A Timely Greeting from Australian Greens Website

What we do next matters

Welcome to the Greens! For 28 years, protecting the environment, putting people first and planning for the future have been at the very heart of our movement. But right now, things are getting serious.

This wasn't the 2020 most of us had imagined. First we endured the devastating climate-bushfires and now COVID-19 has knocked us sideways and shut down the global economy. But for many people, things haven’t been easy for a very long time.

Before the pandemic, we were staring down the climate crisis and supercharged economic inequality. The fact is, the major parties’ don’t have a plan that addresses these crises – they support ongoing fossil fuel projects and continue to put their corporate donors before the rest of us.

Now more than ever, politics needs a shake-up. We need a plan that will get us out of the COVID-19 jobs and economic crisis while addressing the climate emergency at the same time. It’s not just possible, it’s essential.

The Greens have a plan for bold investment, creating hundreds or thousands of jobs, building a fairer, more sustainable future and leaving no one behind.

Unlike the Coalition and Labor, we don’t take donations from corporations looking to buy influence. We have something far more powerful: a huge movement of people just like you. Together, we’re fighting for a better future for all of us.

Check out the Australian Greens Website to learn more. 

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#jailclimatecriminals   #bushfire  #greennewdeal

Greens secure inquiry into air quality impacts of bushfire and drought

Inquiry Launched into Air Quality Impacts of Bushfire Smoke and Drought

Posted by Ben Cronly on 6 February 2020

An NSW Parliamentary Committee will inquire into the health impacts of exposure to poor levels of air quality caused by bushfire smoke and drought, after Terms of Reference drafted by Greens MP and Health spokesperson Cate Faehrmann  were agreed to yesterday. 

The inquiry will investigate the effectiveness of the response of NSW Health to recent hazardous air quality levels including the provision of protective materials such as face masks and air purifiers, the adequacy of public information including ensuring the safety of at-risk groups.

“There are concerns that the government’s response to the bushfire smoke crisis was inadequate, specifically about whether enough was done to inform people about the risks of bushfire smoke and what to do to stay safe. That Inquiry will look into what more could be done,” said Ms Faehrmann

“We know that across the state there were shortages of P2 masks while emergency departments saw a spike in people presenting with respiratory issues. Clearly the government was unprepared.

“Long term exposure to bushfire smoke may have long-term negative impacts, however there is very little research in this area because it has never happened at this scale before.

“Climate change means we can expect more intense bushfires and droughts. This Inquiry will provide more information regarding the impacts of long-term exposure to PM2.5 and what more the Government and the public can be doing to minimise the risks of long-term exposure to poor air quality,” said Ms Faehrmann.

Inquiry Terms of Reference

Inquiry into the health impacts of exposure to poor levels of air quality resulting from bushfires and drought 
That Portfolio Committee No.2 - Health inquire and report on:

1. The health impacts of exposure to poor levels of air quality resulting from bushfires and drought including: 

1. 1. The impact on at-risk groups including children, pregnant women, people with asthma and other respiratory-related illnesses, the elderly and other high-risk groups as well as vulnerable companion animals; 
   2. The impact on people who are exposed to poor outdoor air quality in the workplace; 
   3. The long term impacts of exposure; and 
   4. The effectiveness of various protective materials and strategies to mitigate the health impacts of exposure. 

1. The effectiveness of the NSW Government to plan for and improve air quality including:

1. 1. The measurement, reporting and public awareness;
   2. The provision of various protective materials including face masks and air purifiers;
   3. The ability to ensure the health of at-risk groups;
   4. The suitability of work health and safety regulations, industrial provisions and related guidelines; and
   5. The capacity to respond within existing resources and ongoing efficiency dividends 

1. Any other related matters

What you can do to help in the midst of the bushfire crisis

It’s been a terrifying and tragic start to the new year. And while you might feel helpless, there are some practical things you can do to help that will really make a difference.

By Richard Di Natale

There are no adequate words to describe the loss and grief that many people right around Australia are experiencing right now.
If you're like me, you'll have feelings of helplessness as you sit and wait for news about the latest fires, sadness on hearing that another town has been burnt down, and deep heartbreak on learning that millions of animals have died and thousands upon thousands more are burnt, starving, or searching for water.
But if you are wondering what you can do right now, here are some practical ideas that will really make a difference:

1. Reach out

You likely know someone who has been affected by the fires, let them know they are not alone and that you are there for them. Let them know you are grateful that they are alive and safe.

2. Share your thoughts

Australia is facing an unprecedented climate crisis and these bushfires and extreme heatwaves are a result of that. The climate emergency will only get worse unless the Morrison government takes serious action now. By sharing your stories about the bushfires and having conversations with your family and friends you are helping others understand the impact of the climate crisis and the need for urgent action.

3. Use your social media for good

Think of your social media as a loudspeaker to your own community. Use your voice to amplify and share stories about the impacts of the climate crisis and encourage people you know to take action too.

4. Donate

If you are fortunate enough to be in a position that you can make a donation, take some time to consider where you want to give your money. As well as the relief effort and support for our firefighters, you could consider organisations that do critical work supporting climate science, organisations that support First Nations people to protect country, or organisations that are looking after injured wildlife in the wake of the fires.

5. Volunteer your time

Spend some of your spare time volunteering with an organisation that will be helping to repair and rebuild communities and restore the environment. If you are not near an area with organisations that are part of the relief efforts, there are plenty of other ways to get involved. Volunteering your time with your local tree planting group or helping to clean up rubbish at your local park or beach are also contributing towards making our planet healthier and more resilient.

6. Go to a rally

Make your voice heard on the issues you care about by attending local rallies in your area. The more people that turn up and demand change the closer we are to seeing that change happen.

7. Sign our climate emergency petition

Enough is enough. Scott Morrison’s government has been ignoring the impacts of climate change, while all around them the threat gets worse. That’s why the Greens are calling on the Australian Parliament to declare a climate emergency – and we need your voice to amplify our message. Sign the petition and find out more here.
Every little bit helps to start rebuilding communities. If we all do our part we can make this the world we want and deserve. I hope you will be part of this journey with us this year.
In the meantime, stay strong, stay safe and look after each other.

The long-lasting effects of the bushfires

Make no mistake: the climate emergency is a health emergency. As a doctor, Richard Di Natale explains the long-term health impacts of these fires, the changing climate, and what it’s going to mean for us and future generations.

By Richard Di Natale

I live in south-western Victoria, in a community that is no stranger to bushfires. I know the agony a community feels when properties are destroyed, livelihoods are left in ruins or when the worst happens and our community loses one of their own in a fire.

Like so many regional Australians, every time I hear of out of control fires I imagine the terror of an approaching fire front and the grief and trauma that follows. That tragedy has become a reality for hundreds of Australians in recent months and weeks.

As a doctor I’m also concerned about the long-term health impacts of these fires and the changing climate, and what it’s going to mean for us and future generations.

How does smoke affect health?

If you live in one of the eastern states or the ACT, the impact from the bushfires has been impossible to avoid and has affected everyone's quality of life. We’ve had smoke haze across cities for days and in some case weeks, toxic ash in our waterways, and dust clouds covering entire towns. It is in the air we breathe and the water we drink.

In the short term, exposure to airborne particles in the smoke haze may cause coughing, shortness of breath and exacerbate conditions such as asthma. People are urged to stay indoors and limit exercise or exertion in the smoke.

But the question remains: what impact will this have on our long term health? We know that prolonged exposure to toxic smoke can have serious health impacts, but the scale of the bushfire smoke across our most populated centres is unprecedented and so we can’t be certain of the health impacts beyond the short term. One of the challenges is that little research has been done on the impacts of bushfire smoke exposure over a long period of time. And let's not forget that there are significant health impacts caused by heatwaves, trauma and stress.

I remember the fear that surrounded the 2014 Morwell fire that started in an open cut coal mine and blanketed the Victorian town and the surrounding area in smoke and ash for six weeks. Children who were exposed to the smoke now have an increased likelihood of ongoing respiratory problems and many adults who lived through the mine fire now have increased symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

How prepared are we to deal with the health impacts?

The climate emergency we are in will result in more severe fire seasons, as well as an increase in other extreme weather events that could pose significant threats to public health.

Right now, Australia’s health system is simply not equipped to deal with the health impacts of climate change now and into the future. We urgently need a National Strategy on Climate, Health and Well-Being, as outlined by the Climate and Health Alliance and supported by Australia’s health and medical community. From emergency preparedness, to community education, workforce planning and governance – we need this strategy in place now to ensure that as a country we are prepared to protect human health in our new climate reality.

A crucial element of this is preparing our health stockpiles for crises to come. Just last week the Greens called for a Climate Emergency National Medical Stockpile to ensure access to the safety and medical equipment required to protect us all from climate-related extreme weather events and more ferocious fire events into the future.

The government must do more to ensure our communities are equipped to deal with the health impacts of future fire seasons and extreme weather events.

How does climate change factor in?

Last year the Australian Medical Association warned of the future impacts of climate change on Australians. This included an increase in infectious disease transmission during extreme weather events and heatwaves, higher mortality rates from heat stress, an increased incidence of mental illness – and it is time Scott Morrison and his government started paying attention.

Despite decades of warnings on the consequences of climate change on our environment and people's health our government was too slow to respond to the bushfires and left members of the public in the dark as to the health risks, limited advice about what to do to protect their health, and what precautions they could take to minimise the impacts. The government has a responsibility to everyone impacted by these fires to be better prepared next time.

Most importantly, the government must start treating the cause of these increasingly frequent and severe fires, storms, floods and droughts – the climate crisis. We need to shift away from the polluting coal, oil, and gas that fuels global warming, to renewable energy.

We can do this. It’s possible, and it will make Australia cleaner and safer. We owe it to ourselves, to the next generation, and everyone who has been left devastated by these fires.

Priorities all wrong as NSW Coalition delivers thousands more police but hundreds fewer fire paid fighters

Analysis by the Greens NSW shows in the nine years since the Coalition was elected in NSW the number of paid professional firefighters has been cut by over 110. At the same time the number of NSW police has already increased by over 1,150 with another 1,500 police budgeted to be recruited within four years.

This skewing of scarce emergency resources away from fire safety and firefighting towards more and more police has left NSW dangerously exposed in the current fire crisis.

Full details of the analysis based on published state budgets and annual reports for the various emergency services agencies are found below.

Greens MP David Shoebridge said:

“There is something dreadfully wrong with the Coalition’s priorities that has seen it pump billions of dollars into more police while stripping back the number of paid firefighters.

“Since 2011 when the Coalition government was first elected, NSW has 108 fewer retained firefighters and three less full time firefighters, meanwhile police numbers have skyrocketed to record highs.

“Retained firefighters are fully trained Fire and Rescue personnel who work on an “on-call” basis. They are paid a base weekly retainer and additional hourly payments<https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/gallery/files/pdf/retained/Retained_Candidate_Information.pdf> whenever they work.

“When there are record low crime rates and record levels of risk from climate change and fire it is extraordinary that emergency services funding has been so misdirected.

“At a time when we need hundreds and hundreds more firefighters and probably fewer police, we have got the exact opposite, with the government now budgeting for a further 1,500 police.

“While the RFS has seen a funding increase, none of that has been for paid front-line fire-fighting staff and the state’s over-reliance on volunteer firefighting is already seeing exhaustion take its toll on the volunteer base.

“This is a case of politics failing the ultimate test of keeping the public safe.

“We urgently need to review these budget allocations going forward and fund more paid fire fighters.

“Parliament needs to respond to the current crisis and that starts with diverting to NSW Fire and Rescue all of the $583 million extra that has been set aside for more police over the next four years,” Mr Shoebridge said.

Detailed budget analysis below:

In 2010/2011 the budget for NSW Fire and Rescue was $636 million 2011 dollars.<https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2017-06/2011-2012%20Budget%20Papers%20BP3%20Budget%20Estimates.pdf> Adjusted for inflation that is $750 million in 2019 dollars. In 2011 there were 3,516 full time fire officers and 3,382 retained fire fighters<https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/gallery/files/pdf/annual_reports/annual_report_2010_11.pdf>.

For the 2019/2020 FY the NSW Fire and Rescue budget is $774 million and as at 30 June 2019<https://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/budget-2019-06/6._Stronger_Communities_cluster-BP3-Budget_201920.pdf> there were 3,513 full time fire officers and 3,274 retained fire fighters<https://media.opengov.nsw.gov.au/pairtree_root/e6/bf/1b/6a/56/26/45/bd/b9/c5/5c/26/5a/01/ae/1a/obj/D19_56993_FRNSW_Annual_Report_2018_19_DIGITAL_VERSION.pdf>. This is a loss of 3 full time and 108 retained firefighters over 8 years.

In 2010/11 the budget for the NSW Police was in $2,849 million in 2011 dollars<https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2017-06/2011-2012%20Budget%20Papers%20BP3%20Budget%20Estimates.pdf>. Adjusted for inflation that is $3,360 million in 2019 dollars. In 2011 there were 15,943 NSW police<https://www.opengov.nsw.gov.au/download/14688>.

For the 2019/2020 FY the NSW Police budget is $3,807 million<https://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/budget-2019-06/6._Stronger_Communities_cluster-BP3-Budget_201920.pdf> and as at 30 June 2019 there were 17,111 NSW police<https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/658513/NSWPF_2018-19_Annual_Report.pdf>. This is an increase of 1,168 police in just 8 years. This number will increase to well over 18,000 by 2023.

In 2010/11 the budget for the NSW RFS was in $239 million in 2011 dollars<https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2017-06/2011-2012%20Budget%20Papers%20BP3%20Budget%20Estimates.pdf>. Adjusted for inflation that is $282 million in 2019 dollars. In 2011 the RFS had 920 employees and 70,448 volunteers on the books.

For the 2019/2020 FY the NSW RFS budget is $524 million<https://www.budget.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/budget-2019-06/6._Stronger_Communities_cluster-BP3-Budget_201920.pdf> and as at 30 June 2019<https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/129892/NSW-RFS-Annual-Report-2018-19-web.pdf> there were 936 full time employees and 71,234 volunteers. This is an increase of just 16 full time employees over 8 years. The number of volunteers on the books is a highly contested figure with the number of active volunteers being a fraction of the total number disclosed.

Logging while NSW burns

Images have emerged which show continued logging operations in NSW native forests by Forestry Corporation contractors despite the widespread destruction of forests from bushfires and drought around the state.

Whether in Bellingen or Bega logging has been continuing despite the other drastic pressures on our forests.

Locals have expressed concern at seeing mature trees hauled on logging trucks while the trees in other local forests are succumbing to a record fire and drought season. A moratorium should be implemented while habitat and biodiversity losses are assessed and the role of the public native forest estate can be evaluated.

Greens MP and Forests Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:

"We know that communities around NSW are suffering, and continuing native forest logging operations as business as usual is completely inappropriate.

"Koala habitat has been decimated across the state and we must urgently reviewing what reserve habitat is available in publicly owned native forests to help protect this iconic species.

"There are many other species that have also been displaced by the fires, and our publicly owned native forests should be sanctuaries for them.

"Logging is a known risk factor for fires - with logged forests often much drier, and log dumps providing reserves of fuel that can intensify fires.

"There must be a moratorium on logging native forest while the fire season continues.

"Victoria has stepped up and begun to end damaging loss-making native forest logging in that State and NSW must be next in line," Mr Shoebridge said

Forest Activist Harriet Swift said:

"The impact of the fires and drought on our local forests around Bega has been enormous, and animals and birds have been displaced on an unprecedented scale.

"Seeing beautiful old trees being hauled out of Tantawangalo while there are still six fires burning in the Bega Valley area is extremely distressing.

"We're calling on the Government to stop logging these forests and instead assess what new role they might now play given the massive canopy losses across the region," Ms Swift said.

29 November 2019

We Are In A Climate Crisis

The evidence is in; climate change is driving these catastrophic fires and the NSW government is in denial

With catastrophic losses of lives, property and nature mounting, it is no longer possible to deny the reality of climate change and this must be the moment when politicians take action.

This year a record 74 local government areas commenced their fire season before the official 1 October start because of the impacts of climate change on the conditions across NSW. At the same time the NSW government has slashed the budget for the RFS from $617 million last year to just $541 million in the 2019/20 budget.

The increased fire season significantly reduced the period in which hazard reduction fires could be undertaken, as a direct result of climate change.

Greens MP David Shoebridge said:

"As a direct result of climate change this year's fire season started early in a record number of local councils across NSW.

"The formal start of the fire season in NSW is 1 October 2019. Performing hazard reduction work after the start of the fire season is particularly problematic because of the elevated risk that fires will get out of control.

"This year a record 21 local council areas started their season in August and a further 53 started their fire season in September as a direct result of climate change impacts.

"This is how climate change is making it harder than ever to conduct scheduled hazard reduction burns.

"We know that First Nations peoples have tens of thousands of years of knowledge in how to manage fire in the landscape and this knowledge needs to be respected and implemented.

"It's an uncomfortable fact that these dreadful fires are being fuelled by decades of inaction on climate change.

"It's a dreadful thought that, as NSW came into its most catastrophic fire season on record, the Coalition decided this was the time to look for budget cuts.

"It's a fact that last financial year the RFS received $617 million in state government funding and that has been slashed back to $541 million this year.

Senator Richard Di Natale will join climate strike this Friday

This Friday students right around the globe are choosing to skip school to get adults to pay attention to the climate crisis engulfing the planet.

We are in the middle of a worsening climate emergency and our own Government is not taking action. Instead, they are directly fueling this crisis with their own science-denying policies.

We’ve been horrified to already see unprecedented bushfire activity in Queensland and New South Wales in recent weeks. Several towns in NSW are alarmingly close to running out of water, our largest river system is in crisis and facing more mass native fish deaths this summer, and drought has turned WA crops into dust bowls. This climate crisis affects us all.

That’s why we're joining the Global Climate Strike on Friday. Will you?

FIND A STRIKE

 
Right around Australia, Greens MPs and staff will be joining the climate strikers. I'm proud that our Greens team will be on the streets all over the country, adding our voice to the global chorus demanding political parties take urgent and immediate action to address the climate crisis.
 



Where will you be when the world strikes to demand action to fix the climate crisis?
Kids all over the world know their future is at stake and are pleading with us to join them by calling on the government to rapidly address the climate crisis. Will you join their call?

FIND A STRIKE

Can’t make the strike or what to do more?

• Be seen, change your Facebook profile to show you are supporting the strikers.
• Do you run a business and are planning to shut down? Take the Not Business As Usual pledge and join 1000s of Australian businesses who will be closed on Friday. 
• Own a website? Join the digital strike.
• Become a Greens climate champion and help us pass a climate emergency declaration through Australia’s parliament this year. Find out more.

See you on the streets, 

Richard and the entire Greens team

NY Times | The Depravity of Climate-Change Denial

Aftermath Paradise Fires

Risking civilization for profit, ideology and ego.

The Trump administration is, it goes without saying, deeply anti-science. In fact, it’s anti-objective reality. But its control of the government remains limited; it didn’t extend far enough to prevent the release of the latest National Climate Assessment, which details current and expected future

impacts of global warming on the United States.

Special report on global warming of 1.5˚C.

The IPCC's Special Report out today outlines a climate catastrophe of unprecedented scale and impact on our community and nature if global warming is permitted to rise by more than 1.5 degrees.

The scientific consensus found:
*         all coral reefs would be unlikely to survive global warming of 2 degrees, including the Great Barrier Reef;

*         sea level rise would be about 10cm less at 1.5 degrees; and

*         an increased risk of long-lasting or irreversible changes at 2 degrees, including the loss of more species and ecosystems.

SOUTH COAST FIRES A REMINDER OF INCREASED SEVERITY AND FREQUENCY OF NATURAL DISASTERS UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

NSW Greens South Coast spokesperson and Milton resident Justin Field has thanked emergency services, volunteers and community members for working together on fighting the recent fires across the region.

He commended the work emergency services and paid tribute to the tragic death of helicopter pilot Allan Tull during the firefighting effort.

Greens push to make South Australia the nation’s first “Climate Resilient State”

South Australia is in a unique position to become Australia’s first climate resilient State building a global reputation showcasing solutions and creating jobs, according to former Greens national leader, Christine Milne, who is visiting Adelaide in the lead up to the 2018 State election.

“South Australia is being hit by two major global trends – global warming and the loss of manufacturing jobs.  It’s time to rethink a future strategy.  We can try to hold on to the past, or we can be a solutions-based leader for the future” said Christine Milne.