Welcome to Friends of the Earth Melbourne March news our state-wide monthly update. Celebrate Vic off-shore wind win & join an online briefing, build resilience with Good Grief sessions, get an IPCC update & fire news, join Act on Climate actions & info night, plus more!
VIC Offshore Wind online briefing 10 March
Join Friends of the Earth and Victorian Trades Hall Council Thursday 10 March for a special event in conversation with Victoria Climate and Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio. Details & RSVP here.
VIC Off-shore Wind win!
Friends of the Earth welcomes the Victorian government’s announcement of a target to build 9 Gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040. The announcement is a game changer for state-led efforts to create jobs while tackling climate change. Read more.
Climate action info night 15 March
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! Details & RSVP here.
Community solidarity after the floods
As the clean up gets underway, here are some local initiatives from Friends of the Earth Aust you may want to support. Read more.
Good grief online sessions
Be part of a space where people can lean into their painful feelings about the state of the world and reorient their lives toward meaningful efforts while building resilient communities. 10 weekly ONLINE step sessions beginning Tuesday 22 March 2022, 6:30-8:30pm. All proceeds from the tickets will support Friends of the Earth's No More Gas collective. If cost is a barrier for you, please feel free to get in touch to arrange a place. Read more & register.
Food Co-op cooking calendar available online
Race to Zero Emissions event 19 March
Will you join the community for an aerial photo to call for strengthening Australia’s 2030 climate target? Friends of the Earth and local environment groups are organising a creative action to send a strong signal to all political parties: When it comes to tackling the climate crisis, we’re in a race to zero emissions. At 1pm on Saturday 19 March, community members will gather at the Box Hill Athletics Club for a choreographed aerial photo. We will use the 100-metre-sprint track to mark where each political party stands in the race to zero emissions. Read more & RSVP.
Act on Climate update: March is a month of action!
Let's make March a pivotal month of action that will help the climate movement build momentum and have impact this year. Here’s an update on our efforts and upcoming actions. Read more.
Community ramps up climate campaign in Melbourne's east
Community members in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne are getting organised to fight for climate justice. Liz Reen of Mont Albert is one of the many community members who have stepped up to call on the Federal government to increase Australia’s 2030 climate targets. Act on Climate caught up with Liz Reen for a chat about the community’s campaign. Read more.
Otway Climate Emergency Action Network rally
Find out how seismic sucks and support OCEAN Apollo Bay 13 March rally. Read more.
Little Dargo catchment update & action
The state government logging agency, VicForests, intends to log a total of 11 “coupes”, or sections, of mature forest, much of it dominated by Alpine Ash, in the headwaters of the Little Dargo River. This area of state forest in north east Victoria lies right next to the Alpine National Park. This area is especially important because the upper catchment of the Little Dargo is in a pristine condition, without roads. It has not been burnt in recent decades, whereas much of the surrounding area has been devastated by repeat fires. Read more & email Ministers here.
Koala cruelty case starts
The Mention Hearing at the Portland Magistrates’ Court starts today for the infamous koala “massacre” which occurred near Portland in late January 2020. Read more & support our work.
Postcards from Friends of the Earth Melb campaigners road trip
The Friends of the Earth Melbourne campaign coordinating and organising team took a trip together to the country of the Brataualung clan of the Gunaikurnai people in South Gippsland, staying in cosy quarters thanks to a kind and generous volunteer FoE member. Read more.
IPCC climate report & fire threat
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) WGII Sixth Assessment Report has just been released and is available here. The take home message is: Further climate change is inevitable, with the rate and magnitude of impact largely dependent on the emission reduction pathways that we choose. Time is running out if we want to act. Read more.
FoE Melbourne weekly fire news
The newsletter is published each Monday morning. Please feel free to send content for future issues to [email protected] and let me know if you'd like to go on the distribution list for future newsletters. Read more.
PFAS waterways pollution updates
This is the third of a series of blogs based on Freedom of Information requests to 15 Victorian Water Authorities in 2020-21 regarding PFAS chemicals. The first blog concerned drinking water and the second concerned groundwater contamination of waste water treatment plants (WWTP’s). This blog pertains to treated effluent from WWTP’s around Victoria being released directly into the environment after the treatment process. Read more background information.
Listen 3CR Dirt Radio episode: 3 things every activist should do in 2022 to avoid burnout
Phil Evans and Sam Cossar playback and interview with Jess Trevena on how activists can avoid burnout and create resilient communities.