Sep 29, 2021 | Boroondara Council, Climate Emergency, Local government
On the 27th of September 2021, at 10.38pm, after substantial debate, Boroondara Councillors passed a Climate Emergency Declaration motion 7 to 4. Councillors who voted in favour: Mayor Thompson, Cr Gault, Cr Addis, Cr Hollingsworth, Cr Biggar, Cr Franco, Cr Gilles...
Aug 10, 2021 | Climate change and health, Climate Damage, Climate Emergency, Opinion
For far too long politicians and voters have avoided taking climate action because it is difficult or because they can leave it to future generations. The “too hard” option is now the only option. Massive change is already taking place. We must take immediate action...
Jul 9, 2021 | Climate Damage, Climate Emergency, Gas, Taking Action
Cam Walker is the Campaigns Coordinator for Friends of the Earth. He was a stand-out leader in Victoria’s successful VIcGasBan campaign in 2014, and will be speaking at our meeting on July 28th – RSVP here. On July 1 2021, the moratorium on onshore gas...
Jul 7, 2021 | Climate Emergency, Climate Policy, Communicating climate change, Lighter Footprints Events
At our June 30 meeting, we were pleased and privileged to have Greg Hannan from CitiPower/United Energy and Chris Wallin from the Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) addressing the role of community batteries and Yarra’s current community battery project. A recording...
Jun 23, 2021 | Climate Emergency, Economics, fossil fuel subsidies, fossil fuel tax receipts, Gas
There is a perception that the Australian people benefit greatly from the oil, gas and petroleum industries. Yet, our government gives substantially more to Big Oil and Big Gas by way of grants and subsidies than it collects in taxes. Little wonder it is difficult to...
May 22, 2021 | Climate Damage, Climate Emergency, Gas, School Strikers
Tens of thousands of school kids and their supporters gathered at Treasury Gardens yesterday, Friday 21st and in 47 other places around the country, demanding a future that is liveable, not one ruined by climate damage. This was the first strike after the pandemic...
May 9, 2021 | Climate Emergency, Climate Policy, Communicating climate change, Denial, Environmental law, Gas, Lighter Footprints Events, Paris commitment
At our April 28 meeting, we were pleased and privileged to have Glen Klatovsky from Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) and Richie Merzian from The Australia Institute (TAI) addressing climate targets and tariffs shortly after the Biden Climate summit. Check out...
Nov 17, 2020 | Boroondara Council, Climate Emergency, Lighter Footprints Working Groups, Local government, Whitehorse Council
A challenging time to hold elections Now that we know what our local councils are going to look like after the recent local government elections, it is time to start considering how we work with them on the matters that are important to us. But first, let’s...
Nov 9, 2020 | Climate Emergency, Climate psychology, Denial, Positive message
This is an excellent four-part series presented by Radio National’s Richard Aedy on Climate Change Each heading below is a link to the RN episode page. Highly recommended. Another excellent RN climate change series is the talk by Swedish climate scientist Johan...
Oct 11, 2020 | Biodiversity, Climate Emergency, Habitable zone, Protecting The Natural World
A brilliant talk: If you only listen to one talk about climate change, this should be it. Johan Rockström is a distinguished and awarded global environmental scientist and a diligent debater of climate issues. He has been appointed “The most powerful environmental...
Jul 29, 2020 | Boroondara Council, Climate Emergency, Climate Policy, Lighter Footprints Events
Boroondara Climate Action Plan Consultation – Complete the Survey Now! The City of Boroondara is developing a new Climate Action Plan that will guide Council’s climate action over the next ten years. The first phase of community consultation on...
Apr 5, 2020 | Boroondara Council, Clean Energy, Climate Emergency, Climate Policy, Lighter Footprints Working Groups, Solutions, Taking Action
It’s time to have our say. Local climate action is powerful! Would you like a more walkable city? Better public transport? Support for putting on solar and storage? Cleaner local power? It’s time to put our support behind the clean energy transition and...
Mar 9, 2020 | Climate Emergency, Climate Policy, Lighter Footprints Working Groups, Solutions, Taking Action
Energy Transition Working Group The Energy Transitions Group meets fortnightly with a focus on pulling together energy data, latest innovations and submissions to government and making climate solutions accessible to a variety of audiences. Please contact Mick Nolan...
Jan 23, 2020 | Boroondara Council, Climate Damage, Climate Emergency, Taking Action
Lighter Footprints has joined forces with other groups in the Kooyong Climate Change Alliance to work towards the City of Boroondara declaring a Climate Emergency. We have been petitioning the good people of Boroondara since October in shopping centres on Saturday...
Jun 21, 2015 | Climate Emergency, Taking Action
Lighter Footprints’ advert calling for high ambition on climate targets made it into the Progress Leader this month! The quote “no free ride on climate” is from UN Secretary General Kofi Anan.
Jun 19, 2015 | Climate Emergency
Wednesday 24 June 7pm for 7.30pm Guide Hall – Faversham Rd Canterbury David Spratt (co-author Climate Code Red) “After the Encyclical: spreading the word on climate change” Join us for an engaging evening of discussion. Join us for some food and...
May 12, 2015 | Climate Damage, Climate Emergency
Wednesday 27 May 7pm for 7.30pm Guide Hall – Faversham Rd Canterbury Places you love: What threats do you see to these places and how can you help to protect them Come and join us to discuss your own views on the places you love and how best to protect...
Jun 28, 2012 | Climate Damage, Climate Emergency
The untold story: health benefits of the carbon price By Fiona Armstrong (An edited version ran in the Canberra Times and Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday 26th Jun 12, as “Carbon Price’s Health Bonanza”) The birth of Australia’s carbon price legislation is...
Jul 8, 2010 | Climate Emergency
There have been a few blog posts about the report by Sir Muir Russell into the so-called “climategate” affair. (This controversy has gone over the horizon somewhat; it all happened last November when email messages that were hacked into from the university...
Dec 4, 2009 | Climate Damage, Climate Emergency
The Center for Biological Diversity and 350.org filed an historic Clean Air Act petition with the EPA today asking the agency to scientifically determine the safe atmospheric CO2 level, just as its does with six other pollutants judged to endanger to human health and...
Nov 27, 2009 | Climate Emergency, Climate Policy, Solutions
Past climate anomalies explained Lead paragraphs from the BBC story: “Unusually warm and cold periods in Earth’s pre-industrial climate history are linked to how the oceans responded to temperature changes, say scientists. The researchers focused...
Mar 23, 2009 | Climate Damage, Climate Emergency
How many tonnes of GHG emisisons do Victoria’s coal-fired power stations release each week? The answer? “The average weekly emissions from coal-fired power stations [in Victoria] was 1.236 MILLION tonnes.” With a population of 5.34 million (at the...
Feb 27, 2009 | Boroondara Council, Climate Damage, Climate Emergency, Solutions, Taking Action
New Boroondara mayor says no to hybrid Boroondara councillor Coral Ross handed over the mayoral chain of office to councillor Jack Wegman in Dec 2008. Cr Ross had, during her term as mayor, and in line with the council’s public line on sustainability, adopted...
Dec 2, 2008 | Climate Emergency, Taking Action
A couple of weeks ago some of us helped to spell out a human sign in the Alexandra Gardens. Thousands of people dressed in red made up two words – CLIMATE EMERGENCY. Where is this emergency you might ask? Surely an over-statement, from a bunch of self-interested...