EcoRadio

Category: General news

Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on

  • Can you help? Michael O’Connor CFMEU National Secretary
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    Can you help?

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    Michael O’Connor
    9:55 AM (1 hour ago)
    to me

    Dear Inga,
    We’ve already had over 1000 people sign our petition asking Malcolm Turnbull to ensure the Australian Government departments and agencies use 100% recycled paper.

    Environment Minister Greg Hunt has written to the departments requesting that they use recycled paper, but this doesn’t go nearly far enough.  But Greg Hunt’s letter is not enough, we need to get the big guns out.

    That’s why it’s extremely important for Prime Minister Turnbull to show some leadership and reverse the decision to stop mandating recycled paper in Government departments.

    Can you sign our petition and send Malcolm Turnbull a strong message?

    Let’s stand up for jobs, for local communities, and for the environment together.

    In unity

    Michael O’Connor
    CFMEU National Secretary

    P.S. This week is Gonski week. Join us in supporting free and fair education for every Australian child.

  • Indonesian haze: Friends of the Earth Indonesia needs your support!

    Indonesian haze: Friends of the Earth Indonesia needs your support!

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    Friends of the Earth International <web@foei.org>
    2:24 AM (6 hours ago)
    to me
    Dear Friend,

    In the past 3 months, haze from fires raging over forest and peat lands in Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia has harmed 25 million and killed 15 people, including children.

    Friends of the Earth Indonesia/WALHI is helping to evacuate vulnerable groups, such as babies and infants, breast-feeding mothers, pregnant women and the elderly, to safety.

    Please support Friends of the Earth Indonesia/WALHI’s relief efforts

    Friends of the Earth Indonesia/WALHI needs financial support to help evacuate vulnerable groups and to fund and equip safe houses. WALHI has already prepared safe houses in several places in Banjarbaru and Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) and is distributing masks, raising public awareness that these fires are man-made and not natural disasters, lobbying the government, and organizing law suits against the large, multinational companies most responsible for the fires, as well as against local and regional governments for neglecting to sufficiently tackle the issue. In other provinces such as Riau, Jambi, South Sumatera, West Kalimantan, WALHI is also providing posts and centers for distributing masks, oxygen, and free medical check ups for the public.

    You can support Friends of the Earth Indonesia/WALHI’s relief efforts here

    Read more about the situation in Indonesia and Friends of the Earth Indonesia’s work here

    In solidarity,

    Friends of the Earth International

  • 5 things Labor has done Labor herald

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    5 things Labor has done

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    Labor Herald updates@laborherald.com.au via sendgrid.info 
    4:13 PM (58 minutes ago)
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    .Hi Neville, here is your weekly round-up of the latest news in Australian politics:
    Neville

    The Labor Herald continues to work hard to capture Labor’s efforts creating policy ideas to make sure Australia remains strong, including:

    1. Why we need more women coding in Australia

    2. Holding child sex abusers to account

    3. Digital Darwinism: why Australia must adapt

    4. Making sure mental health improves

    5. Creating a strong economic framework

    TOP 5 STORIES OF THE WEEK

    1. It’s a yay to the China-Australia FTA

    2. Turnbull’s cuts to families

    3. Here’s what Bill just said about marriage equality

    4. 5 reasons rich old guys are pillaging your superannuation

    5. My Labor story: from firefighter to politician

    VIDEO OF THE WEEK

    South Australian has given Australia plenty of luminaries – from prizewinning penicillin researcher Howard Florey through to trailblazing Premier Don Dunstan … but Bill Shorten couldn’t resist this crack at the not-so-luminary leaders from SA.

    billshorten.jpg

    Read the story here

    Until next week,

    Alex Brooks

    Labor Herald Editor

    Ross Caldwell

    Labor Herald Assistant Editor

    (PS: This is my last week as editor of Labor Herald and I want to thank everyone for their support. Labor’s digital team is taking full control of the publication to build the Labor Herald into something even bigger as I move into a new role in the corporate world – Alex)

  • Imogen Zethoven — Fight for the Reef
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    NEVILLE, I’m Imogen

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    Imogen Zethoven — Fight for the Reef info@fightforthereef.org.au via cmail2.com 
    11:28 AM (1 hour ago)
    to me

    For the last 20 years I’ve been working to protect our beautiful oceans.
    No Images? Click here
    Fight for the Reef
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    ​
    Dear NEVILLE,

    My name is Imogen Zethoven and for the last 20 years I’ve been working to protect our beautiful oceans and the Great Barrier Reef.

    I’m delighted to let you know I’m joining the Fight for the Reef team in the role of Campaign Director for the Australian Marine Conservation Society after the sad loss of my close friend Felicity Wishart.

    Felicity worked with all of our incredible supporters, like you, every day to make this campaign what it is today and we will honour her by finishing what she started.

    I’ll be working alongside our campaign partners WWF Australia, to stop industrialisation ruining the Reef.

    To hear more about my story watch my welcome video:
    Click to watch the video
    The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s truly iconic natural places.

    It’s beautiful, valuable and right now, it’s under threat.

    Over the next few months there are some really important decisions that will be made: the environmental approval for the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal, the potential use of taxpayer money to prop up the project and the proposed mega port in Cairns.

    If these projects go ahead it will mean increased dredging and shipping on our Reef.

    Together we must work with local communities, Australians, and millions of people from around the world to protect the Reef’s future.

    As Flic would say, it’s your Reef, but you’re going to have to fight for it. And we will.

    I can’t wait to work with you all,

    Imogen Zethoven

    P.S. You can share my story on Facebook with all of your friends and let them know you’re fighting for the Reef

  • 3 huge divestments! Charlie Wood – 350.org Australia
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    3 huge divestments!

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    Charlie Wood – 350.org Australia <350@350.org> Unsubscribe
    10:06 AM (29 minutes ago)
    to me

    Dear Neville,

    Did you hear? In the past 24 hours, three major Australian institutions have committed to divest from fossil fuels, joining over 450 institutions worldwide:

    • First it was our leading science institution – the Australian Academy of Science – representing 500 of Australia’s foremost scientific minds. [1]
    • Then, the 25,000-member-strong National Tertiary Education Union announced that they’ve said goodbye to fossil fuels and are now calling upon other unions, super funds, and universities to join them. [2]
    • And to top it off – last night City of Melbourne Councillors vowed to make the City’s investments fossil fuel free, and called on their super fund to follow suit. [3]

    Can you help to keep building this inspiring momentum by calling upon your local government to break their ties with the industry driving the climate crisis?

    With the Paris climate talks barely a month away, global momentum to divest from coal, oil, and gas has gained incredible speed.

    It’s clear that the agreement secured in Paris won’t go far enough to ensure climate justice for all. Until we break the toxic relationship between our politicians and the big polluters, we can expect more failed talks and more broken promises.

    And that’s why divestment is so important. The more institutions and individuals move their money out of coal, oil, and gas, the more we take away the fossil fuel industry’s power to control our politicians and pollute our planet.

    And we know this strategy is working. The City of Melbourne is the tenth local government in Australia to say no to the fossil fuel industry. They join over fifty governments and 450 institutions worldwide who are putting people and a safe climate ahead of the big polluters and their dirty profits.

    Tell your local Government to join the global push to turn fossil fuels off and a safe climate future on!

    As more local Governments divest, it sends a powerful message to our Federal Government that it’s time for them to follow. Our movement is building from the bottom up and it’s unstoppable. With a Federal Election around the corner, the powers-that-be in Canberra ignore this movement at their peril.

    Let’s do this,

    Charlie and Isaac for the 350.org Australia team

    —-

    References:

    [1] Australian Academy of Science Divests from Fossil Fuels, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 27.

    [2],[3] City of Melbourne steps up anti-coal push and education union divests, The Australian Financial Review, October 27.

    350.org is building a global climate movement.You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a Climate Defender and donate monthly to help 350.org keep Australia’s fossil fuels in the ground.

  • BP vs baby whales Emily Mulligan – Avaaz

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    BP vs baby whales

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    Emily Mulligan – Avaaz Unsubscribe
    9:53 AM (1 minute ago)
    to me

    BP wants to drill for oil in the middle of a whale breeding sanctuary! In order to start drilling in the Great Australian Bight, BP needs approval from an obscure Australian regulator NOPSEMA in 72 hours. Let’s overwhelm their Perth office with our call. Sign now:

    Sign the petition
    Dear friends across Australia,

    In 72 hours, the company responsible for the largest marine oil spill in history could receive the green light to drill in one our largest whale breeding sanctuaries — but we can stop it.

    Almost hunted to extinction, southern right whales are now making a comeback, raising their young in the Great Australian Bight. But now, obscure regulator NOPSEMA is considering granting a drilling permit to oil giant BP in those protected waters!

    Experts say that any spill in the region could spread oil for thousands of kilometres across the southern coast, and endanger hundreds of whales.

    But if enough of us act now, we can make this project as toxic for our government as it is for our oceans, and ensure this crucial decision for the future of our seas and marine life is not taken by an undemocratic and unaccountable body. Sign now to save the whales, and tell everyone:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/bigger_badder_deepwater_horizon_aus_loc_1/?bhPqncb&v=66661

    Deepwater Horizon was an environmental calamity, but it was relatively close to the oil industry HQ in Houston. Incredibly, if there was a spill in the Great Australian Bight, the clean up equipment would still have to be transported from there or Singapore. Either way, this would be time that the marine wildlife and fishing industry simply couldn’t afford.

    This mega oil field is touted as one of the largest untapped oil fields remaining on earth, if it is drilled according to plan it will accelerate the world’s course to run away climate change.

    Independent oil spill modeling commissioned by The Wilderness Society shows the possible decimation of tourist hotspots like Kangaroo Island and Tasmania — there are even scenarios where Melbourne is affected! The Great Australian Bight is a critical blue and southern right whale migration zone and much of the area is a whale sanctuary, protecting the whale’s breeding grounds.

    BP didn’t release the oil spill modeling required to assess the true risks of this process. So at even the first stages of this project, it’s obvious environmental concerns and community consultations are not their priority. Act now to ensure NOPSEMA send BP back to the drawing board.  

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/bigger_badder_deepwater_horizon_aus_loc_1/?bhPqncb&v=66661

    Avaaz members have played a pivotal role in stopping climate ticking time bombs like Keystone XL and mega coal mines risking the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Each is critical to give us a chance of stopping catastrophic climate change — now is the time to unleash the power of Avaaz in Australia to stop this mega oil drilling project from going ahead. Let’s be fearless.

    With hope and determination,

    Emily, David, Alex, Dalia, Mais and the whole Avaaz team

    MORE INFORMATION

    BP would need to bring equipment from Texas to contain South Australia oil spill (The Guardian)
    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/25/bp-would-need-to-bring-equipment-from-texas-to-contain-south-australia-oil-spill

    BP to explore drilling options off South Australian coast five years after Deepwater Horizon disaster (News.com.au)
    http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/bp-to-explore-drilling-options-off-south-australian-coast-five-years-after-deepwater-horizon-disaster/story-e6frflp0-1227508454786

    Oil spill risks for Great Australian Bight outlined in Wilderness Society modelling (ABC)
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-09/bp-oil-spill-great-australian-bight-wilderness-society-modelling/6839862

    The Federal Government Says Billions of Animals Died From the BP Disaster (Vice)
    https://news.vice.com/article/the-federal-government-says-billions-of-animals-died-from-the-bp-disas…