Pages tagged "climate change"
Solar Our Schools: State of Play
Since July 2020, we have united more than 11,000 parents behind Solar Our Schools - asking the Federal Government to fund solar and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia.
We are now calling on individual states and territories to progress a state and federal partnership on Solar Our Schools.
So far, State Governments have made wildly differing levels of progress towards putting solar and batteries on public schools, with absolutely no support for solar and batteries on independent schools or early childhood centres.
We need your help! Write to your State Education Ministers asking them to work in partnership with the Federal Government, to support funding Solar Our Schools and remove barriers to its implementation.
Click on your location to write a letter to your State's Education Minister: NSW Vic Qld SA WA Tas NT ACT
What else can you do to progress Solar Our Schools?
Sign and share the Open Letter.
Sign up as a Solar Our Schools Champion to get involved at a state and local level.
Donate to the campaign to Solar Our Schools.
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Infographic sources:
Federal: http://www.industry.gov.au/Energy/EnergyEfficiency/Documents/NSSP-Evaluation-Report-Final.pdf, p13
NSW: https://nsw.liberal.org.au/Shared-Content/News/2020/POWERING-OUR-PUBLIC-SCHOOLS-INTO-THE-FUTURE/ and https://www.solarmyschool.org.au/
SA: South Australian Department of Education
Tas: Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance Inc.
NT: http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/31965
ACT: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/management-national-solar-schools-program
Image: Map Australia Divided In States from Vector.me
Great conversations: engaging people in climate action
How do you overcome the awkward, have great climate conversations and transform your community to take more action on climate?
Welcome to our recording of this free online training, to help empower yourself.
You’ll learn 5 top tips for effective climate conversations – to build your confidence and knowledge in having conversations from Climate for Change’s Ajaya Haikerwal. And have an exclusive opportunity to hear about upcoming key political opportunities to make the next year a huge one for climate action.
Here are the slides
Here's the recording
FIND OUT MORE:
Poll after poll shows the vast majority of the Australian community want climate action urgently.
But many people who are concerned about climate change – people we all know, like friends, family and colleagues – do not act on climate change, they may even find it hard to engage in conversations about it. Why is that? Find out and empower yourself to have effective conversations that will help shift the inactive into action. Only then will we gain the momentum needed to shift the dial on this issue.
DURING THE WEBINAR WE EXPLORE:
- 5 top tips for effective climate conversations – build your confidence and knowledge in having conversations through these handy frameworks with Climate for Change’s Partnership Manager Ajaya Haikerwal.
- Plus have time to connect with amazing community members from across the movement – and work together to identify which people in your life you will have conversations with this year
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The why and who of climate action – hear the inside scoop from ACF’s Climate Change Program Manager Gavan McFadzean on:
- The key political opportunities we have to make 2021/22 a huge year for climate action
- Why people who are concerned about climate are so politically relevant, and important for us to motivate them to act.
- Federal election plans – movement partners Australian Parents 4 Climate Action, CANA Network Support Team, Climate for Change, Doctors for the Environment Australia and Australian Conservation Foundation will all share their plans for the federal election with you.
We can’t wait to work together on using our voices to motivate others to act.
This webinar was co-hosted by a team of Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) partners: Australian Parents 4 Climate Action, CANA Network Support Team, Climate for Change, Doctors for the Environment Australia, Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian parents: Stop fossil fuels from polluting our education
The Australian curriculum must be protected from fossil fuel lobby groups seeking to rewrite facts in our children’s education, says Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA).
A review of the national curriculum is currently open for public consultation and has received a submission from Australia’s chief fossil fuels lobby group, the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA).
AP4CA, which represents over 14,000 parents and carers, welcomes revisions proposed by The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to the National School Curriculum’s existing sustainability cross-curriculum priority, which highlight the impact of human behavior on climate change and the potential for human innovation to ensure a safe climate for future generations.
Parents head to the climate strike – to fight for their kids’ future
21 May 2021
Thousands of parents and grandparents around Australia are being schooled by student Climate Strikers, at colourful local events calling for climate action.
Suzie Brown, mother and National Director of Australian Parents for Climate Action said: “Australian parents are joining their kids to take the day off work and school to attend the Climate Strikes today. The School Strike 4 Climate leaders are still teenagers, but they are showing Australian adults what leadership on climate change looks like.”
“As parents we have to be there in solidarity with our kids who, let’s face it, are going to be the ones to really bear the brunt of more droughts, storms and fires if we don’t act on the dire science warnings about climate change,” said Brown.
Read more
Transforming Climate Grief
Australian Parents for Climate Action, with support from School Strike 4 Climate, hosted an Expert Panel Q&A
"Transforming Climate Grief" on Monday 10 May 2021 at 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
with special guests Author Jonica Newby, Climate Striker Jasmine Bowtell, and Psychologist Susie Burke.
This special online Zoom event has now been packaged for future enjoyment.
ABOUT:
We know that many Australian parents are suffering from climate grief and anxiety - and we want to empower you to know how to parent in the face of climate grief, and to transform your grief into action. So we've invited three experts to provide practical tools, personal experience and good advice on how to deal with our fear and sadness about the impact of climate change on our world and our kids' future in a constructive way. More details about our Special Guest Speakers below.
WATCH the speakers
LISTEN to the speakers
DOWNLOAD the resources from Senior Psychologist Susie Burke
BUY Jonica Newby's book "Beyond Climate Grief"
Featuring:
JONICA NEWBY
How do we find courage when climate change overwhelms us? "Beyond Climate Grief" is a personal story by award-winning science reporter Jonica Newby exploring how to navigate the emotional turmoil of climate change. Jonica is a science reporter, author, TV presenter and director best known for her two decades on ABC TV’s popular weekly science program, Catalyst. She has twice won the Eureka Award, Australia’s most prestigious science journalism prize, and is a recipient of a World TV Award. Originally trained as a veterinarian, her first book was The Animal Attraction.
JASMINE BOWTELL
Jasmine has been wanting to vote since she was 16 — and is excited to be able to exercise this right at the next election! She lives in Zali Stegall’s electorate, and whilst she says Zali has done so much for the Northern Beaches area, Jasmine and her community are still facing a proposed gas plant across the beaches from Manly to Newcastle.
"Gas isn’t the future and this proposal isn’t okay: our water systems will be polluted, tourist industries will be ruined, and it will impact the livelihood of so many people. I live 15 minutes away from Manly and it is one of my favourite places in the world — I cannot sit back and watch my childhood be shovelled away by a government invested in dirty fossil fuels like gas.
I'm both passionate about equality and the environment and I won't stop striking until someone speaks up and owns up to the action we want! If we pressurize the government I hope we can make transformative change. I'm also a big feminist and I believe that we all should be able to live a life free from oppression and imbalance. I'm 17 and I'm in my final year of school balancing it all, but I will always make sure the future is bright and that I inspire as many people as possible.
I joined the climate movement in 2020 and I've been hooked since, I love it soo much and I have a raging passion for life and social justice. One day I would love to be in a parliament and show that women are strong and powerful and that we don't need men to tell us our worth."
DR SUSIE BURKE
Her work examines how climate change impacts on people’s mental health, and how people across the country are coming to terms with the climate emergency and engaging with the problems and solutions.
Dr Burke specialises in pro-environmental behaviour, coping with climate change, talking with children about the environment, preparing for natural disasters, and psychosocial recovery in the aftermath of disasters. And she's also a parent of a school striker!
Meet your local action group!
The Australian Parents for Climate Action (AP4CA) local group network is a critical source of power to effect change and protect our children’s future. We have local AP4CA groups across all Australian states and territories, check out the locations below.
They're welcoming and supportive, and we would love to meet you online or in person! If you are a parent, carer, family member or anyone who cares about kids, to advocate for urgent action on climate. Get involved!
Our Parent Groups are action-oriented, locally connected and all over the country. We plan family-friendly, non-partisan activities that engage communities, engage politicians in climate solutions, and amplify positive stories.
Why join a local group of parents who care about a safe climate?
- Connect with families in your local community
- Empower and educate your community with positive solutions
- Win local and national campaigns
- Develop constructive relationships with key decision makers
- Amplify positive stories through local and social media
- Build and strengthen a strong climate movement across the country
If there is no local group near you, please email us to see if we can connect you with local parents who want to take action on climate. Or perhaps you'd like to start a group in your local area? We'd love to support you.
Join us!
Let's join force for a safe climate for our kids!
You're invited to join the growing community of 17,000 + parents and carers who are working together to ensure a safer climate for our children.
By joining forces, we can drive greater action from government, big business, and within our local communities.
We are united by our love for our kids and grandkids and guided by our vision for a safe, prosperous future for all children.
Sign up become a supporter and receive the latest news, events and actions you can get involved in.
Welcome to the Australian Parents for Climate Action community!
We need your help to make a colourful, memorable impact on Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge to get him on board our Solar Our Schools campaign — to install solar panels and batteries at every school and preschool in Australia.
Australian Parents for Climate Action lodged a Pre-Budget Submission to the Federal government to include funding for Solar Our Schools in the May 2021 budget, and many of our supporters wrote a personal submission in support of Solar Our Schools — thank you, legends!
But so far our requests for Federal funding for Solar Our Schools, and our request for a meeting with Minister Tudge, have fallen on deaf ears, so we need to make sure he can hear the voices of the 11,000-plus parents and children across Australia who support Solar Our Schools!
Insiders tell us that letters and artwork from children make it to the top of the pile of Ministers' correspondence — so your kids artwork will get noticed in a way that letters from us adults won't!
Here’s how you can help:
1. Make a Time to Shine artwork with your child (check out our inspiration board below)
Create a sun artwork with a “sun clock” theme to convey the message to Minister Tudge that the clock is ticking on the need to reduce our carbon emissions, and we need him to advocate for funding Solar Our Schools!
Older kids can write a letter — or make a TikTok video! — explaining why Solar Our Schools is a no-brainer. Here are some points they could mention:
- Solar and batteries on every school and preschool in Australia will lower school energy costs, create local jobs and lower carbon emissions!
- The Federal Government has fallen behind the states on renewable energy infrastructure investment. It’s time for the Federal Government to come to the party and shine on our schools!
- With a Federal election and the Glasgow COP26 conference both looming, now is the time for our Federal government to invest in renewable energy infrastructure that reduces our carbon emissions and creates green jobs across Australia!
2. Send your Time to Shine creations to Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge
Hon Alan Tudge MP
Minister for Education and Youth
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
(02) 6277 7350
NB: If you are sending Minister Tudge your Time to Shine artwork or letters in the mail, take a photo of them before you send them off.
3. Share your Time to Shine creations with us
Share photos of your artwork and letters and/or your videos on social media with the hashtags #SolarOurSchools and #TimetoShine, and our handle @ap4ca.
If you want to tag Minister Tudge, his handles are: @tudgeMP (Facebook), @alan_tudge (Instagram) and @AlanTudgeMP (Twitter).
Also, please email them to [email protected] for us to share with our supporters so we can encourage others to send a message to Minister Tudge!
