Federal Budget - some great initiatives but much more needed

It was great to see some very solid investments announced in the Budget for the clean energy revolution - investments for building transmission infrastructure, helping workers through the energy transition, Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment and a National Adaptation Plan. Other important initiatives include the establishment of a Net Zero Authority, reducing transport emissions and investment in hydrogen. The investment in home energy efficiency upgrades was also very welcome. Overall, however, the budget measures do not meet the scale of the climate emergency we are facing. The continued subsidies to the fossil fuel industry of more than $9 billion per year is diverting much needed capital away from much needed investment in renewables. DCAN will continue to fight these unfair subsidies to the fossil fuel industry as well as supporting the positive initiatives that speed up our race to reduce emissions. Read more about the budget and how it affects climate and biodiversity here.

Talking about gas & climate with our local pollies

Regular meetings with our State & Federal pollies are a high priority for us at DCAN. In April we were pleased to meet with newly elected Nathan Lambert, MP for Preston and Kat Theophanous, MP for Northcote to talk about state policies on gas. It was a good level of discussion where we presented the Community Gas Retirement Road Map - how and why to get off gas in Victoria prepared by Friends of the Earth after extensive community consultation. The Road Map is packed with information about gas production and use, along with tips for the state Government and householders to switch off gas by 2035. We also attended a meeting with Ged Kearney MP for Cooper along with other community representatives where we heard reports on the climate and environment protection actions already taken by Ministers Bowen and Plibersek. We look forward to continuing our dialogue and exploring opportunities to strengthen polices at all levels of government.

Let’s go electric in Darebin!

Darebin Council has launched a campaign to support households to switch to all-electric homes.
As energy prices continue to rise, all-electric homes are not only cleaner and safer, but are cheaper to run. Council wants to support all Darebin residents to make the switch - whether you’re a homeowner or renter; nearing retirement or have a young family; replacing a dead appliance or doing a full-blown renovation!
Step one is making a plan so that when your appliances and vehicles need replacing, you’re ready to go. To find out more, make your plan, and sign up for in-person and online events throughout May. Visit the Council’s Go Electric website.

Upskilling plumbers for a renewable future

Solar Victoria are supporting free training for plumbers to design and install energy efficient heat pumps and solar hot water systems.

This is such a great initiative as many plumbers simply replace old gas hot water systems with new ones, without considering these alternatives, which reduce both emissions and energy bills.

Find out more at www.solar.vic.gov.au/upskilling-plumbers

Play the Adaptation Game at CERES June 18 based on Merri-bek LGA

A community climate drill for your local area

The Adaptation Game (TAG) is an engagement tool for local governments to inspire community climate resilient action.
TAG uses gameful simulation adapted to specific local areas, so players can experience what climate adaptation and mitigation means for them. It is designed for people who accept climate change, but may feel uncertain about what they can meaningfully do about it.
In the game, players craft their own stories about how they can best prepare and respond to the climate-related crises in their homes and neighbourhoods.

Local resilience resources, information, initiatives and organisations are embedded in the game. This enables players to access tangible pathways to action, without imposing top-down solutions.

Read more at https://www.tagclimatedrill.org/

Wonderful Worms competition for school students

Did you know that each year Soil Week Australia runs a competition for primary and secondary students on healthy soil? The aim of the competition is to create awareness about the importance of healthy soil for us and the environment. By entering the competition students learn about the role of nature in carbon cycling, storage, and in healthy soil and thus food. 

Last year 60 schools from all over Australia, both rural and urban, entered the competition. Over $7000 was given out in prizes! The topic for 2023 is "Wonderful Worms." Find out more here.

Chalking Collective

Come out for a social action on St George’s Road bike path.

We meet 10am-11am each Thursday at a designated tram stop on St George’s Road bike path to chalk signs about the climate emergency, pick up litter (which is logged on the FOE website), do a bit of weeding and talk to passers-by.

There is always plenty of friendly chatter. At 11am we go to a local café for a drink and more chatter.

You can join us for any part of this - just come for a drink if you are free.

If you want to be on the mailing list for this please contact Linda Bradburn [email protected]

Sport and Climate Emergency

There has been a Net Zero Sport Summit (April 27 in Melbourne) part of the Climate Action in Sport community. One of the organisers wrote, “We all know that athletes are amongst the most influential people in the world - that’s one of the reasons the UN have identified sport as a critical sector to target for climate action (alongside fashion). Sport is going to be hugely impacted by climate change - heat, drought, flooding, air pollution from bush fires all reducing playing days as well as loss and damage to infrastructure.” Two groups involved are Let Me Be Frank and Green Planet Sport which are trying to build a community of practice around Climate Action in sport.

For more information see www.greenplanetsport.com.au

Welcome to the April edition of the DCAN Dispatch, packed with information, events and ways for you to get involved in your local climate movement!

Safeguard Mechanism legislation is a step forward, but so much further to go

In late March, after months of hard campaigning by many climate groups including DCAN, the government passed legislation to strengthen the Safeguard Mechanism which limits the emissions of the 215 most polluting facilities in Australia. The legislation was significantly improved through negotiations between Labor and the Greens.

A day after the legislation was passed, a group of DCAN members visited our local MP Ged Kearney to thank her for her advocacy in lobbying for a stronger policy, and to say how pleased we were to see effective collaboration with the Greens.

However, while acknowledging that the new legislation is a big step forwards, we pointed out that it still allows companies to use offsets and leaves room for new fossil fuel developments - see this analysis by the Australia Institute.

We also used the opportunity to provide a copy of the latest Synthesis Report from the IPCC to Ged’s advisor, Jason. Even though IPCC reports are always compromise documents that tend to underplay the severity of the climate crisis (see example here), it nevertheless spells out the urgent need for real and substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and makes it clear that there is no room for new coal and gas developments.

The fight to protect our future continues!

Help get this important report released!

The biggest national security threat we face is climate collapse. Labor agreed before the election to do a climate risk assessment. We understand it was completed by the Office of National Intelligence and went to part of Cabinet late last year, but it has not even gone to the rest of the Labor caucus. This briefing note provides some background.

We need Labor to use this report to pivot to a stronger position on climate before the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit in September. We are risking food and water shortages, conflict and mass migration, not just a few more hot days.

Join activists from climate groups around Australia in reaching out to Labor, independents and Greens to get this climate-risk assessment released. Email us if you can join us in visiting MPs with an information pack.

DCAN urges Energy Ministers to focus on reducing demand for gas

DCAN recently wrote to Federal and State Energy Ministers about measures to help householders to significantly reduce gas use. We presented the experiences of one DCAN member (‘Angela’) to illustrate the lack of information and support available to householders to significantly reduce gas use. Here is an abbreviated version:

Angela already has solar panels but wants to reduce her energy use further. She recently replaced her gas hot water when it broke down with a new gas one. If only she’d known a reputable installer of heat pumps!
Angela has gas-fired hydronic heating. She’d like to do more draught-proofing, upgrade insulation, and install reverse cycle air conditioners for summer cool and winter warmth. Who should she ask for advice?
Angela has only recently learnt that Darebin Library lends out an infrared camera to detect points of heat loss (but there’s a long waiting list). 
She’d like to replace her gas cooktop, but through DCAN she has recently learnt that it uses only 2-3% of the gas in a typical house. She may buy and trial a cheap portable induction cooktop instead. 
Again through DCAN, Angela now also knows about seeking advice on the Facebook group My Efficient Electric Home.

Click here to read the letter in full, including DCAN’s recommendations to the Ministers.

Volunteer with DCAN at the Climate Carnival!

Saturday 6th May - Sunday 7th May, 10am - 4pm at Mycelium Studios in East Brunswick

Darebin Climate Action Now, Northside Extinction Rebellion, Friends of the Earth, Climate for Change, and many other climate/bike/gardening/church groups are organising a Climate Carnival at the Mycelium Studios in May.

This special festival will showcase different approaches to protecting our climate and hopefully let everyone find their “best” place in the movement. It will also be an excellent opportunity to mix with friends.

The line-up already includes:

• Robyn Davidson (author of Tracks)
• Writer and academic Jeff Sparrow, author of several books including Crimes Against Nature, “in conversation” with XR member Professor Cath Strong
• Julian O’Shea, influencer, YouTuber and social entrepreneur
• Professor Ann Sanson’s session for parents on “How to talk to children about climate change”
• Coalition of Everything’s Sonia Randhawa explaining Citizens Assemblies
• Indie/blues/roots/funk/folk singer-guitarist Peter Vadiveloo
• Guerrilla gardening and badge making

There will be much more, including a children’s area, music and singing, stalls and other activities!

We are looking for volunteers to staff the DCAN stall with shifts from 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm and 2pm-4pm both days. Just email us with your preferred time(s)!

Join the Darebin Chalk Collective!

Join us on Thursday mornings 10am to 11am on the St George's Road Bike Path. We collect litter (and log it on the FOE web site), talk to passers-by, chalk Climate Action slogans and sometimes weed a little. It is great fun! At 11am we go for coffee at a local café. Please come and join us for either chalking or just for coffee! Contact Linda Bradburn for more details. 

If you're not sure what the Safeguard Mechanism really is, and how effective it will be in reducing emissions, here are two useful sessions being held by some of our fellow Climate Action groups:

Australia's Climate Policy - Effective or Greenwashing? Forum

Tuesday 18th April, 6:30pm at Phoenix Theatre in Elwood

Port Phillip Emergency Climate Action (PECAN), Bayside Climate Crisis Action Group (BCCAG) and Glen Eira Emergency Climate Action Network (GECAN) are teaming up to hold a forum on Australia's Climate Policy, known as the Safeguard Mechanism. The forum will delve into the Safeguard Mechanism, climate integrity, carbon credits and whether this policy can be the real deal when it comes to the critical work of reducing emissions. 

Click here to register for this free event.

Understanding the Safeguard Mechanism 

Wednesday 26th April, 7:30pm at Kew Seniors Centre, Kew

PM Albanese successfully negotiated with the Greens to get this flagship climate policy through Parliament. Now we ask, was it worth the effort? What will this policy achieve and where does it fall short? How will the "hard cap" work in practice? What coal or gas projects will be prevented?

It's early days but if anyone can answer these questions, it's these experts:

• Dr Jennifer Rayner, Climate Council's Head of Advocacy
• Leigh Ewbank, Climate Action Network Australia Senior Climate Outreach Manager

Join these speakers at Lighter Footprints' free forum on 26 April - register here!

Climate for Change’s Fellowship Applications due 1 May

Applications are now open for Climate for Change’s Fundraising and Communications Fellowship. The six week program involves weekly online training sessions and two weekend intensives, in which fellows learn essential skills for entering the not-for-profit sector. In the last month of the program, they put these skills to immediate effect as ambassadors in the organisation’s peer-to-peer fundraising campaign – raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for climate action.

Applications close 11pm May 1, 2023. Click here to apply. 

Welcome to the March edition of the DCAN Dispatch. According to Environment Victoria, gas could be biggest source of climate pollution in Victoria by 2035. Read on to find out what we're working on in our mission to get off gas, community roadmaps, energy savings, and more.

DCAN joins with other groups to meet with Ms. Ged Kearney, Federal Member for Cooper, about the Safeguards Mechanism

Representatives of several groups including Climate for Change, Friends of the Earth, Neighbours United for Climate Action, Newlands Parents for Climate Action, as well as DCAN, met with Ms. Kearney on Monday February 27th. The focus of the meeting was on strengthening Labor’s Climate Safeguard Mechanism policy. 

Ms. Kearney was responsive to our personal concerns and we were impressed that, before the meeting, she had consulted with Minister Chris Bowen about our four key ‘asks’. Their responses to these ‘asks’ were:

1. ‘Polluters should not be able to purchase carbon credits unless they first invest in genuine emission cuts at their facilities’. They agreed that this was desirable, and Minister Bowen stated that modelling indicated that the Safeguard Mechanism would lead to emissions targets being met by 2030. He is also keen to use green hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels.
2. ‘Polluters must prioritise the purchase of carbon credits created when other facilities in the Safeguard Mechanism reduce their emissions below their baselines (SMCs) before they are allowed to use Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).’ Minister Bowen agrees in principle but is still unsure how to ensure this in practice.
3. 'Polluters should be required to phase out their reliance on Australian Carbon Credit Units’. Minister Bowen agrees but believes that this may not be possible before 2030 and is ‘technology dependent’.
4. ‘Ban new coal and gas facilities bringing their enormous pollution into the Safeguard Mechanism and purchasing carbon credits to cover it.’ It is difficult politically to commit to no new coal and gas projects but the government is 100% committed to targets and the
   net zero pledge. Their focus will be on electrification.

Ms. Kearney also emphasised other initiatives such as Star of the South off-shore wind farm, community batteries and big plans for agriculture. She is eager to meet with us again, and for this group to meet with Minister Bowen. 

Please join us in our campaign to push Labor to strengthen the Climate Safeguard Mechanism.

Jane Morton, representing Extinction Rebellion, also met with Ms. Ged Kearney and pushed strongly for Labor to agree to no new coal or gas. Jane pointed out that a reasonable compromise with the Greens would be to include climate as a consideration when the EPBC Act is revised later this year, as this would effectively stop new coal and gas indirectly. 80% of Australians think that climate impacts should be considered when new fossil fuel projects seek environmental approvals so it would be a popular move. Anthony Albanese himself was pushing for a climate trigger in the EPBC act back in 2005.

Gas submission welcomed

Over the last few years, DCAN member and environmental economist Jim Crosthwaite has developed a strong understanding of how the gas system works, from extraction through to sale to households and businesses, and has been writing a number of submissions on gas on behalf of DCAN. He hopes that, even if they do not lead directly to policy change, these submissions give courage to sympathetic government insiders, and also inform gas campaigners of options for applying pressure on the gas industry and government.

At a recent meeting, DCAN gave his latest submission to Ms. Ged Kearney’s adviser. Indicating the value of these submissions, Jim received an email from the adviser thanking him for the submission with an invitation to provide a briefing in the near future. Jim was also advised that the submission had been forwarded to Minister Bowen's office.

Click here to read the submission. Email Jim to find out more about the DCAN gas group.

Community Gas Retirement Roadmap 

In response to the Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap which charts a slow and partial transition off gas, the No More Gas collective in Friends of the Earth Melbourne has written another ‘roadmap’ called the called Community Gas Retirement Roadmap. This crowd-sourced contribution to a clean energy future has lots of information about gas production and use, along with tips for the state Government - and householders – on how to switch off gas by 2035.

According to Environment Victoria, gas could be biggest source of climate pollution in Victoria by 2035. Click here to read their latest report.

The stories that gas companies tell us, or don't tell us 

RenewEconomy is a fantastic source of information on the fossil fuel industry and the alternatives. Follow these links to learn more about how gas companies are misleading the public:

• On the role of gas in storing power in the electricity system
• What they have known for decades about indoor air pollution from gas.

Michael West Media also takes a deep dive into fossil fuels.  

Improve the energy efficiency of your home

Friday 17 March, 4–5pm @ Preston Library, 266 Gower St Preston

Are you looking for ways to save $$ by lowering your energy bills? Whether you rent or own, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce your energy use – and the library is here to help! Did you know that household energy efficiency toolkits and thermal imaging camera kits are available to borrow from the library?

Join subject matter experts Elizabeth Wheeler and Katy Daily as they step you through how to improve energy efficiency in your home. There’ll also be plenty of time for all your questions. Click here to register.

$250 Power Savings Bonus - new round March 24

Have you claimed your $250 Power Saving Bonus from the Victorian government yet? Get in before 23 March – and then take advantage of the new round to apply for another $250 from 24 March.

All Victorian households are eligible to claim this government rebate designed to help you manage rising gas and electricity bills and make sure you’re getting the best energy deal. The application process will take five to ten minutes of your time, and you will need to have a recent electricity bill with you. You can apply directly here.

Unlocking Sustainable Strata

Join the Yarra City Council from 6:30pm - 8pm on Tuesday 28 March at the Fitzroy Town Hall Reading Room for an evening of inspiration, practical advice, and community, to learn about Unlocking Sustainable Strata. They've teamed up as a community partner of Sustainable House Day to bring you this event.

Hear practical advice from the new guides for Unlocking Sustainable Strata and Electrifying Apartments developed by Yarra City Council, Merri-bek City Council, and environmentally sustainable design experts at Hip v Hype. Get inspired by local residents who’ve made their apartments more sustainable. Meet other apartment owners and residents making their buildings more sustainable, over nibbles.

Click here to register for this free event.

Listen: ABC's Democracy & Dissent: The future of environmental protest in Australia

In case you missed it, here's ABC Radio National's Big Ideas Festival broadcast of Democracy & Dissent: The future of environmental protest in Australia. Featuring Jacqui Katona, Clive Hamilton, Violet CoCo, and David Mejia-Canales. 
Click here to listen.

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

For more information on events across Victoria, visit the Victorian Climate Action Network events page here.

Welcome to the February edition of the DCAN Dispatch. This month may be short, but we're certainly not short on climate events and actions! Don't forget you can also follow the action on our Facebook page.

DCAN Planning Group re-energised and ready to go!

The DCAN planning group recently got together at the Northcote Library to re-energise and agree on our goals for 2023. One of our key goals is to build the capacity of our group so that we are better positioned to meet the challenges and take up the opportunities that lie ahead in 2023 and beyond.

While the election of a new Federal Parliament was a game changer (and huge relief), there is so much more to do given the urgency and size of the climate problem. We are looking forward to working with our supporters, local community, business, and political leaders in taking stronger action to safeguard our climate.

If you can help with any tasks, either big or small, we would love to have a chat with you. In particular, we are looking for help with admin tasks to support our monthly meetings, help with social media, and organising or participating in campaigns (see below for a special opportunity to join a DCAN Gas Group).

But if there are other projects you’d like to work on, just let us know! Drop us a line at [email protected] or call Karen on 0425 753 266 or Ann on 0408 948 811 for a chat.

Multiple ways you can help to shift us all away from gas use

You can help DCAN to make 2023 the year for getting off fossil gas. 

• Take smart personal action to reduce your use of gas.
• Join DCAN actions in support of renewable energy.
• Join a revitalised DCAN gas group, working for change at local, state, and national levels. 

Did you know that 47% of the solution to using less fossil fuels is by increasing energy efficiency? Getting smarter in our energy use means we'll need fewer wind turbines! In 2021, DCAN supporters leafletted every residence in the Cooper electorate with a brochure on how to 'get off gas' (see image).

Can you offer a few hours a month to be part of this great initiative? We'll start by identifying priority actions, such as:

• Finding out more about local gas use.
• Writing submissions.
• Talking to local businesses and organisations.
• Promoting retrofits for vulnerable and low-income people so they are climate safe in summer and winter.
• Reviewing Darebin Council's draft Climate Emergency Plan on how Council proposes to reduce community and business gas use.
• Coordinating with other groups, locally and more broadly.
• Helping to promote the Community Gas Retirement Roadmap in your local community.
• Organising events and activities.

To discuss this or find out more, please email Jim Crosthwaite at [email protected]

Safeguard our climate, not polluter profits!

We have a rapidly-closing window of time (about six weeks) to push for a strengthened Climate Safeguard Mechanism from the Federal Government that will crack down on the Dirty Dozen polluters and force them to make real emissions cuts this decade. Last month, the Government announced its proposed reforms to the Climate Safeguard Mechanism. But there's a big problem... the reforms would allow fossil fuel companies to continue emitting huge amounts of carbon emissions and get away with writing them off with unfettered offsets.

DCAN has joined with other climate groups to do weekly flyering at BHP and support other creative events led by Friends of the Earth. We would love you to join us! Here is the calendar of events, including:
Tuesdays 7th Feb - 14th Mar (12-2pm): Weekly flyering at BHP
Tuesday 14th Feb: Crafternoon: The true history of the Dirty Dozen
Tuesday 28th Feb: What's the Dirt on BHP?
Friday 3rd Mar: Street Rally: The Legacy of Shell

Photo credit: Julian Meehan

Outreach update
The outreach team has updated the Merri Pde mural from 'Vote Climate' to the more timely 'ACT NOW - while we still can'. We are still gathering at 10am on Thursdays on the St George’s Rd bike path to pick up litter, (which is then analysed and logged), chalk climate messages, and chat with and offer our resources flyer to passersby. We “recover” from our efforts at a local cafe after. New members are always welcome to join this friendly group. Get in touch and we’ll let you know the changing meeting points.

Events from other climate groups

Extinction Rebellion Northside is still doing lots of events, both disruptive and community-building. At 11am on Sunday 26th February, they will be part of a peaceful demonstration on the Maribyrnong River in solidarity with locals and the still suffering victims of the Lismore floods, one year after so many people’s lives were changed for the worse. Click here for event details. 

XRNorthside are also running a stall at the Sydney Rd Festival on Sunday 5th March. They’d be delighted if you stopped for a chat.

Write for Climate Action with CCL

Citizens' Climate Lobby is hosting their inaugural Climate Action Writing Workshop on Wednesday 15th February at 7:30pm AEDT. In this small group workshop, you can choose to either write a letter to your newspaper, to your MP, or a post on social media. Others will be there to lend a hand and offer feedback. 

Click here to register your interest.

National Sustainable Living Festival 1 - 28 February

It’s not too late to catch some amazing events at the National Sustainable Living Festival. This is the largest and longest-running sustainability event in Australia, and it all takes place in the heart of Melbourne. Expand your mind with the latest in sustainable living innovations, connect with like-minded people in the community and hear from thought leaders in sustainable practices. Check out the full program here.

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to the first DCAN Dispatch of 2023! Let's hope for – and work for – a peaceful and productive year with real progress on addressing the climate emergency. Read on for ways to get involved and some great climate book recommendations.

Reasons to be cheerful and work to be done 

There were many signs of progress last year, such as those listed here. But emissions are still rising and we need much greater transformations in our economies and lifestyles to avoid climate catastrophe.

So there is plenty of work for DCAN to do this year! Locally, DCAN will be working to ensure that our Council’s new Climate Emergency Plan is ambitious, inspiring, and effective. And we will continue to encourage residents and businesses to reduce their carbon footprints. 

At the State level, we will continue to oppose the new draconian laws against forest protestors and proposals for new gas developments.

And at the national level, we will argue for higher emissions reduction targets, support strengthening the laws that protect biodiversity and seek increased investment in infrastructure to speed the transition to zero carbon.

We hope you will help us shape this year’s action plans and support us in these initiatives. Email us to let us know your ideas and how you would like to be involved.

Calling on the Dirty Dozen to lift their game

Just before Christmas, DCAN joined with Lighter Footprints, Higgins CAN and Friends of the Earth to deliver a letter to three members of the Dirty Dozen – Shell, ExxonMobil and BHP, calling on them to pull their weight on climate. The Dirty Dozen are big coal, oil, and gas companies responsible for nearly half of the emissions covered by Australia’s Climate Safeguard Mechanism. This is the mechanism that the Federal Government uses to put a cap on industry emissions and to drive them down over time.

The letter was also published in the Age and Financial Review on behalf of the 48 organisations who have signed up to the national campaign to draw attention to the Dirty Dozen’s terrible track record on emissions. The campaign also aims to provide strong support for the Government in strengthening the Climate Safeguard Mechanism.

Planning is underway to develop community actions to turn up the heat on the Dirty Dozen ahead of a Government review of the Safeguards. Let us know if you would like to be involved.

Getting off gas - your experience?

Getting off fossil gas is an important part of decreasing carbon emissions.
DCAN is very interested to find out your experience. Have you tried? What were the challenges? How much did it cost? This could be in a domestic, industrial or commercial setting.

Please email Linda Bradburn and describe your experience or any attempts or road blocks you have faced. What would have made the process easier? All replies appreciated no matter how brief or what the outcome was.

January@Northcote Library

Darebin Libraries has helped us curate a collection of a few of our climate action artefacts for their LibArt space. We chose several photos of some of our outreach activities, our 'What is Climate Change?' poster, fence signs and our big banner and put them with two doll’s houses filled with soft toy elephants. We hoped this playful point-maker might attract and entertain some of the younger Library visitors. We hope that you too might like to visit, and thank the library for their help.

As part of the project we collected a few book recommendations from the planning group. All these favourites are available to borrow or reserve on the Darebin Libraries Catalogue.

The Glad Shout by Alice Robinson is set in a not-too-distant, storm-damaged Melbourne. 

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson is reviewed as “a masterpiece of the imagination, the story of how climate change will affect us all over the decades to come. . . . one of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written.”

Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet by George Monbiot is a very interesting read from a brilliant researcher and writer.

Letters to the Earth is a 2019 collation of the writing of nurses, poets, nine-year olds and grandparents. 

The Treeline: the Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth by Ben Rawlence. Rawlence traveled to Scotland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia, Canada, Alaska and Greenland to discover what the trees and the people who live and work with them have to tell us about the future of our planet. 

Fire Country: How Indigenous Fire Management Could Save Australia, by Victor Steffensen, tells of Victor's experiences and stories learning about landscape's alarming state of disrepair and devastation, and teaching the Indigenous fire practices which could bring ecological health to our country.

Humanity’s Moment by Joëlle Gergis is a climate scientist's personal guide to rekindling hope, and a call to action to restore our relationship with ourselves, each other and our planet. Joëlle’s 2018 book Sunburnt Country: the History and Future of Climate Change in Australia is also fascinating. 

On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein was huge in 2019 and is still relevant.

Relevant to the recent controversy about using art to attract attention to the climate movement, and Extinction Rebellion UK’s announcement that they were suspending their tactic of disruption is How to Blow Up a Pipeline: Learning to Fight in a World on Fire by Andras Malm. Malm moves from the forests of Germany and the streets of London to the deserts of Iraq. He offers us an incisive discussion of the politics and ethics of pacifism and violence, democracy and social change, strategy and tactics. 

And, for the littlies:
The Little Gardener, by Emily Hughes, is about a little gardener who worked very hard, but feared he was just too little to fix his overwhelming garden, and how he made a BIG difference.

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to the last DCAN Dispatch of 2022, with updates on the Victorian election, supporting climate activists, our annual report, and more! Settle in with a cup of tea to reflect on our bumper year of climate action.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers who helped make climate and forests central issues in the Victorian election

We ran a well-attended climate forum, letter-boxed 20,000 climate scorecards, handed out scorecards at railway stations, distributed hundreds of climate emergency and forests house signs and were an active presence during some of the days of early voting. Our climate voting guides included important information on the mysterious preferencing deals that dictate the end result for Victorian voters who opt to vote one above the line in the upper house.

The outcome has been a positive in many ways: Labor has been returned with a large and comfortable majority and will have little to fear from a weakened and directionless opposition. They have a strong mandate to implement their climate and energy commitments including the re-establishment of the State Electricity Commission to develop publicly owned renewable energy facilities. The Greens have held onto their three lower house seats and added Richmond. However, they narrowly missed out in Northcote and the three ‘teal’ independents who were seen as having the best chance, also lost in close contests.

The upper house results will not be available till next week, but it looks as though Labor may need to negotiate with the Greens to pass legislation and that would be a very good thing for speeding the transition away from fossil fuels and hastening the end of native forest logging.

Climate activist receives long jail sentence

Climate activist, Violet Coco has been given a 15 month jail sentence with a minimum of 8 months for a number of charges including blocking a lane of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for 25 minutes with Fireproof Australia. She is the first climate activist to receive a long sentence under the draconian anti-protest laws recently introduced in New South Wales. Harsh penalties for forest protests are coming in Victoria and Tasmania soon too, so let’s give Violet as much support as we can by:

• liking, commenting on and sharing social media coverage (#FreeVioletCoco),
• donating to and sharing the fundraiser for her legal expenses, and
• writing to Violet in prison to help keep her spirits up. 

DCAN Annual Report for 2022 is out now!

2022 was another very busy year for DCAN, packed with creative actions and events including working on two election campaigns. You can read all about our work in DCAN’s Annual Report which was tabled at the Annual General Meeting last week.

A standout highlight for the year was the Cultural Awareness training day with Uncle Bill Nicholson from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. The training was a positive step along our path to working alongside First Nations People towards a safe climate future.

Speaking to the report, Convenor Ann Sanson gave special thanks to members of the Planning Group who led and participated in the local council, outreach, and election campaign working groups. Ann also referred to the very positive outcomes from our work with the Metro Community Power Hub, the Good Car Company and the Darebin Climate Alliance.

Ann concluded by thanking all the volunteers who participated in the election campaigns by letterboxing, handing out the climate scorecards, and distributing fence signs. She also expressed deep thanks to our many supporters who dipped into their pockets to help cover the cost of election scorecards and fence signs.

Electric Vehicle bulk buy project extended due to high community demand! 

The success of the Darebin/Northern Melbourne EV community bulk buy project has led to an extension in the program to the 16th of December!  So if you are interested in what's on offer it's not too late! Check out the details of the Bulk Buy opportunity here. 

To date, more than 600 people have registered to participate in the program with 200 people turning out for the information-packed Show and Shine event in Bundoora.  65 people have taken test drives and 20 cars are currently in the process of being purchased - removing 50 tonnes of carbon emissions from local roads. If you missed the Show and Shine event you can watch it here.

The Good Car Company’s efforts to bring more affordable electric vehicles to Australia received a very welcome boost in October when Boundless Earth, a philanthropic venture, announced it was going to invest in the Company. With this investment, the Good Car Company is able to increase the number of EVs they import from around 200 per year to 2,000! This has already led to a greater variety of cars on offer which you can view on the Good Car Company website. 

DCAN would like to whole-heartedly thank Kay Wennagel who worked tirelessly on behalf of DCAN to help coordinate and promote the EV program locally. We would also like to thank Darebin Council for the Community Grant which enabled us to partner with the Good Car Company in this exciting program.

We are also grateful to Yarra and Merri-bek Councils for their support.

Who are the Dirty Dozen and what can we do about them?

The Dirty Dozen polluters are the usual suspects of big coal, oil, and gas companies. Together, these fossil fuel companies are responsible for nearly half of the emissions covered by Australia’s Climate Safeguard Mechanism – the mechanism whereby the Federal Government puts a cap on industry emissions and drives these down over time. While the Mechanism did not make polluters cut emissions under the previous Coalition government, Labor has been elected with a mandate to strengthen the mechanism and plans to have updated regulations up and running by July 2023.

The big polluters have wasted no time in mounting a campaign to derail the Government’s intentions and dodge their responsibilities. They have put forward loopholes big enough to drive a coal truck through. It’s time for the Dirty Dozen polluters to pull their weight when it comes to tackling the climate crisis.

DCAN has signed on to the national campaign to draw attention to the Dirty Dozen’s terrible track record on emissions and to provide strong support for the Government in strengthening the mechanism to protect the climate. If you are interested in helping out with this campaign by writing emails to politicians and/or using social media please let us know.

Coming events targeting the banks financing new coal and gas projects

Are you available to attend the Westpac AGM on Wednesday 14 December from 10am at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre? Our friends at Move Beyond Coal will be in attendance and we all know crowds make these events more effective.
Or there’s an online rally targeting the NAB on Thursday December 15th, 1pm- 2pm. But it’s not a meeting! It’s a rally!

'Tis the season...

Some DCAN members also attended the Extinction Rebellion protest to End Fast Fashion, held in the Bourke Street Mall on Black Friday, just in time for some Christmas not-shopping!

Thanks for reading and for supporting DCAN in 2022. We look forward to another year of action after a restful break. 

Welcome to the November Dispatch, with updates on our recent events and news about upcoming community actions. The countdown to the State Election is on - vote climate!

Help us make climate a central issue in this election!

With only 2 weeks to the Victorian election, it’s a time when all DCAN supporters can try to get voters thinking about climate policies and using their vote wisely.

As usual, we are producing scorecards for both the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and Legislative Council (upper house) which rate all candidates/parties on their climate policies. Because nominations of candidates do not close until 11 November, the scorecards won’t be available till late next week. So then the rush will be on!

Can you help distribute scorecards – either by letter-boxing or handing them out at train stations or other places where people gather? If so, please let us know.

Fence/window signs still available

Now is also the critical time to get out our house/fence signs. If you would like one, please contact Katherine, who can arrange pick up or delivery to your address. Email Katherine or phone 0402 451 236

Standing room only for Northcote Election Forum

It was a full house for the candidates’ climate forum held at Span Community House on 3rd November! Five candidates vying for the seat of Northcote spoke with passion about their personal and political commitments to take action on climate. There were some excellent questions from the audience including questions about banning new gas exploration and logging native forests.

The five candidates were the current sitting Member for Northcote, Kat Theophanous from the Australian Labor Party, Kath Larkin from the Victorian Socialists, Tim Oseckas from the Animal Justice Party, Campbell Gome from the Greens, and Adrian Whitehead standing as an independent. 

The forum was moderated by Emeritus Professor Judith Brett, local resident, and political historian, and was organised by DCAN with the Darebin Climate Alliance. Missed the forum? Don’t worry - you can watch it here.

The sun shone and so did the electric vehicles on show

The Darebin/Northern Melbourne Show and Shine event at Bundoora last Sunday was a huge success. About 200 people attended to inspect the electric cars and vans and go for test drives. The Good Car Company provided an excellent presentation, answered lots of questions, and had many conversations throughout the day with people keen to find out how their bulk buy works and the savings to be made on purchases via the scheme. We also had lots of great conversations at the DCAN table. The campaign continues this month with test drives and info sessions on Zoom.

It’s not too late to be part of the special bulk buy offer which is open until the 6th December. Register for updates here.

Help clear the air of wood smoke pollution this state election 

Communities for Clean Air Network is a network of people from a diverse range of backgrounds concerned about air pollution and climate change. The network aims to raise awareness about the health and environmental impacts of air pollution, in particular wood smoke pollution.  

Please support the campaign by going to this link.

Did you see our Dotspace display?

We used Halloween as an opportunity to get our giant skeleton into the Clarke Street Dotspace gallery. Lots of our flyers there were taken, so hopefully a little more climate action is taking place.

We already have plans for our next installation! If you have a public facing space we can use, please get in touch.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join us on Fridays, 5pm - 6pm

The Northcote Fridays for Future gang, a few DCANers and rebels from Extinction Rebellion Northside, all gather at the intersection of St George’s Rd and Merri Pde. We are now on the spring and summer timeslot of 5pm to 6pm on, naturally, Fridays.

It is working really well, with lots of friendly chats to pedestrians, bike riders, and even the occasional driver - the light sequence involves long waits! We also give out our Actions/Groups flyers. We communicate with each other through a Signal chat and would be happy to add you. Let us know if you’d like to be included. Or just turn up and check us out!

Chop the slots on Tuesday 15 November @ Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Join Flight Free Australia as they meet at the opening of the global fossil fuelled aviation industry's  151st International Air Transport Association (IATA) Slot Conference. This gathering to allocate airport landing & departure gates to airlines represents IATA continuing aviation emissions growth, and coincides with the second week of COP27.

For more information, go to the Facebook event page here.

For more information on events across Victoria, visit the Victorian Climate Action Network events page here.

Welcome to the October edition of the DCAN Dispatch, packed full of practical ways for you to support climate change action and get inspired!

KEY EVENTS & NEWS

Northcote Election Climate Forum: Thursday 3 November, 7pm–8:30pm at Span Community House Thornbury

Show the candidates that we want emergency climate action in this term of government! RSVP here.

The election forum is a great opportunity to put questions directly to the candidates. All candidates with climate policies will be invited. The forum will be moderated by Emeritus Professor Judith Brett - well known political historian, author, and resident of Northcote. 

Brought to you by the Darebin Climate Alliance (DCA). All people attending the event are encouraged to wear a mask and keep a safe distance from each other.

Darebin/Northern Melbourne Community EV Show & Shine: Sunday 6 November, 10am–2pm at Bundoora Secondary College

Are you keen to find out more about electric cars AND find one that you can afford? DCAN, in partnership with the Good Car Company, is very excited to invite you to register for our free upcoming program of information on the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) and how you can find one that is more affordable.

The Good Car Company is a social enterprise dedicated to decarbonising transport and has been working with community groups and local councils across Australia to accelerate the take-up of affordable electric cars through community bulk buys.

Register now to join us for a free, no-obligation program of information, online Q&A, and the Show & Shine event on Sunday 6 November at Bundoora Secondary College. The Show & Shine event will feature the cars on offer, information sessions, test rides, a coffee cart, sausage sizzle, and live music!

You will be able to buy an EV at a much more affordable price through the program - but there is absolutely no obligation to buy. If you don’t end up buying you will still be armed with the information you need to make a decision in the future. Please contact us if you have any questions. Proudly supported by Darebin City Council’s Community Grants program.

DCAN visits Moondog Brewery

A few of the DCAN Planning Group members were invited for a tour of Moon Dog World in Preston last month. DCAN is keen to be in touch with local Darebin businesses as the Snapshot report shows industrial and commercial electricity make up 41% of Darebin’s carbon emissions.

We had a fascinating tour of the brewing area by Karl van Buuren, one of the founders. A repurposed Toyota factory, Moondog has put on 100kw of solar PV and has a retractable roof area. Gas is used in the brewing process and Karl described how this was hard to replace with current technology.

Moondog is currently working with consultants to achieve carbon-neutral certification which is due to happen soon. Significant work has been done with packaging to reduce it and ensure the sources of products are environmentally friendly. At the end of the tour, we were treated to some Seltzer. Many thanks to Karl and the team for such an excellent presentation.

Induction Cooktops - Portable Possibilities

Here's a tip from Eileen (pictured) and Keith for using less gas, for both homeowners and renters. Keith and Eileen bought a cheap portable induction cooktop. For two people in the dwelling, it has worked very well. They cooked with it almost exclusively for two years.

A portable single induction cooktop costs well under $100 online and is sometimes on special at Aldi. Keith and Eileen used a magnet to make sure their saucepans were compatible. 

For Keith and Eileen, transitioning off gas was vital, and this was a short term step. Now they are going the whole hog and replacing the gas stove with an all-electric induction stove. A portable induction cooktop can still be a good solution over the long term. And renters can take it with them!

We wonder about the feasibility of a borrowing scheme so people can trial induction cooking. We see a real need to combat the 'gas cooking is easy' messages of the gas industry. Have you successfully transitioned to induction cooking? Email us your story!

Fence signs targeting the upcoming Victorian election

Please help us get these fence signs out! We have two versions available and would be very happy to hear from anyone who would like to put these up on their fence or gate.

If you live near a railway station or on a prominent road, these are always effective places for these signs.

If you would like a fence sign please get in touch with Katherine, who can arrange for you to pick up a sign or will deliver it to your address.

E: [email protected]
M: 0402 451 236

OTHER EVENTS

Leafletting help needed for the Victorian Forest Alliance

You might have noticed some leaflets and signage in Northcote for the Victorian Forest Alliance - but they still need some help with this, especially around Richmond, Prahran, and Albert Park. 

Click here for more information about their upcoming events and to help out.

Oakhill Food Justice Farm Gardening Day: Sunday 23 October 10am–1.30pm in Preston

Oakhill Farm is a community urban farm and food forest in the heart of Preston, on the corner of Plenty Road and Tyler Street.

100% of the produce grown onsite is distributed amongst Oakhill farmers and through food relief initiatives such as DIVRS. By offering training in urban agriculture and peer-to-peer networking opportunities, Oakhill Food Justice Farm not only builds food systems literacy but empowers community members with new skills and stronger social connections.

The ACF Community is planning an exciting morning on Sunday 23 October where there will be seed sowing, planting, maintenance, and learning new skills, followed by a BBQ. This is a great opportunity to learn about how to pursue a backyard food farm through learning new skills, listening, and observing what is involved. 

RSVP here but hurry as places are limited!

Active Hope Workshop: Saturday 22 October, 9am - 6:30pm at Gembrook

Gembrook Retreat is hosting a workshop called 'Active Hope in Times of Change and Crisis' that may interest some of our members. For more information and to sign up, click here.

Welcome to this month's edition of the DCAN Dispatch, featuring ways you can get involved in shaping climate strategy or protecting forests, good news, events, and more!

Have your say on Darebin's new climate emergency strategy

Dotspace Exhibition

Our flyers are also available as part of a new installation at Dotspace in Charles Street, Westgarth. The shopfront where the indomitable Dot once sold newspapers is currently hosting “giant newspaper” props from Extinction Rebellion Northside.

#TellTheTruth will grow week by week, as more papers are added. Eventually, they will then be removed, one by one.

EVENTS

Extinction Rebellion Northside are hoping to organise a screening of Conscientious Protectors for Thursday September 29th at the Westgarth Cinema. If you have been missing the cinema experience but unexcited about the general offerings, you might like to check out the story of how in April 2019 Extinction Rebellion rallied the largest civil disobedience of a generation, holding London to ransom for 10 days and forcing the government to meet and discuss their three demands to avert the climate crisis. Contact Lesley if you'd like to attend. 

Welcome to this month's edition of the DCAN Dispatch, featuring information about how you can get involved in the forest protectors campaign, updates on the Gas Substitution Roadmap and new Climate Bill, and upcoming local events.