As climate catastrophe looms ever closer, some opinion leaders still hold fast to the view that we must not mention the seriousness of our plight for fear of demoralising people.

But how could we explain to our children, in some dystopian future of runaway global warming, that we held back from telling the truth at a time when human action could still have made a difference? It’s time to talk honestly about the climate emergency and what we need to do to save human civilisation and the precious eco-systems on which we depend.

Download ‘Don’t mention the emergency?’ and give a copy of the booklet to others in your local networks.

Contact the author, Jane Morton at [email protected] if you would like her to lead a group discussion on climate emergency messaging, or if you would like hard copies of the booklet for an event.

"Climate change is now reaching the end-game, where very soon humanity must choose between taking unprecedented action, or accepting that it has been left too late and bear the consequences” says Hans Schellnhuber in the foreward to a new groundbreaking critique of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) written by David Spratt and Ian Dunlop. What Lies Beneath - The Understatement of Existential Climate Risk is essential reading for everyone concerned about the lack of action on climate change and what we are up against.

Here's our Vote Climate scorecard for the Batman by-election which is being held on the 17th March 2018. This election will be very close and every vote will count. Please help us get the message out - we need strong political representatives and parties who will take action on the climate emergency. Send us an email to find out where you can pick up the scorecards and maps for letterboxing. 

Eight of the twelve candidates in the Northcote by-election are supporting the call to declare a climate emergency: Bryony Edwards (independent – Save the Planet), Lidia Thorpe (Greens), Clare Burns (Labor), Joseph Toscano (independent), Russell Hayward (independent), Nevena Spirovska (independent), Nina Lenk (Animal Justice Party) and Laura Chipp (Reason). 

The campaign is supported by eminent people from across the political spectrum including John Hewson (past Liberal opposition leader), Carmel Lawrence (past Labor premier of Western Australia), Rob Oakshott (past federal independent) and Christine Milne (past leader of the Greens). Read more here. 

Join the campaign by signing on here. 

We are joining with 11 other community groups to hold a candidates’ forum on Thursday 9 November from 7pm till 9pm at the Northcote Town Hall. The Northcote by-election will be a close contest between Greens candidate Lidia Thorpe and Labor candidate Clare Burns, and both of these candidates are confirmed for the forum. All the other candidates are invited as well. The forum will be chaired by eminent human rights lawyer and former Victorian Public Advocate, Julian Gardner and will include two songs from special guest, singer and songwriter, Shane Howard. There will be one hour for questions from the floor. Show the candidates that you care about climate action, by coming and asking a question. Invite your friends via Facebook 

On Sunday 12 November, from 6.00pm to 8.30pm, join us for a unique, highly entertaining musical journey telling the story of our changing climate. Music for a Warming World uses original folk, reggae and world music, combining it with stunning immersive visuals making it a truly memorable and inspiring event.
The evening will be a fundraiser for our Vote Climate campaign in the Northcote by-election. The music will be following by finger food, drinks and a raffle. Tickets are $30 and bookings are essential https://www.trybooking.com/SJGI. The venue is the St Andrews Fairfield Uniting Church, 85 Gillies Street, Fairfield.
Can’t come to the fundraiser? We would appreciate a donation via our Paypal account. We need to raise about $1500 to pay for printing and house signs.

Politicians from each of the major parties receiving 18,101 signatures calling on the national Parliament to declare a climate emergency. Steve Posselt (in dark blue) handed over the signatures on behalf of grassroots climate groups across Australia. The presentation came at the end of Steve's two month journey paddling his kayak from Ballina to Canberra. Along the way Steve also collected signatures and spoke with many people who are concerned about the lack of national action on climate change. 

Darebin Climate Action Now is continuing to help collect signatures.  We are working towards a national target of 100,000 signatures so that the petition can be presented in the House of Representatives. Add your name by signing the petition here.

DCAN supporters pitched in to help gather 1,300 signatures on the Climate Emergency Declaration Petition at the Sustainable Living Festival in February.  

DCAN supporters rallying outside local MP, David Feeney's office recently, were rewarded by Mr Feeney signing the petition for a climate emergency declaration. Mr Kelvin Thomson, former member for Wills who happened to be visiting Mr Feeney also signed the petition. The rally was organised by DCAN to call on the Federal Labor Party to show leadership in saying 'NO' to the Adani coal mine. This coal mine threatens to destroy our Great Barrier Reef and our future by contributing to dangerous climate change

We are pleased to have our local member on board.  Now we are looking to him to campaign within the Labor Party for strong action on the climate emergency. Our thanks to DCAN supporters, Climate Action Moreland, Environment Victoria, Friends of the Earth and others who joined us in supporting this action. 

At its very first meeting the new Darebin Council voted unanimously to recognise that we are in a climate emergency and need to take urgent action to respond to this challenge. This strong show of leadership by councillors builds on the hard work of DCAN supporters who lobbied candidates to sign the declaration in the run up to the election   We are very pleased to see councillors put their promise into action and start the ball rolling on this most critical issue.

Many thanks to Councillor Trent McCarthy and Mayor Kim Le Cerf for putting forward the motion which was supported by all councillors present. We also welcome the announcement of a Darebin Energy Foundation and a Darebin Nature Trust.  We are very much looking forward to working with Council in 2017!