Friends of the Earth (FoE) Melbourne  is a non-for profit organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. The international Friends of the Earth network is  active in 77 countries with over 2 million members. Read more.

Want to kick off 2020 with a powerful message for climate action that can't be ignored? 

Hydrogen is currently considered the next ‘big thing’ in green energy and storage. However, while hydrogen can be made simply using water and renewable energy, it can also be made using fossil fuels. There are currently attempts by fossil fuel proponents, including the Federal government, to co-opt this green energy opportunity to provide a lifeline for ailing coal and gas. 

However, right now there is a chance to take action.

From 2011 until 2017, the Victorian community, especially regional communities in the south of the state, campaigned hard to win the ban on fracking and the moratorium on onshore conventional gas drilling.

While fracking (unconventional gas drilling) was banned permanently, a moratorium was placed on onshore conventional exploration and drilling. This has been in force since 2014, and will expire on June 30, 2020.

In the next few months, the state government will decide whether to extend the moratorium or let it lapse. Over the past year, the Victorian Gas Program has been investigating what onshore gas resources exist. Once the final report is released (likely to happen within the next 3 months), the government will make a decision about the future of the moratorium. We have until March to build a strong voice demanding that the state government acts to protect our state by extending the onshore gas moratorium for another five years.

We are organising state wide actions over the weekend of February 8 and 9 to get the issue on the government’s radar.

With fires devastating communities and landscapes in East Gippsland, north east Victoria, south west Victoria, southern NSW and across many other parts of the country, it has been a sombre start to the year.

All those affected by the bushfire—the firefighters, first responders, community members, and wildlife — are front of mind for us.  

Here is an initial list of ideas about how you can help affected communities.

In Part 1 of our hydrogen blog series Energy Justice Victoria offered an explainer of the upcoming 'hydrogen economy'. We demystified hydrogen, why it presents a unique alternative to fossil fuels when done right, and why everybody seems to be talking about it.

If you missed out on reading the explainer, you can catch up here.

Today, we tackle the next issue on our list: What is the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (the HESC) and how does it relate to the fossil fuel industry in Victoria?

Beyond Coal campaign launched

Coal power generation is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Australia, being responsible for over one-quarter of total emissions. Given that burning coal is our leading contributor to climate change, moving our electricity supply away from coal is one of the quickest, most efficient ways of doing our part to act.

There is a pathway to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change and avoiding a catastrophic rise in global temperatures. Retiring every coal-burning power station over the next decade — and replacing them with clean energy generation and storage — is the simplest and most effective way for Australia to do our fair share of reducing greenhouse emissions to a safe level. It's our best shot to tackle climate change, protect people, and protect our planet's natural places. That is why we have joined together with six other community-based groups to launch the Beyond Coal campaign.

Read more here.

The Murray Darling Basin Plan is fraught with mismanagement, lies and misinformation. With so much conflicting information circulating about our river systems it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. That's why we've gone and busted some of the harmful myths that are out there.

The truth behind keeping our river alive is simpler than you think. Healthy rivers need water, we need truth and integrity in the Murray Darling Basin.

The Australian Energy Market Operator has warned that due to more extreme weather such as bushfires and heatwaves, and the increasing unreliability of aging coal-fired power plants, there is a heightened risk of blackouts occurring this summer. Australia’s energy debate has been paralysed by ideology and misinformation for years -- make sure you get the facts.