Friends of the Earth podcast history series made in collaboration with 3CR 855 AM community radio show Acting Up! This show looks at the history of climate action, and how it moved to a a climate justice frame.

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.

MEDIA RELEASE: 28 Nov 2019

Victoria's emissions on downward trajectory, but heavy lift needed to avoid dangerous climate impacts

Victoria's annual greenhouse emissions performance data has been released today, as the Andrews government enters a critical decision-making period on state Emissions Reduction Targets. 

The Victorian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report 2019 shows the state's emissions are on a downward trajectory, though Friends of the Earth says a heavier lift is needed to avoid dangerous climate impacts such as intensifying heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, and sea level rise:

"Community members are looking to the Andrews government to show greater leadership while the Morrison government refuses to tackle the climate crisis," said Leigh Ewbank, Friends of the Earth's climate spokesperson.

"Victoria's emissions are on a downward trajectory, but a heavier lift is needed to protect communities from dangerous climate impacts."

Waste to Energy looks like a green solution to our waste crisis, and a neat way to solve energy prices at the same time. But Friends of the Earth Melbourne is concerned that the strong interest both the ALP and the Coalition are showing in Waste to Energy fails to take into account serious problems, such as health issues and future impacts on our recycling.

Craig is highly dubious of Waste to Energy as a solution for Australia- he found that most “recycled” soft plastics in Sweden actually ended up incinerated!  See 26 minute doco here.

Victorians know that we are facing a time of climate and ecological crisis. 

Winter has only just finished and we are already getting warnings of a horror bushfire season, with farming communities in the grip of severe drought.

But whilst Premier Andrews has taken commendable action on climate in the past, there is a huge hole in his government’s climate action. 

Cindy, a school striker, and Lucinda from Friends of Earth's Act on Climate collective here. We officially invite you to the Global Climate Strike on September 20!

The Federal government is failing embarrassingly on climate. Australia's carbon emissions are at a seven-year high and our government wants to open to new coal, gas, and oil projects! Whaaat?

Friends of the Earth is excited to announce that we have joined together with unions, community groups to become part of the recently launched Cooperative Power energy cooperative. 

Cooperative Power is a newly formed cooperative for Australia's energy sector. This new model takes the power back from huge energy corporations, for the benefit of people and our planet. It's a new way for people to buy energy and have a say in how it's created and how much it costs.

The Cooperative Power vision is to have a socially and community-owned retailer that invests in and purchases community renewable energy, and subsidises the roll out of energy efficiency improvements as well as renewable energy infrastructure for working-class households. No one, and no community should be left behind by the transition.

A ‘green new deal’ proposal for a Fair and Just Transition from Friends of the Earth

There is an urgent climate imperative to transform our economy. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (2018) argued that, by 2030, global emissions must drop by 45% from their 2010 levels if we are to avoid exposing hundreds of millions of people to serious climate-related hazards. A growing body of mainstream climate science says that we need to achieve deeper targets earlier if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.

We are facing a climate crisis... 

Australia's emissions are rising due to the Federal Coalition's failure to act on climate. And this failure leaves Victorian communities exposed to intensifying impacts such as heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, extreme weather, and rising sea levels.

Victoria has an opportunity to put the country back on track.

For the first time, the Andrews government is about to set an Emissions Reduction Target for 2025. 

The well-known and much-loved Quit Coal Victoria collective from Friends of the Earth Melbourne has decided to rename itself as the Energy Justice Victoria collective. We love our supporters and know many people are passionate about Quit Coal Victoria’s work, and so we wanted to explain to everyone why we are renaming ourselves and why we are so excited about it!