A nice touch, the reggae band entertaining the crowd beforehand were solar-powered!
Climate Action: Calling for Action
The MC Nell Schofield did a great job of warming up the crowd followed by an impassioned speech by the Greenpeace CEO Linda Selvey. ‘Putting a price tag on pollution is a major step to making Australia cleaner and greener for us all,’ she said. ‘In the end we have to ask ourselves, do we believe in a safe sustainable future for our families, our communities and our country?’
Gemma Borgom-Carrati from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition talked of playing on the beach as a kid and being fascinated by the variety of creatures she found in the rock-pools. And how she noticed that diversity declining over the years as the oceans became affected by climate change and pollution. As a young person, she pleaded for us all to work towards providing a better planet for future generations. Her final words summed it up ‘we must continue to fight to show that Sydney supports a price on pollution’.
Jenny Curtis from the local Balmain Climate Action Group talked of how she realised that the world as we know it is in terrible danger. She quoted Tim Flannery ‘what we do in this decade is crucial in determining whether we have a world we can live in at the end of this century’. Jenny has a strong belief in grass-roots community action and how we could achieve ‘a brighter path for the future’ by working together.
The final speaker, Simon Sheikh, from GetUp!, stated that ‘we must achieve a price on pollution and substantially invest in renewable energy’. He asked us all to encourage five friends to write to their local MPs in support of the carbon tax. He finished the rally by leading the chant of ‘Climate Action Now’.
One of the most heart-warming aspects of this rally was the wide age-range of the rally supporters. I saw people from every generation taking action for the future of our beautiful planet. The atmosphere was one of peaceful demonstration and co-operation, bringing hope that many people do care about the environment more than their own pockets!
I would love to hear what you think. If you were there, can you add to this post? And do you believe that the carbon tax is the best way forward in reducing the impact of global warming?
