Climate stories

In my younger days, I never dreamt that the later years of my life would be spent worrying about climate change and what I could do to help in the battle to stop fossil fuel mining and global warming, which is happening at an alarming rate. I have reached 92 and had hoped that my final years would be spent doing the things I enjoy, but find that much of my spare time is spent on making submissions, signing petitions, researching the science on the Internet and writing to both Federal and State MPs and ministers. I also belong to many of the established charities, such as Lock the Gate, ACF, 350, and others such as Market Forces, all of whom are concerned wih the effects of emissions and global warming on our way of life and on our wildlife, with so many species already having become extinct. So many conversations I have with my son, who is equally involved, inevitably turn to this subject and what we can do.

We are told that Australia’s emissions are low compared to many countries, but no account is taken of the enormous amount of emissions we export with our coal and gas. We are not even on track to meet our own emissions target.

I am also disturbed by the way in which more and more laws are being passed which limit any activities involving protest, because it is disruptive to other people’s activities. Surely the whole point of a protest is to have an impact which will make others think? Standing holding a placard has little effect. Some years ago, when my son and I lived in Portland, there was a huge threat to the lovely countryside around us when the mining companies decided that they would like to frack the area. We were both members of Lock the Gate and joined a group of other members which also involved some of the local farmers, all fighting to stop the fracking going ahead. Many of the local towns surveyed the opinions of their residents and many of them had notice boards up with the results, none in favour and all of them over 90% against. It was a hard battle but there was a State election looming and during a visit to Portland, Dan Andrews promised that if Labour were elected, then they would put a 10 year moratorium on fracking. In fact, after their election, they not only kept their promise but went further and passed a Bill banning fracking altogether. I remember some of the group members being in tears at the celebratory party held after the decision.

However, in spite of continual global warming, so many warnings from scientists that we must abandon fossil fuels, the Arctic and Antarctic ice melting, glaciers melting, the tundra releasing carbon it has held for centuries, the loss of wildlife habitat, the huge disasters happening here and worldwide, licences for more coal and gas mining are still being issued. Native forests, which are a natural sink hole for carbon, are still being logged in most of the states. The carbon credits do nothing and many of them have been proved useless, such as planting trees where they cannot possibly grow and in some cases claiming credits for trees already planted. The plan to capture and store carbon, which has been touted as the answer for a long time now, is also useless, as it has not as yet worked anywhere in the world , including our own massive and very expensive Gorgon plant.

Our neighbouring islands are gradually sinking to rising sea levels, causing fear to the islanders as they foresee their homes and land, their traditions and their history in danger. This does not affect me personally, but it is imossible not to feel for their distress and if sea levels continue to rise, it will certainly affect coastlines and those living there in Australia.

Gas is also pushed as the answer to the emissions problem, whereas in fact it is hardly cleaner than coal. We are one of the biggest exporters in the world and we are told it is necessary for other countries during their transition to renewable energy, but if this is a short term policy, why do we need more gas mines? We are in the ludicrous position of exporting huge amounts of gas while at the same time, we have a domestic shortage and have to import gas back into the country.

If the billions of dollars we, the taxpayers, donate to the rich mining companies were invested instead in our own renewable energy plans and investors given confidence that renewable energy is to be Australia’s future policy, then we would really make some progress. It sometimes seems as though the mining companies and not the government are deciding the future of our country.