Wills Candidate Forum for a safe, healthy & sustainable future

The Wills candidate forum is being held on Tuesday 18th March at 6.30pm in Coburg. Seats are free but limited so book your seats and RSVP now.

Candidate forums are a unique opportunity to inform your vote. They’re also one of the most powerful opportunities to show politicians just how much the community cares about particular issues. The forum will be chaired by Kelly O'Shanassy, CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation, with two guest speakers who will frame the discussion: Sarah Hussein from Merri Food Hub, and Dr Ben Dunne from Doctors for the Environment. All candidates have been invited.

Come along a little early from 6:00pm to enjoy a deforestation-free democracy sausage sizzle (Halal and vegan options available). Entertainment will be provided by The Melbourne Climate Choir. Stay tuned for news about the Cooper Candidates Climate Forum which we hope to announce soon!

Choice of two fence signs for this coming election

In addition to the free "No more coal and gas" signs we have been offering, we are now able to offer a favourite from previous federal elections - "For the kids I'm voting climate". Help keep the pressure up on the candidates. We need strong climate action to be at the very top of their priorities. Let Katherine know which sign(s) you would like to display on your front fence or window by emailing [email protected]

Nuclear accident fallout map for Coalition proposed reactors

March 11th marked the 14th anniversary of the Fukushima disaster which caused widespread radioactive contamination of the air, soil and ocean. What would be the consequence of a nuclear accident in Australia? A new website released by Don't Nuke the Climate shows that almost 200,000 Australians would be at risk of a nuclear accident if the Coalition's proposed nuclear scheme goes ahead. The website lets you choose one of Peter Dutton’s proposed reactor sites to see how a nuclear disaster would contaminate surrounding areas. For those of us living in Melbourne the nuclear site proposed at Loy Yang is particularly frightening. Please share the information widely. We don't need dangerous nuclear power stations that threaten our health and safety. Solar and wind backed by storage is the clear pathway to a clean and safer future.

Q&A on Citizens' Assemblies

Are you interested in finding out more about citizens' assemblies and how they can help us on the path to a safe climate? Right now, there is a massive disinformation campaign on how citizens' assemblies work at the local government level. Join Sonia Randhawa, a democracy activist who has been involved in the recruitment for over 100 citizens' assemblies or similar processes, for a monthly Q&A session on what a CA really is, and help us protect and expand these processes across Victoria. The next two events are on Zoom at 5pm AEDT, on Sunday 16th March and Sunday 20th April. Contact Sonia on 0430 426 618 or email for more information and the Zoom link.

Help DCAN Grow on Social Media!

Exciting news! DCAN is now on Instagram and Bluesky, and we’d love you to join us there. By following and engaging with our posts, you help spread the word about climate action in our community.

Instagram – See inspiring photos, event updates, and climate tips. darebin_climate_action

Bluesky – Join the conversation on policies, actions, and solutions. @darebincan.bsky.social

Every like, comment, and share helps amplify our impact. Follow us today and be part of the movement for a greener future!

Suggested Reading - Slick: Australia’s toxic relationship with Big Oil

Slick takes a comprehensive look at the origins of the Australian petroleum industry, investigating what these companies knew about climate change and how they learned to wield influence and insert themselves into all facets of public life. Royce Kurmelovs reveals how the US petroleum industry was warned about its environmental impacts back in the 1950s and yet went on to build the Australian oil industry which, in turn, tried to drill the Great Barrier Reef, sought to strong-arm governments, and joined a global effort to bury the science of climate change and delay action despite knowing the harms it would cause.

The climate elephant is still in the room. But now it’s a mammoth!

Sometime ago DCAN mounted an installation of a dolls’ house full of mostly borrowed toy and ornamental elephants in a shop window at 497 High Street, Northcote. One of the loaned ornaments, a mammoth, inspired local artist, and owner of the window, Eugene von Nagy, to create a 1.6m x 1.5m charcoal sketch he calls 'Fossil Fools'.

Eugene writes, “We must upgrade to fully renewable energy solutions or soon face the same fate as the extinct species which make up our fossil fuels today.“ DCAN thanks him for his support, and it is further proof that every small thing we do matters, even just sharing a toy.

Want to know more about DCAN?

Why not come along to one of our monthly meetings? We usually meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7.00pm at the Bridge Thornbury. Please drop us an email at [email protected] to let us know if you are coming so that we can make sure to welcome you and give you an agenda ahead of the meeting.

Our next meeting will be at 7:00 pm on April 10th at the Bridge, 131 Shaftesbury Parade, Thornbury.

DCAN planning session a great success

Many thanks to the 20 people who gave up their Saturday afternoon to help plan our strategies and activities for 2025. It was a very productive afternoon where we shared stories of our achievements from last year before moving on to brainstorm the context we are working in at the local through to the international level. We then turned our attention to prioritising the key areas we will focus on for 2025.

The upcoming Federal election is high on our agenda as is our continuing work to support the implementation of Darebin's new climate emergency plan, to get off gas and move to a fully renewable and electric future as fast as possible. We also need to continue our outreach work to the community and keep up the pressure through meetings with our local councillors and MPs.

If you would like to find out more, come along to our next meeting on March 13th or drop us an email at [email protected]

Now's the time to get your fence sign!

With an election due to be called at any moment, now is the time to order your fence sign. We need a sea of 'No More Coal and Gas' signs on our fences, in our gardens, windows and shop fronts that send a powerful message to all election candidates that we won't stand for any more investments in coal and gas. We need all hands on deck to help the community move to renewable energy as fast as possible. Order your free sign from Katherine - [email protected]

Help stop fracking in the NT

Lock the Gate is running an email campaign to encourage the government to assess the water impacts of fracking in the Beetaloo Basin before allowing fracking to continue. The campaign asks the government to “pull the water trigger” under the EPBC Act. You can read more and sign the letter here. This action is time critical so please consider signing today.

Coalition’s nuclear folly

"The Coalition is selling its nuclear scheme using fraudulent statistics about today’s Australian electricity cost… It’s a warning not to trust their future costings.” This is the conclusion drawn by Andrew Gunner on his website Feedback Reigns: Act on Climate Change. Andrew provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the Coalition’s nuclear energy campaign and shows how ‘cherry-picked’ statistics have been used to justify, support and promote the policy.

Andrew has been working on his Act on Climate Change website since 2009 and it contains a wealth of information relating to the evidence and dangers of global warming, possible solutions and progress towards achieving them. He is well qualified to provide this content having worked for 20 years in the petrochemical industry developing and running computer models to optimise company operations.

How Climate Change Drives Up Australia’s Cost of Living

Climate change is contributing to the cost of living in multiple ways. Any government that is not ambitious with climate action and stopping new coal and gas is embedding an increase in cost of living for all Australians generally through increasing food prices, energy costs, and insurance premiums. Read this great article by John Englart from Climate Action Merribek.

Can we pull the brakes on 3°C?

Climate tipping points are approaching faster than expected—how close are we to 3°C of warming, and what actions could still help avoid this dangerous trajectory? Tune into this highly engaging webinar with climate analyst David Spratt about the risks we face and the critical responses we need to change course. David unpacks the findings of "Collision Course", Breakthrough's latest report that dives into the profound risks of a world under extreme warming—including threats to food security, health, and global stability.

Getting Off Gas - One Person’s Journey

Over the past year, Lawrie Hanson has been on a journey to get his house ‘off gas’ and become a completely electric household. He has had a number of interesting encounters and learning experiences throughout this journey and he has shared these experiences in a detailed article which you can read here. In conclusion, Lawrie says: “although the journey hasn’t been straightforward, I’m delighted with the end result and very content I no longer contribute any gas emissions.” He also thanks DCAN for organising the Energy Masterclass in February 2024 which Lawrie says ‘gave me the impetus and access to the resources to allow the journey to take place.”

Situation Vacant

As you may know, DCAN works closely with the Climate Choir Melbourne. This wonderful group regularly performs all over Melbourne.

To help the audience understand and connect with the choir’s message, we need people to hand out the choir's leaflet, with the lyrics and message. If you think you might be able to help with this, please contact the choir at [email protected]. We will of course support you in the role.

Want to know more about DCAN?

Why not come along to one of our monthly meetings? We usually meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7.00pm at the Bridge Thornbury. Please drop us an email at [email protected] to let us know if you are coming so that we can make sure to welcome you and give you an agenda ahead of the meeting.

Our next meeting will be at 7:00 pm on March 13th at the Bridge, 131 Shaftesbury Parade, Thornbury.

Invitation: DCAN planning session 2025

While the year is fast drawing to a close, we are already thinking about next year and would like to invite you to join us on Saturday 8th February 2-5pmfor our 2025 planning session.

The upcoming Federal election will be a key focus for us as we plan strategies to elect candidates who are committed to serious and urgent action on the climate crisis. We will also be reviewing our working groups and key roles to ensure DCAN remains a proactive and influential grass roots climate group.

If you are interested in attending, please let us know by email: [email protected] so that we can keep you posted on the details as they come to hand. Many thanks for your support over the past year.

Community outrage at coal mine expansions

As part of nationwide protests outside Labor MP's offices, over 70 people, including many DCAN supporters, demonstrated outside Peter Khalil's office in Brunswick to express outrage over the Albanese government's imminent coal mine approvals.

The Albanese government has rejected legal requests to assess the environmental and climate harm of three new coal mine expansions, paving the way for approval of these climate wrecking projects to go ahead.

Call the PM and your local Labor MP and tell them no more coal mines!

DCAN says no to nuclear fantasy

DCAN recently presented to a public hearing of a Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into nuclear power generation in Australia.

In our submission to the inquiry, we argued that nuclear is not a sensible or safe option for Australia. It will simply arrive too late to help with the massive carbon emission reductions that need to be made by 2030. Every dollar invested in nuclear takes away precious investment dollars for the rapid expansion of cheaper, cleaner, renewable energy – an industry already on the ground and embraced by millions of Australians who are putting solar on their roof tops.

We also expressed serious concerns about the radioactive waste generated by nuclear power and the health and safety of families living near nuclear reactors.

Click here for more information and resources.

Stop fracking in the NT - Coburg event

Despite the hot weather, over 200 people turned up at the Coburg Town Hall to hear first hand from NT First Nations and community leaders about thethreats posed by fracking and the Middle Arm gas hub for Country, climate, and the very livability of the Territory. Growing numbers of people across Australia are taking a stand and urging the Prime Minister to redirect the $1.9b subsidy for the toxic Middle Arm gas hub.

DCAN was proud to co-host the event with Climate Action Merri-bek, the Environment Centre NT, Australian Conservation Foundation and supported by many other climate community groups.

Please sign the petition to Labor politicians calling on them to stand up against this fracking madness. Read more about the event and see photos here.

No More Coal & Gas signs popular in Fairfield

Our No More Coal and Gas signs are flying out the door. We gave away 40 signs in just one hour in the Fairfield Village while the Climate Choir Melbourne kept everyone entertained with creatively remastered Christmas carols. Like a sign for your front fence or window? Contact Katherine for your free sign.

3-degrees of warming and humanity's future!

Collision Course - a comprehensive report on the most recent scientific literature on the climate system makes compelling but disturbing reading.

The report comes from the eminent climate policy analyst David Spratt, Research Director at the independent think tank Breakthrough. He is not constrained by the caution imposed on many scientists working for governments and large organisations, and he concludes that we are on track for a world that is hotter by 3°C or more, with unprecedented heat, drowning cities, collapsing food systems, and societal instability.

He points out the radical policy changes needed to meet this existential threat and the requirement for urgent action rather than gradual change.

Download a copy here.

We have a new Council!

Congratulations to the newly elected and re-elected Councillors for Darebin City Council. We can report that in response to DCAN's candidate questionnaire, all of the elected councillors recognised the importance of addressing the climate emergency, and many made commitments to strong action on climate and democratic processes. We are looking forward to working with the new Council on implementing Darebin's Climate Emergency Plan and exploring ways to involve residents better in deliberating on difficult-to-resolve issues. Thank you to all our supporters who participated in election activities. See here for the full voting results. Successful candidates:

Kristine Olaris OAM, ALP, Central Ward
Vasilios Tsalkos, ALP, North Central Ward
Matt Arturi, ALP, North East Ward
Gaetano Greco, Independent, North West Ward (re-elected)
Ruth Jelley, Greens, South Central Ward
Emily Dimitriadis, ALP, South East Ward (re-elected)
Julie O'Brien, Greens, South Ward
Alexandra Sangster, Greens, South West Ward
Connie Boglis OAM, ALP, West Ward

Voices from the frontline of the climate crisis
23rd November Coburg Town Hall 2.30pm

Tiwi woman, Mililma May, and other First Nations leaders are travelling all the way from the Northern Territory to Melbourne to ask us to stand with them in their struggle to stop fracking. Country, precious water supplies and climate are under threat from gas expansion like never before. With the recent announcement of delays in the Middle Arm project, we have a unique opportunity to show the Government that we stand in solidarity with Mililma and Territorians to stop the expansion of the destructive and polluting gas industry. Please come along to this important event. RSVP here. Please also take a minute to sign the online petition against fracking the NT here.

Would you like a sign for your fence or window?

In the lead up to the next federal election, we need to show politicians and leaders in our community how much we want strong action on climate by installing a sea of 'No More Coal and Gas' signs on our fences, in our gardens, street-facing windows and shop fronts. By acting together in the months ahead, we can make sure climate action is firmly on the agenda. Would you like a sign? DCAN is taking part in a National Climate Sign Blitz on the 7th December and we are offering you free signs - complete with delivery to your door! Please contact Katherine to order your sign.

DCAN AGM Guest speaker explains how to use our money as a force for good

Special guest, Kyle Robertson from Market Forces, was a highlight at this year's Annual General Meeting. Market Forces is a dynamic, not-for-profit organisation that has been working with the community for over a decade to shine a spotlight on the financial sector and its investments in fossil fuels.

Kyle outlined three key areas that Market Forces is working on: shareholder action to push for positive changes in company policies, targeting financial institutions to encourage them to divest from fossil fuel companies, and putting pressure on the Japanese Government and Japanese companies to stop their involvement in fossil fuel projects in Australia. Japan imports much more gas than it needs, then exports this to other Asian countries, locking poorer nations such as Bangladesh into expensive long-term contracts. Kyle talked about two recent big wins - the CommBank announcement in August that they will no longer finance coal, oil and gas projects of companies whose policies are not aligned with the Paris emissions targets; and when 60% of shareholders at Woodside's AGM voted against the company's climate plan because it was considered inadequate. If you would like to find out how to be a part of this exciting work sign up here.

DCAN Annual Report 2024

It was another big year for DCAN - ranging from running a home electrification masterclass early in the year with Freedom Energy Homes to holding a candidates' forum and producing score cards for all nine wards in the recent Council elections. We continued to raise issues of concern in our meetings with our local Federal and State MPs, and Ministers Chris Bowen and Tania Plibersek, particularly around the need for a strong Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, including a climate trigger. We held rapid response rallies outside the office of our Federal MP Ged Kearney against new coal and gas announcements and were also involved in national campaigns against fracking in the Northern Territory and Government investment in Middle Arm - a huge proposed project near Darwin which would support the NT gas industry. In addition to providing detailed feedback on Darebin Council's new Climate Emergency Plan, we also wrote several submissions and co-hosted a Climate Resilience Inquiry submission writing party with the Darebin Neighbourhood House Network. We also celebrated a five year milestone for our weekly Chalking and Talking Outreach team's work along the St. Georges Road bike path. Please see here for the full report.

Music for a Warming World Concert

You are invited by NCAT (Nillumbik Climate Action Team) to come and enjoy a wonderful Music for a Warming World concert, multi-media visual experience and journey into the reality and prospects of our warming world. Led by academic/musician Simon Kerr, and featuring professional musicians Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan, Music for a Warming World brings science, joy, grief, and positivity to life.

Stay after the show for a delicious supper, festive season refreshments and social gathering.

Free to attend, but please book here to help with catering. A gold coin donation would be welcome on the night to help with costs, if possible.

Saturday 30 November, 7:30 - 11:30pm
Hurstbridge Community Hub
50 Graysharps Rd, Hurstbridge VIC

Click here for more information.

Climate Choir Melbourne comes to Darebin

"While politicians sit and talk
In far-away Baku
The CO2 goes up and up,
We'll cop this COP-OUT too."
(Tune: While Shepherds watched)

Climate Choir Melbourne have been invited by the Fairfield Traders Association to sing in Station Street on 7 December at 11 am. Come and listen (or even better, join in) as they sing climate-related parodies of your favourite Christmas carols and other traditional Christmas music. Looking forward to seeing (and hearing you) outside Baker’s Delight, 88 Station Street, Fairfield.

No Northern Incinerator Campaign

There is a proposal for Cleanaway to build and operate a giant incinerator - just 15 km to our north to burn 10 million tonnes of rubbish. Obviously this is a horrendous idea that needs to be stopped.
Please sign and share this important new Parliamentary Petition, sponsored by Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny, which strongly objects to this proposal.

See which Councillors have signed the Stop Burning Waste Pledge and why it's so important (Thanks to Zero Waste Australia).

Check out the Facebook page for the campaign here.

Suggested Reading: "Let's Tax Carbon: And Other Ideas for a Better Australia"

In his new book Ross Garnaut, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne and ANU, argues that Australia could become a full employment, renewable energy super power if it started taxing carbon. A levy on big polluters would help Australia become a carbon-free energy giant, lower the cost of living and assist the world to cut emissions.

He focuses on the underpinnings of successful social democracy and traces when economic policy has worked for Australia and when it hasn't.

He also explores the extraordinary low-carbon opportunity that Australia has before it. Getting this right, Garnaut argues, would secure the economic base of Australia's social democracy.

Read an extract here.

Wake-up call: lessons learned from nature’s sculpture landscapes

Solo exhibition of paintings by Megan-Jane Johnstone AO

5 - 16 February 2025

Cato Gallery, Victorian Artists' Society, 430 Albert Street, East Melbourne

Heatwave 1

In the days between 16-24 June 2024, 60 per cent of the world’s population faced extreme heat. The month of June 2024 has since been described as the earth’s hottest on record, with people across Asia, Europe and the Americas facing extremely high temperatures - in some cases exceeding 50C. Scientists warn that new records will be broken as the climate continues to warm. Moreover, the health of people  will increasingly be at risk due to the adverse effects of heating on the brain and nervous system. This work is part of a new series the artist is working on titled ‘Wake-up call’, motivated by her conviction that artists have an important role to play in promoting environmental ethics, noting that art is much more than just presentation. As Australian Professor of Environmental Law, Benjamin Richardson, has correctly contended, art also ‘fuels human imagination, to re-imagine relationships with the natural world, to bring new meanings and creatively forge new solutions’. We need to urgently find creative solutions to protect the earth (and all that depends on it) from the increasingly devastating effects of a warming climate.

Welcome to the October edition of the DCAN Dispatch.

Darebin Council elections

It's been a very busy time for the DCAN team. For the next 4 years, we want a Council that is strongly committed to strong climate leadership and action, and is able to work effectively using democratic processes. So this election we have focussed on testing candidates' commitments to both climate emergency action and stronger local democratic processes, which we see as two sides of the same coin. We developed a survey to elicit candidates' beliefs and commitments, held a very successful candidates' forum (with 20 candidates and five breakout rooms based on wards), developed a scorecard for 9 wards and letterboxed two wards!

Don't forget to vote!

Voting closes 6pm Friday 25 October 2024 so please make sure to post your vote before then! The DCAN climate scorecards for all wards in Darebin are up on our website. You can find the climate scorecard for your ward here. We assessed the candidates against three key criteria: climate emergency leadership, support for strong council climate action and support for accountability and democratic processes. In developing the scorecards we took into account the candidates' official statements, survey responses, responses at the forum and information on their websites. If you would like to read the candidates' responses to our survey please see here.

Candidates Climate Forum

Many thanks to all the candidates and residents who attended the forum, and also a big thank you to the facilitators and note-takers for the five breakout rooms. The feedback from the forum has been very positive. Participants have reported back to us that they felt they "really got to know their candidates" and "it will help me make up my mind on how to vote".

Letterboxing scorecards

As the elections will be a close contest, we chose South East and West wards to letterbox. A very big thankyou to the volunteers who responded with very short notice to letterbox these two wards over the weekend. We are also using social media and our website to promote the scorecards for all wards. Please share these to help inform late voters. You can find all the scorecards on our DCAN Facebook page.

Donate

If you can spare a few dollars towards covering the cost of layout and printing of scorecards it would be greatly appreciated! You can donate here.

Your voice can help stop fracking in the NT

Right now fracking for gas in the Northern Territory threatens water, country and our climate. Gas companies have just started drilling gas wells in the Beetaloo Basin south of Darwin, and plan to frack them in the coming months during the wet season. Victoria has banned fracking to protect its water and agriculture. Now it’s time to demand the same for the NT. Our Federal Labor MPs in Victoria can help make this a reality. Add your voice to the petition calling on Victorian Federal Labor MPs to take action to stop fracking in the NT. To learn more check out this video and head to this link.

SAVE THE DATE: Don't Frack the NT
Coburg Town Hall - Saturday 23rd November, 2.30-4.00pm.

This important meeting will include a panel discussion with NT Traditional Owners, medical professionals and community members about the proposed gas hub at Middle Arm in Darwin. Middle Arm would receive gas from environmentally disastrous and climate-wrecking fracking projects in the Beetaloo Basin and elsewhere in the NT. The meeting will discuss how we in Melbourne can support frontline communities in the NT. There will be a smoking ceremony and performances by Aboriginal Elders.
Please save the date now, and invite friends and family to come along too.

DCAN AGM & Guest speaker - Market Forces

Please join us for a cuppa and talk with special guest Kyle Robertson from Market Forces. Market Forces believes that the banks, superannuation funds and governments that have custody of our money should use it to protect, not damage our environment. Kyle’s research at Market Forces focuses on Australian banks and the financial sector’s ongoing investment in the fossil fuel industry. Kyle has a Master of Environment and Sustainability from Monash University. He will talk to us about their current campaigns and how we can get involved. When: DCAN AGM 7pm, 14th November. Where: The Bridge Darebin, 131 Shaftesbury Parade, Thornbury.RSVP here.

Thinking of upgrading your hot water service?

Are you planning to upgrade your hot water system? This is your chance! Energy Freedom Homes (EFH) are offering 20 exclusive spots for testers to try out a new online course - normally priced at $20 - completely free!

Energy Freedom Homes (EFH) were DCAN's partners in the highly successful home electrification masterclass which ran in February this year. Since the masterclass, EFH have been working on a new approach to help homeowners who would like to upgrade their hot water systems with energy efficient systems.

Choosing a hot water service? We know how overwhelming it can be - so many options, confusing information and the risk of choosing the wrong product or installer. But with this course, you can avoid those mistakes. You can follow a simple process with clear videos, interactive tools, and expert, independent guidance to help you make confident decisions.

Ready to upgrade? Email Jay at Energy Freedom Homes today to secure your free spot and make upgrading your hot water system easy.

The People’s Blockade and Canberra Wave, November 19-28

Described as one of the most significant climate uprisings on the planet, this year the People’s Blockade will be in two parts:
Part 1 at Nobby’s Beach, Newcastle from November 19 - 28 and Part 2 at Parliament Lawn, Canberra from November 26 - 28.

For more information and to register your interest go to the Rising Tide website.

Suggested Reading: "Highway to Hell, Climate Change and Australia's Future"

In this powerful essay, esteemed Australian climate scientist and lead author for the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, Joëlle Gergis, depicts our likely future in vivid and credible detail.

Working from the science, she discusses the world’s and Australia’s efforts to combat climate change. She outlines how far Australia is from keeping its promises to cut emissions. She takes aim at false solutions and the folly of “adaptation” rather than curbing fossil fuel use. This is an essay about government paralysis and what is at stake for all of us.

Read an extract here.

Welcome to the September edition of the Dispatch

Let’s elect a new Council committed to strong climate action!

Darebin Council elections will take place on 7th-25th October by postal ballot. DCAN is working hard to try to ensure that our new Council is willing and able to act strongly on the climate emergency.

As in previous years, we are sending out a questionnaire to all candidates, asking about their commitment to climate action. After the difficulties that the current Council has experienced resulting in monitors being appointed at great expense to ratepayers, we are also asking about their views on good governance and involving the community in deliberations on complex issues, through processes like Citizens Assemblies.

Candidates’ responses to our questionnaire, along with their candidate statements and other public statements, will be used to create scorecards for each of the 9 wards. The scorecards will be on DCAN’s website and will be published widely.

We will be holding a Candidates Climate Forum on 3rd October at 7pm on Zoom. There will be a breakout room for each ward, so residents can ask questions of their own candidates. Register now! Please make sure you know what ward you are in before coming to the meeting so you can go to the right one. Find out which ward you are in here.

Welcome to the August edition of the DCAN Dispatch.

New Climate Emergency Plan for Darebin!

DCAN congratulates Darebin Council on the unanimous adoption of the new Climate Emergency Plan. DCAN took an active part in the community consultations and provided detailed feedback on draft versions of the plan. While it is disappointing that our request for stronger emission reduction targets was not agreed to, we are pleased to see some of the key points we advocated for included in the plan. We are very excited about the setting up of a new 'concierge' service which will offer tailored household support to help residents find their way in switching from gas to electricity and renewable energy. We are also very pleased to see the expansion of the Solar Savers Scheme and new community education programs on electrification and energy efficiency. We look forward to working with Council to help implement the plan. View the new plan and learn more here.

Commbank walks away from climate wrecking clients

Australia’s largest bank, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, made a huge announcement last week, declaring it has made the decision to no longer provide finance to oil and gas producing companies that don’t have a Paris-aligned transition plan.

This is a significant win for our climate, and starkly contrasts with ANZ, NAB and Westpac, which are gearing up to loan hundreds of millions more to one of Australia’s most notorious climate wreckers. According to Market Forces, ANZ, NAB and Westpac are days away from finalising a $750 million loan to Santos.

Click here to tell ANZ, NAB and Westpac to cut ties with Santos.

On Wednesday 21 August at 12pm, a community rally will be held outside the head offices of ANZ, NAB and Westpac in Melbourne to pressure the banks to ditch this loan to Santos. As much support as possible is needed to ensure the message gets through to the banks. For more information and to register for the rally click here.

More confrontational messaging needed for the climate crisis

In a recent article, eminent climate activists David Spratt and Ian Dunlop refer to polling in 26 countries which shows that only 60% of Australians now believe that climate change is human-caused (down 6% from 18 months earlier and 13% below the global average). Only half of Australians thought that the costs of climate disruption will be greater than the investments needed for transition to a sustainable society.

Spratt and Dunlop attribute this to the “softly, softly” approach by the Albanese government which focuses on renewable energy and avoids talking about “doom and gloom” climate impacts. They note the lack of climate leadership by the government and its 'capture' by the fossil fuel industry, reflected in the recent approval of numerous new fossil fuel projects.

Spratt and Dunlop argue that people need to be told the truth - that climate change impacts will be existential - and note that this approach has worked in Quit Smoking campaigns, the Grim Reaper AIDS advertising, and the brutal honest communications about Covid.

A great resource for this sort of emergency messaging is the booklet by Jane Morton Don't Mention the Emergency, which frames the problems and gives very helpful tips on communication. Another useful resource is DCAN's list of suggestions for taking action.

Writing to decision makers matters

There are so many topics, and so many politicians, that writing to them sometimes seems too much for an ordinary busy person. Fortunately, the team at Climate for Change has made it pretty easy to write letters on many topics.
They have recently added the topic of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), or more accurately Carbon Pollution Dumping (CPD).
Carbon Pollution Dumping is central to the Government’s Future Gas Strategy. It is also detrimental to the environment, expensive and reliant on government subsidies. Investing in CPD only delays our transition to renewable energy. Nevertheless, in the 2024 budget the government allocated $36.2m over four years to “enable industry to move carbon dioxide to geological storage sites.”
All these facts, as well as how to write a letter on 25 topics, and who to, are here.

Launch of Hot Planet Matchmaking Service

Have you or your friends been thinking about getting more involved with climate and environmental action in our local community? Here is a fun way to find out what's on offer. Our good friends over at Neighbours United for Climate Action (NUCA) have come up with a very creative way of matching people with the local climate, sustainability or biodiversity group that suits them best. Please come along and bring your friends to the celebratory launch of the Hot Planet Matchmaking Service to learn more about what each group, including DCAN, is doing in the local community and get involved!

WHEN: Mon 2nd Sept 2024, 6:00 pm - 8:00pm
WHERE: Leinster Grove Community Hall, 99 Leinster Grove, Thornbury
RSVP here.

Five years of Chalking, Talking and Picking Up Litter

For five years, weather permitting, at 10 a.m. on Thursdays, a small group of DCANers have been meeting on the St Georges Road Bike Path somewhere between Miller Street and Merri Parade. We remind everyone that the climate emergency is ongoing and an increasing threat. We get lots of positive responses and support from the people of Northcote and Thornbury. And then we go for a chat and a coffee at a local cafe.
Over the years different folk have joined us and this nice little local action will continue to welcome all newcomers for a long time to come. Please contact Linda if you would like to join us. Cheers, Linda and Lesley

Hoddle Street Climate Mural

Yarra Climate Action Now has teamed up with a group of climate activists to create this spectacular mural on the corner of Hoddle and Perry Streets, Collingwood, just south of Johnston Street. The activist group have become experts in applying for council grants and working with numerous artists, including John Lawry who has painted many stunning murals around town. The mural can even be seen from the nearby passing trains! DCAN members are part of the maintenance crew.
If you have a wall which might be suitable for a future project, please get in touch.

Welcome to the June edition of the DCAN Dispatch.

DCAN joins snap actions against new gas approvals

DCAN and other grass roots climate groups recently took part in snap rallies outside 15 Victorian Labor MP offices to protest the Federal Labor Government's approval of a project in Queensland that will involve the construction of 151 coal seam gas wells. We are deeply alarmed at the Government’s decision to approve yet another climate wrecking project in the middle of a climate crisis. How can we believe the Government is serious about climate action when it continues to approve new projects which will run for the next 55 years? We expect the Government to keep our communities safe and deliver strong action on the climate crisis, not make it worse by approving new coal and gas projects. If you would like to join us in future snap actions, please let us know here.

The human consequences of Victoria's energy supply system

Shelter is a fundamental human need, and affordable energy is necessary to meet that need. The soaring cost of energy is frightening for so many people who live in old, draughty and poorly insulated houses. That is the story of Victoria's housing stock because, until very recently, relevant building codes were absent or inadequate.

Since price rises began, energy authorities have been investigating the social justice dimensions of energy poverty. As energy is now enmeshed in markets, where it is a commodity rather than a service designed to meet needs, the proposed solutions tend to be limited.

• Victoria's Essential Services Commission (ESC) outlines the problem in its Issues Paper on the Energy Retail Code of Practice (see pp.31-35).
• There is a focus on hardship (see pp.2-5) in the Game Changer report of the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). It draws on detailed information from a previous report on Consumer Vulnerability - the archetypes of consumers in hardship are interesting.
• There are also important reports by social justice organisations like the Brotherhood of St Laurence (e.g. its 2023 submission to the national Electricity and Energy Sector Plan).

My Efficient Electric Home Handbook

My Efficient Electric Home Handbook is an essential resource for homeowners and renters. It provides tips and strategies on how to convert your home into an efficient, healthy and comfortable space suitable for our all-electric future. Author of the handbook, Tim Forcey, is a highly regarded energy efficiency expert and has helped over 1,000 households improve their energy efficiency and reduce their emissions. Tim explains best-practice heating and cooling, hot water heat pumps, induction cooktops, draught-proofing, insulation, solar energy and much more. Tim is the founder of the My Efficient Electric Home facebook group which has over 120,000 members and is now sharing his knowledge with all of us through his new book which is available from Darebin library and all good bookshops.

Power up to all-electric information session

The recently reestablished State Electricity Commission (SEC) is running a series of free information sessions to help households go electric. Hear from experts and others who have made the switch to an all-electric home. Learn how to get it right from day one. Online Wednesday, July 24 · 6 - 7pm. Go here for more information and to register.

Living Democracy

Many people feel that our political system is broken, locking us into ecological and societal collapse while giving destructive industries a free pass to destroy all we hold dear.

However, worldwide there are plenty of movements building real democracies. There's the assembly-based model of Rojava, the Kurdish area inside Syria, and the struggles of the Barcelona Commons to implement a better system within the constraints of conventional politics. Tim Hollo’s book Living Democracy: an ecological manifesto for the end of the world as we know it is a treasure trove of information on deliberative and participatory democracy with lots of inspiring anecdotes. You can listen to it here.

There is a growing movement calling for citizens' assemblies. These are groups of randomly selected people deliberating on issues with the help of experts and skilled facilitators. They have been held to resolve some thorny issues. There is a campaign in the UK to replace the House of Lords with a People's House. Find out more: The Extinction Rebellion Guide to Citizens’ Assemblies and Brett Hennig - the end of politicians TED talk

Meanwhile, we are taking rear-guard action to protect the imperfect democracy we already have. In Victoria, Labor and the Coalition got together to impose the move from multi-member wards to single-member wards in council elections, against the advice of election experts, in the hope that this would make it harder for Greens and independents to win. 'Reforms' at the state government level have meant we now have no independents in the Victorian parliament and similar measures are being considered at the federal level. Here's an explanation from Juice Media: Democracy and a thoughtful discussion of the proposed changes at the federal level by Follow the Money: Democracy (Handle with Care).

Could China's greenhouse emissions have peaked?

Good news stories on climate are lamentably rare but, over the last few months, climate scientists and analysts have noticed that China’s emissions of greenhouse gases appears to have peaked even though the Chinese economy continues to grow. Reporter Nick O’Malley notes that this is likely to mean that global emissions have peaked too, and that the link between economic growth and greenhouse gas production, which has persisted from the start of the industrial revolution, may have been broken.

Under the Paris Agreement, China undertook to reach its emissions peak in 2030, but it appears to have reached this target at least six years early. If it can maintain this trajectory, analysts believe that its goal of net zero by 2060 is credible and achievable, which would give the world a chance of stabilising the climate somewhere near the Paris targets.

Analysts, such as the leading climate scientist Bill Hare of Climate Analytics, think it likely that we have peaked in emissions from fossil fuels and that this is a truly historic moment, but they want to confirm this with emissions data over the next few months. If the trend continues it will show we have reached a turning point – too late and too little but hopefully sufficient to spur even faster global action.

Using Social Media to influence policy

Can you use social media to influence the next decision a politician makes or the outcome of the next election? Here is a revised and refined method called 'Social Jamming’. It is an activity designed to amplify your message by sharing it on as many social media platforms as possible, as many times as possible.

Social Jamming involves going to the politicians' social feed and putting the message you want to get across in a comment on one of their recent posts. They, or their advisors, will see your comment and you have got into their head. Other people will see it as well.

• Keep your message clear, sharp and snappy. It shouldn’t be more than a sentence or two. Hashtags work well, such as: #ClimateAction #ClimateCrisis #NoMoreGas #auspol
• Your message should be positive. Remember, we want the Government’s support to enact new laws, so the best social jamming is firm, but stays kind and respectful - e.g. 'For a safe climate future, we need strong #ClimateAction'; 'Australia needs strong climate laws to #protectnature'.
• Be as relevant to the post as possible. Jamming works best when you comment on relevant posts and accounts, e.g. comment '#NatureLawsNow' on Tanya Plibersek’s posts about threatened wildlife.

Climate Choir Melbourne

Do you enjoy singing? Do you want to remind the public of the need for climate action in a friendly, non-confrontational manner? Climate Choir Melbourne (CCM) could be the activity for you. Come and join several other members of DCAN who sing with CCM.

CCM is a group of singers who are deeply concerned about climate change. We want the government, organisations, and individuals to take emergency action to combat the impending environmental disaster, and singing is our way of campaigning for this cause. We hold no political allegiance. We sing at events organised by other groups and also hold our own pop-up choir events. Events can be on any day of the week and any time - depending on the circumstances. No member is expected to be at all CCM events - sing at the ones you can manage. Our rehearsals are normally on Sunday afternoons every two months in Abbotsford (again, not compulsory, but they help!).

Our Musical Director, Jeannie Marsh, has been performing and teaching music in Melbourne for decades, and has run a number of other community choirs.

Check us out on FaceBook, or on our website, or contact Robert.

That's all for this month - thanks for reading! If you have any feedback on this newsletter, please let us know.

Register for the Cooper Climate Election Forum – Show the candidates that Cooper voters want emergency climate action in this term of government