In April news recycle oil rigs, NO to brown coal to hydrogen, Gippsland NO to nuclear snap action, Central Highlands state forests consultation, Climate Resilience Inquiry submission party and mapping, Backcountry film festival, Koala run, Better buses radio, nuke-free events & news plus more!
Gippsland says NO to nuclear snap action 12.30pm, 11 April
Join Voices of the Valley, Friends of the Earth, and local community members for a snap community photo outside the office of Nationals MP Darren Chester to say no to nuclear in Gippsland. It's crucial to understand our actions today will have a lasting impact on future generations. As we transition our energy system, we must work towards creating sustainable communities, looking after landscapes, and ensuring a better quality of life for those who will inherit this planet for centuries to come. Read more & RSVP.
Brown coal to hydrogen? Say NO petition
The Japanese Government is supporting an international consortium to use Victoria's dirty brown coal to produce hydrogen for export. The Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain (HESC) project is a climate disaster without a business case or social licence. The HESC project is a brown coal to hydrogen project that will release 3.8 megatonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The international Japanese consortium behind this project claim that carbon capture and storage (CCS) will address these emissions but to date this technology has not been proven at this scale anywhere in the world. The plan is to produce hydrogen from brown coal at Loy Yang, pipe it across some of Victoria's best farmland in over a hundred kms of newly built pipeline to deliver it at the Port of Hastings for liquification before shipping it to Japan. Hydrogen is the finest gas and notoriously hard to contain - as was demonstrated when the trial shipment resulted in a hydrogen leak which caused a deck fire at Hastings in January 2022. Read more & sign petition.
PLEASE HELP US STOP ESSO DUMPING OLD OIL RIGS IN BASS STRAIT!
Our No More Gas Collective recently exposed Esso for an application to dump hundreds of thousands of tonnes of steel riddled with radioactive and toxic waste in Bass Strait. Studies have shown huge amounts of hazardous radioactive waste, oil and other hydrocarbons, mercury, lead and other heavy metals are associated with the waste and the surrounding areas. Also, nobody has calculated the value of the thousands of tonnes of perfectly good steel or the carbon footprint of not recycling it! Victoria needs steel for its planned wind farms, and this steel can be used for towers and bases. We've launched a petition to the Federal Government which hundreds of people have already signed. Read more here, tell your friends, and please sign the FoE Aust Recycle the Rigs petition here.
Central Highlands state forests submission by 29 April
For years, Friends of the Earth Melbourne supporters have fought for the end of native forest logging in the Central Highlands and across so-called Victoria. Now that native forest logging has finally ended, the government is facilitating a consultation about the future uses and management of state forests. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure good outcomes for forests, after decades of over-logging and hundreds of years of colonial exploitation and inappropriate management. Engage Victoria is the Victorian Government’s online community consultation platform. It provides one way for the public to share their views on ‘what’s next’ for Victoria’s state forests, beyond logging. Read our guide & make a submission by 29 April.
Join our Climate Resilience Inquiry submission making party 10 April
The Inquiry into Climate Resilience is an opportunity for the community to share experiences, stories, concerns, and ideas for climate adaptation. Do you think Victoria is prepared for incoming climate impacts? What do you think the state needs to do to prepare? Have your say to ensure VIC's climate adaptation is community led. Read more & join the party.
You can make your Climate Resilience Inquiry submission here.
Community Resilience mapping how to guide
Community Resilience Mapping is an activity used to ensure good climate resilience strategies that keep community members safe. It captures how climate risk and vulnerability interact in a specific community. Resilience maps that effectively aggregate environmental, physiological, socioeconomic, and experiential data de-silo adaptation efforts and help mitigate compounding risk factors, particularly for those who are most impacted. They also highlight the sources of strength and adaptive capacity that communities have to draw upon. Knowing these assets helps to inform practical, community-led solutions and identifies resilience initiatives of which locals can feel proud. Read more & start mapping.
Frontline Climate Alliance meeting online 22 April
The alliance will build grassroots power for community led adaptation solutions, and build pressure on the Victorian government to act on climate adaptation. The next meeting is online join here.
Backcountry film festival April 2024 screening in Melbourne tix online
The annual Backcountry Film Festival is put together by the Winter Wildlands Alliance (WWA), screens around the world, and is hosted locally by Friends of the Earth and RMIT Outdoors Club. It will feature a collection of short documentaries and ski movies about the pursuit of adventure in the mountains, artistic vision, friendship, and how the snowsports community is adapting to a changing environment. It will also feature two locally produced films and the WWA program of 10 films, with a total run time of about 140 minutes. There will be speakers and stalls and give aways. Get more info & book tix.
Aaron runs for Strzelecki koalas & SKAT update
Aaron Abbott, brother of the late Lachlan Abbott runs 27km on March 27 to raise much needed funds for the Strzelecki Koala and as a tribute to his late brother who was tragically killed in a vehicle accident in late 2023. The run started at Basil Oval Malvern East at 9am and took Aaron about 3 1/2 hours to complete. The first $1000 donated will go to Friends of Gippsland Bush for rescue and rehab of Strzelecki Koalas. Anything over $1000 will go to the Strzelecki Koala Action Team (FOE) and Lachlan's Mullungdung Foundation fund. Read more & please donate.
Nuke-free news & events
2024 is the year to get out on Country and support First Nations crew who are fighting nuclear and military colonialism on their lands. Read more & get into nuke-free action.
Listen to 3CR Dirt Radio episodes including Why the west is still waiting for better buses forum with youtube and campaign info.
Volunteer with Friends of the Earth Melb
Join the Food Coop