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Environmentalists Dr.Simon Leslie from Thirroul and Tom Hunt from Oak Flats, before their epic sea journey to Newcastle. Follow us on Facebook
Why?
Why?
In November 2023, we two Illawarra grandfathers sailed and paddled our kayak between two of Australia’s key coal ports, Port Kembla and Newcastle, to draw attention to the need to halt the burning of fossil fuels, while demonstrating that a great deal of fun and excitement can be had in water craft that don’t burn up the planet.
Recognising that Australia (and the world) have yet to reduce their rate of burning coal, oil and gas, and that Australia produces 5% of the worlds supply of these fossil fuels, in volumes that have significantly increased since 2005; we call for more immediate and effective action by our government to reduce fossil fuel mining, a critical requirement to address climate change.
We weren’t aiming to break any records in our venture, but did our best to connect with politicians and climate action groups at events along the way and encourage people to get involved in the Rising Tide Protest.
We left from Port Kembla on Saturday 3rd November, and kept to our plan of reaching and joining the Newcastle Harbour blockade on the weekend of Nov 24th.
You can read about our adventures along the way on our Facebook page: Sail 4 Sanity
Our sailing kayak has been named the “No more fossil fuel” with that message made clear on the sail and the marine radio call sign. It’s not a large vessel for the challenge especially given the sea current and prevailing winds were often pushing the wrong way, but we were coached by experienced sea kayaker, Steve Posselt of kayak4earth.com fame, and took all necessary precautions.
Events that happened along the way
4th Nov - Wollongong Harbour - 11-12:30 Rally for Climate Action and family friendly farewell
8th Nov - Audley Weir - 5pm Protest of coal mine pollution in the Hacking River
12th Nov - Sydney Opera House - Sail for Sanity Welcome, Climate picnic and rally
17th Nov - Terrigal - Welcome
17th Nov - Narara Eco Village, Gosford - Net Zero Expo
18th Nov - 11:00 - Brisbane Water, Gosford - Kayak for Climate,
19th Nov - Norah Head Event - Welcome and Doctors open discussion on health impacts from coal
24th Nov - Sat 10:30am Horseshoe Beach Newcastle - Welcome by Rising Tide
then the main event:
24th-26th Nov - Newcastle Harbour - Rising Tide - the Peoples Blockade
‘Rising Tide’ is a Newcastle based protest group who have gone national and inspired a great deal of support for their annual Newcastle harbour blockades, including a flotilla of kayaks and an unprecedented crowd, on the weekend of 24th November.
Many participants (including Tom) chose to continue the blockade beyond the alloted time and made for Australia's largest ever mass protest arrest - You can read more at our Facebook page: Sail 4 Sanity
Tom and Simon
The signs are clear
The signs are clear
The climate is changing. Just like they said it would. But a hundred times quicker and much further than anything humans have experienced before. This is serious!
This is an emergency
This is an emergency
By the time our grandchildren are our age, the world will be a mess. Sea levels 1-2 metres higher than today and continuing to rise - thats locked in - we cannot stop that. Weather worldwide intensified to a less predictable, more intense pattern of storms and droughts, fires and floods. Note there is no talk of reducing the temperature again, because that will be nigh impossible to do by natural means within the lifetime of our civilisation.
Tipping points are being pushed. If we do not act soon, the temperature rise will most likely accelerate out of our control.
Consider the risks
What is Australia doing?
What is Australia doing?
Australia's emissions from production of electricity have reduced by 28% since 2005*. That is good. Luckily renewable energy is cheaper than the alternative.
But emissions from the next biggest sector - Transport - have grown by 22% in that time!
Then comes 'stationary energy' for industry, mining and gas extraction which has grown by 36% !
Industrial processes and Fugitive emissions (mostly gas leaks from mines) have also greatly increased.
Meanwhile Australia's coal production has increased more than 40%, and gas production has increased more than four-fold, all since 2005
Politicians will point out our apparent great success at reducing 'land use' emissions, but the negative figures from that sector, on which our hat is resting, are highly debatable and in any case do not reduce our irreversible fossil fuel emissions.
*2005 is our base year for measurement of reductions (though the UN allerted everyone to the problem in the early 90's and we have nearly doubled our emissions since then)
We can do far more.
We can do far more.
Every one of the sectors needs to get to net zero, asap. But the people in power are not acting.
People ask, aren't we doing enough already? Looking at the facts, it is clear we are not.
But what can we do?
We in Citizens’ Climate Lobby advocate for a Carbon Dividend Policy that puts a price on carbon as it enters our economy – at the coal mine, oil or gas well-head or as an import – this price then percolates through the economy increasing prices in proportion to the carbon intensity of all of our goods and services and incentivising us all to live lower carbon lifestyles. It would even incentivise China and other trading partners to reduce their footprint. The fund of money created then gets paid back to the public as a per-capita dividend to reimburse for the increased prices with no money retained by government. This makes the policy fiscally neutral - it’s not a tax. There are current calls for all of the elements of this policy from top economists in Australia.
There are so many soultion technologies and techniques available already but we lack the incentive to implement them while fossil fuel energy is artificially cheaper than alternatives.
How can Australia continue to ignore the science?
How can Australia continue to ignore the science?
How can our govenment continue to approve more coal and gas mining?
How can our govenment continue to approve more coal and gas mining?
How can we taxpayers continue to subsidise and sponsor fossil fuels?
How can we taxpayers continue to subsidise and sponsor fossil fuels?
This is madness!
This is madness!
We are mad !
We are mad !
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