Stephen Higgs, former principal of Ballarat Grammar, explains why he and the newly formed community alliance #StopAdani Geelong has set a goal to stop the construction of Adani’s $16 billion dollar coal mine in Queensland. But this is not just another protest movement, this is active citizenship driven by passion and determination.
Scientist Peter Doherty talks about Adani as well as Our Future in Geelong and the many benefits we’ll ripe when we get into building a sustainable city.
We play excerpts from a brilliant speech by the American and Republican mayor Rex Parris from Lancaster in Los Angeles, a captivating recording of seven-year-old Gillian who explains how it’s all, really, pretty simple to stop that pollution that destroys our climate and the Great Barrier Reef, Louise Bell who sings her song ‘Adani Get Real’, and Ruth Mundy who sings her ‘Adani’ song.
We also play an excerpt of a speech by French president Emmanuel Macron, and an excerpt from the trailer for Al Gore’s new film, ‘An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power’ which premiers in Melbourne this week.
Listen to The Sustainable Hour no. 177 on 94.7 The Pulse:
» To open or download this programme in mp3-format, right-click here (Mac: CTRL + click)
» Subscribe to ‘The Sustainable Hour’ podcast — via iTunes or via your own podcast/RSS software
LISTENER SERVICE:
Content of this hour
Links, excerpts and more information about what we talked about in this Sustainable Hour
Why renewables make perfect sense to this conservative mayor
We can highly recommend watching this eight-minute recording of Rex Parris, the Republican mayor of the Los Angeles suburb Lancaster, who was speaking at the launch of the Los Angeles Climate Justice Mobilization 2025 in June 2017.
Mayor Rex Parris is a visionary who has brought amazing sustainable change to a very conservative city – population: 160,000 – and shown that climate action is cost efficient, profitable and just makes plain good sense:
“At World War II, what occurred was that our way of life and everything about us was threatened. It was a very real threat. It could have all ended.
And so Republicans and Democrats, and Christians and Muslims, everybody came together, because we had this enemy that was going to crush us if we didn’t.
We came together and survived.
The threat that World War II presented to us is one tenth of the threat that we are facing today.
And what is crazy about is: even Republicans know it. We all know it.
It is the insanity that seems to be overwhelming us. It is hard to comprehend.
But then again, it is not at all, because it is so horrible what we are facing, it is hard to keep looking at it for very long at all. (…)The synergy that develops when you start facing this common enemy and bringing people together is that everything gets better.
We had the highest crime rate in LA County. It is now one of the lowest. We had the highest number of gang murders. In two years we had zero. Because that’s what happens when the community comes together to have a common goal. And what is that goal? We want our children to live! Because that is really what is at stake.”
~ Rex Parris, mayor of Lancaster, Los Angeles, USA
» ThinkProgress – 27 June 2017:
Meet the mayors rejecting Trump’s dirty energy agenda and embracing a fully renewable future
“Climate change may be the challenge of our generation, but it is also the opportunity of a lifetime.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Join #StopAdani Geelong
» Facebook group for #StopAdani Geelong news updates:
www.facebook.com/groups/1659288721046540
» To subscribe or unsubscribe to the group’s mailing list, send an email to stopadani@climatesafety.info with either “Subscribe” or “Unsubscribe” in the subject line
» Find more info about #StopAdani Geelong on www.climatesafety.info/stopadanigeelong
» Retweet
Dear Matthew #Adani will kill as many coal jobs as it creates, not to mention lost tourism jobs #nojobsonadeadplanet https://t.co/bnFl197uVW
— John Englart EAM (@takvera) July 11, 2017
» ACF:
#StopAdani – the biggest movement in Australia’s history
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Louise Bell: ‘Adani Get Real’
» You can also see and share the video on www.facebook.com/louisebellmusic
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“It’s pretty simple,” says Gillian, seven years old.
Thank you very much, Gillian, because you are right: it really is pretty simple.
Shame on those of our leaders who all know this very well, but instead keep pretending this is a very complicated issue, and deliberately use the confusion – and the doubt and denial that misinformation campaigns sponsored by polluters have spread – as an excuse to procrastinate and delay the otherwise sensible and logical transition away from polluting the air and destroying the planet’s ecosystems and climate.
In its essence, it is not complicated at all. We just have to say ‘stop it!’. As they are doing in France now, where they are issuing a ban on all new exploration for coal, gas and oil.
We need more honest people like Gillan – and like the Pope – stand up and speak out to remind us all about that.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interview with Peter Doherty
Peter Charles Doherty is professor of biomedical research and chair of the Immunology Department at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Tennessee. He is distinguished for his study of major histocompatibility antigens’ role in immune recognition, particularly in virus-infected cells. He shared the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Rolf Zinkernagel.
A completely down-to-earth, unassuming Australian, Peter Doherty was instrumental in making one of the most profound discoveries of the last 50 years in the burgeoning field of immunology. It has given us a clearer understanding of the intricate mechanisms at work in our bodies and its massive implications extend to the treatment of many terrible diseases. It’s no exaggeration to say that a whole new field of science has extended from this one discovery. No wonder many are hailing Doherty’s Nobel Prize as one of the greatest days in Australian science for decades.
Politicians who promote the expansion & continuation of fossil fuel use in the face of all scientific evidence are deluded & irresponsible.
— Prof. Peter Doherty (@ProfPCDoherty) July 15, 2017
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Al Gore: “What were you thinking?!”
“The next generation would be justified in looking back at us and asking: ‘What were you thinkin?! Couldn’t you hear what the scientists were saying? Couldn’t you hear what Mother Nature was screaming at you?”
Al Gore
Trailer for Al Gore‘s new film, ‘An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power’. Published on youtube.com on 28 March 2017.
“Al Gore cuts through this complex moral calculus with a simple choice: the Adani mine or the Great Barrier Reef? He points out the burning of coal contributes to global warming which is one of the causes of widespread coral bleaching. So which do you choose?
Al Gore: “I see the climate movement in the context of the great moral crusades of the past. The abolition of slavery, the struggle for women’s rights, the civil rights movement in my country and more recently the gay rights movement. It’s ultimately a choice between right and wrong.”
» ABC Triple J Hack – 10 July 2017:
The mine or the reef? Al Gore says the climate wars are a simple choice
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ruth Mundy: ‘Adani’
Ruth Mundy touches on the core of the issue, the intergenerational moral question. Al Gore raises it in his new film, and we are talking about it in The Sustainable Hour today. In her song ‘Adani’:
‘Adani’
When you grow up and say to me,
“What did you do, to protect the world for me?”
When you say:
“Why, why are the coral reefs bleached,
the groundwater poisoned,
why are the oceans dead?”
I’ll say, “Well, we wanted to build a mine there,
By the Great Barrier Reef, yeah,
the biggest mine we could build, right there.”
So we paid a billionaire to screw your future up,
When you were too young to know.
And you’ll say, “Tell me at least that you tried to make it safe?
Tried to minimise the risks, or to make it worth your while?
And I’ll say, “Oh… this is a little awkward,
I guess looking back, in actual fact,
we gave public funds to someone known to be corrupt,
known for spilling coal and not cleaning up,
known for bribery and fraud,
known for tax evasion known for total devastation of villages and beaches, rivers and lives,
known for workers overworked and underpaid, known for workers half your age.”
When you grow up and say to me,
“What did you do, to protect the world for me?”
I’d like to hold my head high and say to you:
“I swear I did my best, my love, the rest is up to you.”
© Lyrics by Ruth Mundy. Released on 11 May 2017
» Buy the song – all proceeds will go to GetUp’s campaign to stop the Adani mega mine
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Climate-destructive luxury crusises
“One cruise ship emits as many air pollutants as five million cars going the same distance because these ships use heavy fuel that on land would have to be disposed of as hazardous waste.”
Daniel Rieger, a transport officer at German environment group Nabu
“The luxury sector is seeing the most amazing growth that it has ever seen in its history.”
~ Larry Pimentel, president of Azamara club cruises
» The Independent – 3 July 2017:
Air quality on cruise ship deck ‘worse than world’s most polluted cities’, investigation finds
» The Guardian – 21 May 2016:
The world’s largest cruise ship and its supersized pollution problem
ADDITIONALLY:
In other news
From our notes of this week: news stories and events we didn’t have time to mention but which we think you should know about
Five consecutive days over 40°C
‘Refuge’ explores the role of artists and cultural institutions in times of climate catastrophe.
Each year until 2020, emergency management, artists, the community and local, regional and international partners will prepare Arts House in Melbourne as a Relief Centre for 24 hours, in an imagined climate disaster.
In 2016, they imagined a local flood and transformed the North Melbourne Town Hall into a Relief Centre for 24 hours. This year they will envisage the increasing possibility of five consecutive days over 40°C.
» Read more: www.artshouse.com.au/events/refuge
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Podcasts and posts about climate change
Acknowledgement
We at The Sustainable Hour would like to pay our respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we are broadcasting, the Wathaurong People, and pay our respect to their elders, past, present and future.
The traditional owners lived in harmony with the environment and with the climate for hundreds of generations. It is not clear – yet – that as European settlers we have demonstrated that we can live in harmony for hundreds of generations, but it is clear that we can learn from the indigenous, traditional owners of this land.
When we talk about the future, it means extending our respect to those children not yet born, the generations of the future – remembering the old saying that…
The decisions currently being made around Australia to ignore climate change are being made by those who won’t be around by the time the worst effects hit home. How utterly disgusting, disrespectful and unfair is that?
Streaming live
The Sustainable Hour is streamed live on the Internet every Wednesday from 11am to 12pm (Melbourne time).
» To listen on your computer or phone, click on this direct link – or go to
www.947thepulse.com where you then click on ‘Listen Live’ on the right.
Podcast archive
Hours and hours of sustainable podcasts
Listen to all of The Sustainable Hour radio shows in full length and in selected excerpts:
» Archive on climatesafety.info
» Archive on itunes.apple.com – iPhone friendly
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Promote The Sustainable Hour
Print this A4-poster and put it on a wall or a board at your work place, a local café, shop or where ever you think there’d be people who’d find this information interesting. 
Go to our Facebook-page and give us a click on the LIKE-button. Let the The Sustainable Hour’s listeners know about your green product. To become a business supporter or sponsor, contact: Liz Carr, Marketing & Business Development, 94.7 The Pulse
94.7 The Pulse
» 947thepulse.com – Geelong’s Premier Community Radio Station
Receive the podcast in your mailbox
Apart from your email address and surname, all other fields are optional
The Sustainable Hour on social media
» Facebook: Overview of all podcast front covers
» Catch up on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SustainableHour » Twitter tag: @SustainableHour
Share on Twitter
» Share this podcast on www.twitter.com
Community in the offing to stop Adani https://t.co/Zv3zgCmYnl pic.twitter.com/wxhY2VCS8k
— The Sustainable Hour (@SustainableHour) July 14, 2017
Share on Facebook
» If you’d like to share this page on Facebook, then copy this link:
(First paste the long link in a field on Facebook, wait until the photo has loaded, delete the link again, and then press ‘Post’)
Share on Pinterest
» Share this page on 
» More Sustainable Hour posts on Pinterest
» Explore general topics on Pinterest:
Climate Change | Global Warming | Renewable Energy
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Participation – that’s what’s gonna save the human race.”
Pete Seeger, American singer