Solidarity with those affected by the devastating Grampians fire.

Victoria has faced one of its most dangerous fire days in years, with authorities evacuating people from areas in central and western regions. For more than a week, a fire has been burning in the Grampians National Park, with more than 74,000 hectares of bushland, roughly the size of Singapore, being scorched. “Considerable environmental damage” has been done and while thankfully no deaths have been reported and no houses had been lost yet, as of last night, the fires are still burning and this emergency is not yet over, with emergency management stating, they “wouldn’t be surprised” if houses were lost through this fire.

In February 2024, we wrote about Grampians communities experiencing out-of-control fires after what was the worst day for fire conditions since the Black Summer. Only nine months later, the Grampians has again faced "the worst bushfire conditions since 2019’s Black Summer".

In addition to wide environmental damage and large number of wildlife affected, the fire has damaged crops and beehives, reports from farmers indicate 100s of kms of fencing burnt and stock losses, and downed powerlines and towers providing mobile networks for emergency services, as well as Optus and NBN services.

The impact of bushfire smoke should not be underestimated. Smoke from the Black Summer bushfires killed nearly 450 people and affected 80 per cent of the population. It harms human health even when the fire is burning hundreds of miles away. It can exacerbate health conditions like asthma and reduce lung function in ways that can worsen existing respiratory problems and even heart disease. If you’re in a susceptible group, decrease your exposure to smoke in the air.

And the mental health impacts should also not be underestimated. This includes that of those directly impacted by the bushfires through having to evacuate, loss of property, or their travel being impacted, as well as people not directly impacted by a bushfire event. People living thousands of kilometres away also experience solastalgia and poor mental health following bushfires.

Solidarity through mutual aid ensures that we support communities directly during climate disasters. Here is a collection of resources and some grassroots initiatives you can support, as well as support available for those affected.

Friends of the Earth Bangaldesh AKA Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association or BELA, have made calls for an independent investigation into the shooting of coal plant workers by police back in April that left 7 people dead.

A person's gender and sexuality should not affect their access to marriage in Australia, nor should it impact their human rights in any other way.

Friends of the Earth stands in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community in the face of this attack on your rights. We also recognise that there are many other significant struggles that LGBTQI+ identifying people face daily because of your gender or sexual identity.

The election of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote in the UK, and the continued rise of Right wing populist parties across western Europe is a huge concern for anyone who wants to see action on climate change and protection of the environment. Closer to home, the election of similar parties – notably Pauline Hanson’s One Nation – underscores how this worldview is gaining acceptance in the mainstream.

This requires progressive organisations to think about how they campaign.

Friends of the Earth Melbourne kicked off the first of our Summer Stalls at Stacks On Festival at CERES on Saturday 14 January. Over the summer, we’ll be visiting a number of festivals across Melbourne and surrounds to connect with new members and let people know about our new Act on Climate Campaign.

It is expected that the majority owners of the Hazelwood power station will make an announcement about the future of the plant later this week. Reports in the media have suggested it could be closed as soon as April next year.

Friends of the Earth has partnered with Ethical Switch for an 8 week fundraising campaign to focus on the impact that a household’s energy choices can make on the environment. The more we make the move to renewable energy, the more pressure is placed on the unconventional gas industry and the cleaner our country becomes.

Ethical Switch presents a comparison of all electricity providers within an area in terms of carbon emissions, renewable energy investment and customer satisfaction. By choosing one of their high rated providers, customers are directly supporting investment in renewable energy in Australia.

The Andrews government opened the first tranch of its New Energy Jobs Fund in Blackburn today. 

The launch comes in the lead up to the release of its Renewable Energy Action Plan that will set Victorian Renewable Energy Targets for 2020 and 2025.

Friends of the Earth was proud to help organise yesterday's Unions and Communities TPP Roundtable, hosted by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) at the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) National Congress 2015.

The Roundtable included doctors, nurses, farmers, unionists, academics, lawyers, environmental groups, community groups and faith groups who have been campaigning around the TPP since 2010.

Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are lands owned by Indigenous people and voluntarily managed for conservation. There are currently 60 declared IPAs, covering land three times the size of Victoria! IPAs are recognised as providing real social, cultural and environmental benefits through providing employment, protection of country and cultural connection to land. But IPA's are under threat.