 for more details. See the website http://www.safeclimate.org.au or email info – at – safeclimate.org.au.

TASMANIA

* Office of Duncan Kerr, Member for Denison, Cnr Harrington and Collins St, Hobart at 12.30pm.  Info climateactionhobart – at – gmail.com or call 0428 274 280. 

NORTHERN TERRITORY

* Office of Damian Hale, Member for Solomon, 30 The Smith Street Mall, Darwin. Info Justin on justin-at-nonuk.es.

* Office of Warren Snowdon, Member for Lingiari, Unit 3, 12 Gregory Tce, Alice Springs at 1pm. Info Ruth on ruthapelt – at – yahoo.com. 2:30pm meeting with Warren Snowdon, info Mandy on iainandmandy – at – octa4.net.au.

Stepping it up in Melbourne December 22, 2008

Enter this post to see and read about terrific protests in Melbourne.

Sutherland Residents Protest Climate Inaction December 22, 2008

Sutherland residents march to Scott Morrison MP's office in Caringbah

Twenty-five local residents marched to MP Scott Morrison’s office in Caringbah on Thursday, demanding that he speak up for emergency action on climate change. The protest was organised by Sutherland Climate Action Network, a group of over 200 Sutherland Shire residents formed early last year to raise awareness about climate change and reduce emissions in the Shire.

Climate protesters blockade government offices – SMH December 22, 2008

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/global-warming/climate-protesters-blockade-government-offices/2008/12/16/1229189607018.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Sixty people occupy Sharon Grierson’s office December 22, 2008

Sixty people marched into and occupied Sharon Grierson’s office on Tuesday, in an immediate and angry reaction to the failure of the Rudd government to deal with climate change.

Ryde Gladesville residents step it up on Maxine McKew! December 20, 2008

The Ryde Gladesville Climate Change Action Group once more found itself on the pavement outside what used to be John Howard’s electorate office. The office is now occupied by Labor Maxine McKew who lobbied hard on climate change and promised much. The Ryde Gladesville group took her a present in the lead up to the Federal election, in the form of a fleet of wheelbarrows bearing fruit trees, to enable her to grow her own food when rural Australia gives out.

The small but persistent group who attended in December was met by numerous Federal and state police who declined to let us into Ms McKew’s office.

Climate Emergency Activists Target Wong’s Office December 16, 2008

It has become increasingly apparent that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong are not serious in their commitment to really tackling climate change. Today, the Federal Government releases its White Paper on its Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. This paper will announce Australia’s emissions reductions target for 2020. All reports indicate that the targets will be in the range of a 5-15% reduction on 1990 levels.

Climate protests erupt across the country December 16, 2008

A string of protests erupted across the country in angry response to the Federal Government’s announcement yesterday that Australia would only cut its greenhouse gas emissions by between 5 and 15% by 2020. In March, more protests will happen as the Government continues its wrong-headed “pay-the-polluter” approach and fails to start reducing greenhouse emissions. Read more in this post about what happened in December.