Welcome to Friends of the Earth Melbourne Jan-Feb news our monthly statewide update. In this bumper edition, unpack the nuclear power debate, get your 2022 Food Co-op cooking calendar online, activate for climate & environmental justice, greenwashing & more!
Friends of the Earth Melbourne Board (PAC) is seeking to recruit a new Treasurer
The Board (PAC) does not have a day-to-day role in managing the organization. The Board (PAC) is responsible for oversight of FoEM’s finances and governance structures.and also adheres to FoE’s philosophy of collective consensus decision making. The role is a voluntary one. For full details email Dave Robertson at [email protected]
National Sustainable Living Festival Event: Nuclear Power for Australia? Is nuclear power a viable climate solution?
Can nuclear power help with the climate change abatement in Australia?As part of the National Sustainable Living Festival, this forum organised by Friends of the Earth Australia will unpack the debates and provide factual information to help participants decide. The aim of this event is to raise awareness about global trends with nuclear power and renewable energy with an emphasis on climate impacts. The forum will also discuss the impacts of the uranium mining industry on Australia’s Traditional Owners.
Full details & register here
Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation stand against nuclear waste dump
Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation has filed judicial review in the Federal Court of Australia against the nuclear waste dump decision. Read and hear all about it here.
Read January 2022 Nuclear news
Info Night: Fighting for Climate & Environmental Justice in 2022
Want to get involved in the fight for climate justice and environmental protection? Join us for an info night to learn about what the different campaigns at Friends of the Earth have planned for a big year, and how you can get involved! Full details & register here
Climate workers survey
Do you work in the retail, fast food, or hospitality industry and know the feeling of working long hours through heatwaves, extreme weather, and bushfire smoke? Share your experiences in the Climate Impacts at Work survey. Take the survey here.
Read Act on Climate update fired up for 2022
Friends of the Earth 2022 cooking calendar available online
Recipes from our kitchen to yours, the 2022 Cooking Calendar has monthly gluten-free and vegan recipes, waste-wise tips plus a Food Co-op and Cafe style playlist to cook along to! Also available for purchase at the Friends of the Earth Food Co-op and Cafe. Friends of the Earth 2022 cooking calendar shop online here.
Friends of the Earth Melb Summer Poster Newsletter: Greenwashing, Green Capitalism & False Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Gas-Free Vic statement
Organisations and grassroots groups across Victoria are standing together for a Gas Free Vic, with a recently emerged network penning a Joint Statement for Getting Victoria Off Gas. Add your signature to the statement to say let's get Victoria off gas!
Gas-Free Vic crowdfunder
We're building a grassroots campaign for a Gas-Free Victoria—one that unites communities in the city, the suburbs, and rural and regional areas. But we need your help! All donations up to $15,000 will be matched, dollar for dollar, by a generous supporter until the 28 February. (All donations over $2 are tax deductible). In the fight against fossil gas, 2022 is a critical year to stop this polluting industry in its tracks! Support this important campaign by making a donation to our crowdfunder here.
Strzelecki rainforest and koala/glider habitat planned to be clearfelled
In late January, Friends of the Earth did another visit to an area which VicForests have decided to clearfell in the southern Strzelecki Ranges. The area known as the Jack River block, is about 9km west of the South Gippsland town of Yarram and contains 4 potential logging coupes. Read more. Support our citizen-science and advocacy by making a tax-deductible donation.
Dargo high plains citizen science report
Friends of the Earth recently held its first citizen science fieldtrip to map areas of Snow Gum forests in the Victorian mountains. These forests are largely protected in national parks but are threatened by climate driven fire regimes and dieback, which is caused by a native beetle. Read more. Please sign our petition to the VIC environment minister, asking her to respond to the recommendations in the ‘Icon at Risk’ report. You can find our priority ideas for fire policy here.
Fire news
Fires are part of life here in Australia. Many of our landscapes are fire adapted or fire reliant, and First Nations people have been using fire for millennia to manage and craft the landscapes we now live in. However, climate change is driving ever more intense fire seasons. These newsletters provide weekly news updates that will be posted through the 2021/22 fire season. Read more.
Alliance for responsible mining regulation update
With a strong gold price, applications for mining exploration continue to spread across regional Victoria. In Central Victoria, the North East and Gippsland, a growing number of local groups are forming to oppose this new wave of exploration. Common concerns include impacts on local agriculture, tourism and other economic activity, noise and industrialisation of landscapes, loss of amenity, forest and biodiversity, impacts on property values, and fears of water and air pollution. Groups are concerned about the impacts of mining on both public and private land. Read more & get involved.
Listen to 3CR DIRT RADIO: stories from the grassroots
Listen back to Dirt Radio episodes on how to get active, renewables revolution with Lock the Gate, and ending extractivism with Blockade IMARC.