Save Our Gulf Coalition (SOGC), Adelaide Hills Climate Action Group, Eco-socialist Convergence, the 3D Environment Show, the Young Greens, the Socialist Alliance, the Wilderness Society and the Conservation Council were just some of the groups represented at the inaugural meeting of the Climate Emergency Action Network (CLEAN) in Adelaide on October 23.
Inspired by the success of the recent Climate Emergency conference in Adelaide, 35 people heard Jenny Bain, one of the conference organisers, present a comprehensive list of possible actions, suggested by participants in the conference. The ideas ranged from mass community education campaigns about feasible alternatives, to a "climate bus" (similar to the Freedom Bus of the 1970s), to direct action against the coal industry, and many others.
John Rice, another conference organiser, facilitated a discussion on perspectives for the group. Many of those present expressed disappointment about the plans for Walk Against Warming this year. Representatives of the Wilderness Society and the Conservation Council have announced that this year there won't be a "walk" but a "smallish media stunt" involving walking on treadmills in Rundle Street Mall on November 14 and 15.
There will also be a media action at Glenelg beach on December 6 to coincide with an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change meeting in Poland.
Participants suggested that there was much greater scope to involve people in a large community action. Some argued that we had to move beyond merely aiming to educate people about climate change: a section of the community are already educated and are "exceptionally frustrated" that there is not a broader campaign. It was suggested that a campaign similar to the Your Rights at Work campaign could be launched in communities across the state.
People noted that although the question of coal hasn't yet become a mobilising issue in South Australia, the Port Augusta power station, which supplies baseload power for Adelaide, is run on brown coal. The state government plans to close the power station in 15-20 years, however it was suggested that CLEAN could campaign for it to be closed much sooner.
James Dannenberg from the Conservation Council told the meeting of plans for a new "coal to liquid" plant near Kingston in southern Adelaide, operated by Hybrid Energy. The development of the site would destroy a local wetland.
The meeting voted to establish a working group to continue work on a draft climate change infrastructure funding proposal. The draft document draws on the work of Mark Diesendorf, senior lecturer in the Institute of Environmental Studies at NSW university, and is intended to be used to promote necessary and possible alternatives to stop runaway climate change.
The meeting then divided into smaller groups to discuss actions, lobbying politicians, media and web work, and the infrastructure funding proposal.
In the actions working group, SOGC secretary Peter Laffan proposed that existing plans for December 6 be built upon by CLEAN and that a "declaration of climate emergency" be organised as well on that day. This proposal was adopted, as was the call for a forum on human rights and climate change on December 10 — the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
The next CLEAN meeting is at 7pm on November 12 at the South West Community Centre, 171 Sturt St, Adelaide. Many of the working groups are meeting in the meantime. To get involved in CLEAN contact John at johnfraserrice@yahoo.com.au or visit http://www.cleansa.org.au