Upcoming Events
Australia's Climate Action Summit (ANU, Canberra, March 13-15): The Climate Action Summit is coming up next weekend, and is open to all community-based climate action groups, as well as toher climate-friendly folks and groups. Participants will hear from Ian Fry, (Chief Climate Change Negotiator for Tuvalu), David Karoly (Lead author for Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change Reports), Bernard Keane (Canberra's Crikey Correspondent), Christine Milne (Deputy leader of the Parliamentary Greens), and Walden Bello (Executive Director of Focus on the Global South) and a whole heap of other experienced and committed climate activists. And the Summit will be structured around five campaign streams, which will allow the development of strategic, well integrated campaigns, and begin the relationships and networks that will continue throughout a year of climate activism. The campaign streams are: 100% renewables, coal campaigning, vote climate/election campaigning, climate emergency and green jobs. The climate summit website has been updated to include full descriptions of how these campaign streams will be structured and what decisions will be made there. For more information, including details of co-ordinators, check out www.climatesummit.org.au/campaign-streams. For more information on who is speaking check out www.climatesummit.org.au/program. See you there!
NASA's James Hansen comes to town (Sydney, Mar 8; Adelaide, Mar 11): Professor James Hansen, the renowned climate scientist from NASA, is speaking at the University of Sydney on 8 March (http://www.usyd.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2010/professor_james_hansen.shtml), and then in Adelaide on 11 March (details at: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/event/2010/jameshansen1.html).People's Blockade of the World's Biggest Coal Port Newcastle, March 28: The export coal industry is Australia's single biggest, and fastest growing contribution to the global climate crisis. Newcastle, already the world's biggest coal port, is set to open a massive new coal terminal this year, bringing the export capacity of the Hunter Valley coal chain to an incredible 178 million tonnes of coal per annum. That's the climate change equivalent of 30 Bayswater Power Stations. Within ten years, the coal corporations plan on exporting more than 300 million tonnes of coal per annum - a tripling of current export capacity.Join hundreds of other people in a fun, peaceful, and effective action against Australia's single biggest contribution to climate change. Hundreds of people will peacefully occupy Newcastle Harbour, and prevent the passage of coal ships on Sunday 28th March, from 10am onwards at Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle, Australia. This will be the fifth action of its kind in Newcastle. No one has ever been arrested. At the last, in March 2009, we successfully stopped all ship movements in the harbour for the day. There'll be plenty happening on the shore too, so come along and show your support even if you can't get out on the water. Good food will be available by donation. For more details, contact steve@risingtide.org.au or visit: www.risingtide.org.au.
Dick Smith speaks on population issues (Canberra, March 10): The Australia Institute and Sustainable Population Australia will host a speech by Dick Smith next Wednesday, 10 March. Dick will discuss ‘Population: the elephant in the room we have ignored for too long’. It will be held at 5.30 for 6pm start in the Molonglo Room of the Canberra Club, 45 West Row, Canberra City. To RSVP or for further details, contact Kerrie Tucker on 02 6162 4140 and kerriet@tai.org.au.
Should we fly? Air travel and climate change (Melbourne, March 25): Aircraft emissions are one of the fastest growing sources of carbon pollution, yet little is being done to curb their growth. At this 'talk climate' event, Activist Louise Matthiesson from the Moreland Energy Foundation examines the political economy of air travel and asks the question: can we still fly and stop climate change? The talk will be held at 6.30 pm, Thursday March 25, at the Climate Action CentreLvl 5, New Building, Victorian Trades Hall, Cnr. Victoria & Lygon Streets, Carlton South Wine and refreshments are available for a donation. Details are available from info@climateactioncentre.org or 9639 3660.
Green Capital: Doing nothing is NOT an option! (Syd, Mar 30; Melb, Apr 14): Three years of build-up for a national emission trading scheme has collapsed. Global climate negotiations are in disarray. And now it’s an election year for Australia. Where business had hoped for carbon certainty, it now faces prolonged policy confusion and frustration … all hopes of a bipartisan political solution appear to be lost. So what happens now? The Total Environment Centre and its corporate sustainability program Green Capital have shaped a special event and IP package to help answer the big carbon challenges for 2010. To be released at the events, our IP includes our latest issues paper, 'Doing nothing is NOT an option', and results of our own survey of sustainability professionals. The event will be held in Sydney on Tuesday, 30 March 2010 from 7am-10am, and in Melbourne on Wednesday, 14 April 2010 from 7am-10am. Details and bookings can be made at https://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Register/IdentityConfirmation.aspx?i=0d582c4b-46b3-4507-93e4-55387c3ed0b0. In preparation for the event, TEC and Green Capital are requesting that as many professionals working on sustainability and climate change as possible answer the 12-question survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VQGPYT2.
Solar Energy in Australia: Trends and Forecast Syd Mar29, Bris Mar 31, Melb May10 (Australian solar Energy Society) proudly presents this special event. Drawing on our expertise in Solar Energy in Australia (stretching back to 1954), this one day seminar, to be led by Australia’s foremost Solar Experts, will give participants an informative ‘snapshot’ of
solar energy in Australia, highlighting emerging trends and opportunities. Bringing together the best solar analysts and commentators, this event is perfect for anyone wanting to get a concise, credible, and informative insight into Solar Energy in Australia. Whether you are coming to do business, network, be informed by industry leaders, or
explore specific solar related themes, this event is not to be missed. More information at http://anzses.org/files/SolarEnergySymposium.pdf
Calendar of events and happenings
2010
MARCH '10
13-15: 2nd Australian Climate Action Summit, Canberra: www.climatesummit.org.au.
20: SA Election
27: Global earth hour: Turn off your lights for an hour at 8:30pm (Sydney time):www.earthhour.org
APRIL '10
9-11: UNFCCC intersessional, Bonn.
20-22: Peoples’ World Conference on Climate Change and Mother Earth’s Rights, Cochabamba, Bolivia: http://links.org.au/node/1447.
21-22: Community building and social inclusion conference, Melbourne: http://www.civilsociety.org.au/CommunityBuildingNationalConference2010.htm.
22 – 23: Business for the environment (b4e) summit, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
27-29: Organising Conference - Power Up 2010 , Sydney: http://www.actu.org.au/Events/OrganisingConference2010.aspx
MAY '10:
24 – 28: Fourth GEF Assembly, Punta del Este, Uruguay.
31- June 11: 32nd session of the UNFCCC Convention subsidiary bodies, Bonn, Germany.
JUNE '10
4: World Climate Teach-In Day - http://world.climateday.net/
21 – 25: Montreal Protocol OEWG-30, Bangkok, Thailand
26 – 27: G-8/G-20 Summit, Toronto http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/g82010/index.aspx.
28 – July 2: 18TH Commonwealth forestry conference, Edinburgh, Scotland.
28 – July 1: Global Humanitarian Forum’s 2010 Youth Forum, Geneva, Switzerland: www.ghfyouthforum.org.
29- July 2: Climate Adaptation Futures Conference, Gold Coast, www.nccarf.edu.au.
AUGUST '10
8: Earliest possible date for a normal Federal election (non-double dissolution)
16 – 20: Second international conference on climate, sustainability and development in semi-arid regions (ICID II), Fortaleza, Brazil.
SEPTEMBER '10
'Meeting the global health challenge', 63rd UN DPI/NGO conference, Melbourne: paul.ronalds@worldvision.com.au
OCTOBER '10
27 – 29: Fourth international renewable energy conference (IREC), New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, India.
NOVEMBER '10
8 – 19: UNFCCC Second sessional period in 2010
11-13: G-20 Summit, Seoul
27: Victorian Election
29 - Dec 10: CoP 16/ MoP 6, Cancun, Mexico (16th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, and 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol).
2011
MARCH '11
26: NSW Election
JUNE '11
6 – 17: UNFCCC subsidiary bodies, Bonn, Germany.
NOVEMBER '11
28 – Dec 9: Cop 17/MoP7, South Africa.
