Mutual Aid - Get Involved!
Following catastrophic fires in East Gippsland, an incredible network of mutual aid and support is developing to provide relief to impacted communities. A network of local landholders is also emerging to provide food, water and shelter to hungry and homeless wildlife.
Due to the overwhelming support flowing into this network from people who want to feed and help wildlife, Friends of the Earth is teaming up with local networks to strengthen the Food for Wildlife network.
Help our Communities to Breathe Easy
In the first weeks of 2020, Friends of the Earth's networks have distributed well over 150 'P2' masks to vulnerable people in our community—ensuring people have some protection.
Now we're teaming up with community members across Melbourne to ensure everyone is able to breathe a bit easier next time the smoke haze hits.
Will you contribute to our crowdfunder so we can purchase 500 masks?
Protect Victoria’s Koalas
The recent discovery of hundreds of dead and starving koalas near Portland is likely to be repeated across the region. Tens of thousands of hectares of retired bluegum plantations are currently being converted back to farmland across the region. The culprits of last week's "Koala Massacre" may not be the only landholders in the region responsible for koala deaths. Bluegum plantation companies generally leave a very small proportion of their plantation as habitat trees. This isn't always the case with private landholders, who have also been observed poisoning thousands of coppicing bluegum trees.
In response to community concerns, we have issued this petition calling on Daniel Andrews to champion important protections for koalas.
No salvage logging in Victoria’s forests
Heavy rain and months of hard work by fire crews has seen an end to the worst of this summer’s fires. But already a new threat to natural ecosystems is emerging. The timber/ pulp industry is calling for ‘salvage’ logging to be allowed, possibly including within national parks.
The ecological devastation of the Victorian bushfires has been clearly laid out in a leaked report which warns that some species are likely to already be extinct as a result of the fires.
Forest ecologists have warned that it could take up to a century for some wetter forests to recover. Clearly we must move rapidly to transition the native forest industry. 'Business as usual' logging is no longer an option.
Reportback on the #ExtendTheMoratorium actions
Many thanks to everyone who contacted the state government over the weekend to demand that they extend the moratorium on gas drilling. There are some photos from the action here.
You probably remember that we 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 in June this year.
In the next few months, the state government will decide whether to extend the moratorium or let it lapse. The weekend of action was an attempt to get the government paying attention to the fact that the moratorium is good policy that is well supported in the community.
The next big moment in the campaign will happen soon, when the government releases the final report from the Victorian Gas Program. If they identify commercially viable onshore gas reserves, they will want to develop them. This will require a strong and determined pushback from the community.
We will let you know as soon as we hear.
There is background information available here.
You can sign a petition supporting the moratorium here.
Kimba site selected for National Radioactive Waste Dump
(Former) Federal resources minister Matt Canavan has announced the government's intention to move ahead with plans for a national nuclear waste dump near Kimba on SA's Eyre Peninsula. This, despite the unanimous opposition of Barngarla Traditional Owners, and strong opposition from South Australians.
Shamefully, the federal government refused a request from Barngarla Traditional Owners, native title holders of the area, to be included in the community ballot held last year.
Read Friends of the Earth's response to the announcement here.
The Kimba community have a big fight ahead of them but this is not just an issue for this community or even just for South Australians. This is Australia's waste and a national issue. The burden of responsibility shouldn't fall on small, regional and remote communities.
Please sign and share this petition.
Radioactive Exposure Tour 2020
For over 30 years Friends of the Earth has been running Rad Tours to South Australia so people can experience first-hand the social and environmental impacts of the nuclear industry.
South Australia has experienced British nuclear bomb tests, extensive uranium exploration and mining, and is currently being targeted by the federal government for a national nuclear waste dump in Kimba. And some are still lobbying to turn SA into the world's dump for high-level nuclear waste.
We will visit uranium mining and waste dump sites and speak to communities affected by the industry. We will also visit some of the beautiful places in SA including the Flinders Ranges and Lake Eyre.
COSTS: $650 regular, $900 solidarity, $450 concession.
WHEN: April 10‒19, 2020 (from Melbourne) or April 11‒18 (from Adelaide)
CONTACT: Lavanya - [email protected], 0468 490 768
If you're interested in coming please fill out this online form and we'll get in contact with you.
Online Art Auction Fundraiser for a Nuclear-Free Future!
The Friends of the Earth Melbourne Nuclear-Free Collective is running an online art auction to raise vital funds for nuclear-free work.
The online auction features generously donated works by artists including Celia Perceval, Cherie Leadon, Eric Mack, Alex Moulis, Imants Niedra, Hilary Archer, Robbie Douglas Turner, Linda Childs-Van Wijk, and more!
www.32auctions.com/nuclearfreeart
The auction is now live, with the option to Buy Now!
If you have any questions, feel free to email [email protected] or call Jessica on 0400 588 979.
Make a submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into nuclear prohibition
The Victorian Legislative Council’s Planning and Environment Committee is currently inquiring into Victoria’s prohibitions on participation in the nuclear fuel cycle.
Nuclear power is a dangerous distraction from real movement on the pressing energy decisions and climate actions we need. Rather than fuel carbon emissions and radioactive risk through domestic coal power plants and the export of coal and uranium, Australia should embrace the fastest-growing global energy sector ‒ renewables ‒ and become a driver of clean energy thinking and technology. Renewable energy is affordable, low risk, clean, and popular. Nuclear is not. Our shared energy future is renewable, not radioactive.
Please make a submission to the inquiry before 28 February 2020.
For more information, see our report: Nuclear Power - No Solution to Climate Change.
The easiest (and quickest) way to make a submission is to use our proforma here.
Or email to [email protected]
You can read the terms of reference on the Parliamentary Inquiry website here.
When the River Runs Dry...
Last year we saw millions of fish die, communities suffer with no fresh water and a river bed dry for longer than ever before. It was no accident, the destruction of the Barka (Darling River) has been a complete and utter failure of Government.
When the River Runs Dry is an Australian-made documentary exposing the rules governing the Murray Darling Basin and how they are destroying the environment, causing extinction-level events, and displacing communities.
CHECK THIS OUT...
Over 250 people from the south-eastern suburbs and metro area gathered at Monash University at the weekend to send Premier Dan Andrews a message that can't be ignored: When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, the global goal is to keep heating below 1.5°C. We need this to be Victoria's goal too so we put a human sign saying "<1.5°C" right in the goal square.
CLICK HERE to watch and share the 7news video on Facebook.
Rocking the Foundations Screening: Sustainable Cities
Join us to celebrate the end of our fundraiser on Thursday 27 Feb with another film screening and get-together at our Friends of the Earth base in Collingwood.
We'll be screening Rocking the Foundations, the legendary tale of the Green Bans movement of the 1970s. The Green Bans saw the NSW Builders Labourers Federation (BLF) Union go beyond securing fair wages and conditions for workers to fight for social, political and environmental issues.
This will be a night for us to draw from historical lessons of the past as well as see that community struggles can and have been won before. We'll learn about the power of community and unions working together!
Are you signed up as a member of Friends of the Earth Melbourne?
We are a group of activists and supporters who are working to mobilise communities, resist oppressive forces, and transform our social and economic systems.
Grassroots: Membership is open to anyone who cares about social and environmental justice.
People-powered: Funds raised from our members means we are self sustaining, independent, and never accept money from political parties.
Autonomous: We are a an anti-hierarchical organisation which uses consensus decision making processes. Everyone gets a say in how the organisation is run and the strategic direction of our campaigns.
Accessible: Membership costs are flexible, and keep the doors open to a vibrant community organising space.
All members receive:
A discount at the Friends of the Earth Food Co-op and Cafe.
Access to the Cooperative Power energy network.
A subscription to our national Chain Reaction magazine.
A Subscription to our printed newsletter, with artworks and articles from the Melbourne activist community.
Special prices to FoE ticketed events, and special offers from our sponsors.
Transitions Film Festival - Visions for a Better World
The Transitions Film Festival has returned to Cinema Nova with another line up of inspirational films aimed at making the world a better place.
This year's festival features some powerful films about climate change including The Great Green Wall, Anote’s Ark, Global Thermostat, 8 Billion Angels, Cooked: Survival by Zip Code, After Tomorrow, and Once You Know.
The Transitions Film Festival runs from the 20th of Feb until the 6th of March.
Join the event and invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TransitionsFF/events/
Full program out now: https://www.transitionsfilmfestival.com/melbourne-program-2020/