In August news, a Timeline of ExxonMobil in Southern Australia and petition, open letter calling for Net Zero by 2035, Climate Adaptation Map storytelling launch wrap, Act on Climate update, Forests meeting, rapid response group, switch to CoPower, UK nuclear subs lessons, plus more!
Gather for the next Forests collective meeting online from 6pm Fri 15 August RSVP.
Sign FoE’s open letter calling for Net Zero by 2035!
Soon the Labor government will make a decision on Australia’s 2035 climate target (emissions reduction target). This will directly impact the lives of the Australian people, the economy and the environment, as it will set the pace for the energy transition from our current reliance largely on fossil fuels. FoE’s open letter to the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen, urges them to set visionary targets for 2035 based on the best science. Please sign our open letter here before midnight 18 August.
Climate Adaptation Map storytelling launch wrap
On Thursday, 31st July, the Act on Climate collective launched the Australia Climate Adaptation Map website! We gathered on Wurundjeri country to celebrate the site launch and showcase climate adaptation initiatives underway in communities across Australia. The evening, hosted at the Friends of the Earth Co-op Cafe, was a beautiful reflection on the hard work of the collective members in the last few months and the adaptation community in Victoria and beyond. Read more & see photos.
Act on Climate August update: shining a light on Adaptation funding & examples
The momentum around getting adequate and ongoing funding for climate adaptation continues! This month, we've had our first round of community members meeting their MPs to pass on our Climate Resilience Inquiry report and talk about local adaptation needs. Read more & get into adaptation action.
Join the FoE rapid response group
We know that angry voices (anti national park, anti renewables, anti transition, anti climate action) are often the most vocal in the community, especially on social media platforms. FoE is planning to re-start its rapid response network. The aim is to increase pro environment, pro renewables/energy transition messaging in local and regional media and on social media platforms. Increasing the presence of pro environment voices can change the dynamic of regional conversations and create space for others to speak up and share their views. It would involve being added to a WhatsApp group. You can respond to requests as often or infrequently as you like. If you’re keen, please contact Cam: [email protected] with your name, phone number and postcode.
CoPower update
CoPower* have launched their 2025 Democratic Gas budget. This means that CoPower customer members with gas accounts can vote on which initiatives their surplus revenue will fund. As gas is a dangerous fossil fuel, all initiatives either help their customer members reduce energy use or where possible get off gas. Some examples include grants for ultra efficient Earthworker hot water systems and a CoPower Getting off Gas action group to facilitate electrification journeys and advocacy to get off gas. This is energy democracy in action! If you haven’t switched your energy over to CoPower, you can today and both you and FoE will get a $50 solidarity credit each – via this link. All new households that switch their energy and gas to CoPower before 12:00pm August 15th will have the opportunity to vote in this democratic budget. Switch today and help take the power back for good.
*CoPower is a member owned non-profit cooperative that sells energy to households. FoE is one of the member owners.
Learn about UK Nuclear-Powered Submarines: Lessons for Australia pdf doc here.
55 Years of Failure: a Timeline of ExxonMobil in Southern Australia
ExxonMobil has been pulling fossil fuels out of the Bass Strait for more than half a century. In that time there have been fires, explosions, leaks, spills, workplace safety violations and industrial disputes; much of it in the last decade. This interactive timeline is a live document, outlining the company's various environmental and workplace violations since 1970. If you or someone you know has heard of a violation that hasn't been captured, please get in touch. A hyperlinked bibliography for the timeline can be found here.
Recently the offshore oil and gas regulator NOPSEMA has directed ExxonMobil Australia to clean up their oil and gas fields in the Gippsland Basin. Decommissioning an offshore field properly is expensive and offers no return on investment. Cutting corners saves money, and saving money is good business. As the timeline shows; ExxonMobil knows how to cut corners. Read more & sign the petition.