Dirt Radio: Recent Episodes
Friends of the Earth Crew
Friends of the Earth campaigners and activists dig down into the dirt on important environmental and social justice issues.
Elyse and Chloe recap the community forum held by Sustainable Cities and Point Cook Action Group that took place on Thursday 14th March in Williams Landing, to ask the question 'Why is the west still waiting for better buses in 2024?'We play snippets from the night as well as a follow up interview with one of our key speakers, Nasreen Mohamed, a resident form the Mambourin estate in Werribee. You can watch the full forum here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gAh0nlmwug Find out more about our campaign here: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/better_buses_campaignDonate to Sustainable Cities here: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/transportdonate
This week Dirt Radio interviewed Imo Kuah, an organiser at Tomorrow Movement, to discuss the movement, social and climate activism, and how to be involved. The next Racial Justice Learning Collective session will be on Monday, March 18, 2024 at 6:00 PM Sign up here! https://actionnetwork.org/events/racial-justice-learning-collective-session-1-2024-2/ Tomorrow movement is an unstoppable movement of young people fighting for a society with good jobs, great public services and a safe climate for all. They are organising young people all over the country to fight for a tomorrow that works for everyone, not just big business.https://tomorrowmovement.com/https://www.instagram.com/tomorrowmvmthttps://www.facebook.com/tomorrowmvmt
We spoke to Stephanie Sabrinskas from Life After Coal. Stephanie is a filmmaker and impact producer based on Gunaikurnai Land in the Latrobe Valley, Australia. We discussed a just transition to renewable energy and jobs for coal communities in the LaTrobe Valley, the health impacts of coal-fired power stations, the 10 year anniversary of the Hazelwood mine fire, community action in the area, and upcoming film screenings.Melbourne film screening & panel discussion: 10 years on from the Hazelwood mine fireRSVP here: https://environmentvictoria.org.au/2024/02/21/melbourne-film-screening-panel-discussion-10-years-on-from-the-hazelwood-mine-fire/WHEN: Tuesday 26 March. 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM.WHERE: Victorian Pride Centre 79/81 Fitzroy St, St Kilda 3182
We spoke to Amin Abbas from Melbourne City Council for Palestine who organized the action outside the City of Melbourne last Tuesday as Council debated a motion in support of a ceasefire in Palestine. Amin is a son and grandson of Palestinian refugees from Tiberias and Genine. Amin’s purpose in life is to liberate Palestine with a dream to return to Palestine as a free man.To get involved, volunteer to marshall at the upcoming actions. You can do so every Sunday, meet at the State Library at 10.30am.Otherwise, join a local action group in your area! Follow @melbourne_for_palestine on Instagram to stay connected. Listen to the podcast on Spotify here
Friends of the Earth Melbourne/Naarm's Forests campaigner Cam Walker joined Dirt Radio's Claud Gallois and Jay Iwasaki to discuss the historic end to native forest logging in Victoria, the road to get here, and what's next for Victoria and Australia.
In today's episode, Elyse interviews Pat Simons (FoE Yes 2 Renewables Coordinator) and Martin Cubby (Wollongong local, member of Good for the 'Gong and organiser with NTEU) about recent national actions in support of renewable energy, and the push back against misinformation
In today's episode, Elyse Cunningham speaks to Tori from Unionists for Palestine about some of the history of activism targeting weapons companies in Naarm, and the insidious way that supply of weapons used in genocides across the world is spreading throughout Victoria. We then check in with Uncle Ihab at the Sitintifada, with an update from the first sitting day of Victorian parliament, and his message for Victoria regarding weapons supply on this land
In this week episode Alana Mountain interviews Dr Sanja Van Huet, a local resident of Ocean Grove and long time community activist, along with Aleesha Hanczakowski from the Act on Climate Collective, regarding coastal erosian and the Port Phillip Bay Coastal Hazard Assessment, and community action on the frontlines
In this week's episode, Jeff Waters interviews Susie Russell and Sean O'Shannessy from the Northeast Forest Alliance about a recent court decision that will allow native forest logging in the Bulga forest on Biripi Country
Jeff Water and Freja Leonard unpack the year that was in gas and look ahead at what's coming up in 2024
Campaigner Chaja Merk from Friends of the Earth Netherlands joins Dirt Radio presenters Claud Gallois and Jay Iwasaki at the studio in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia to talk about the global campaign against Shell and the results of the 2021 court case. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milieudefensie_v_Royal_Dutch_Shellhttps://www.melbournefoe.org.au/the_global_campaign_against_shellFriends of the Earth Netherlands linkshttps://www.instagram.com/milieudefensie/https://en.milieudefensie.nl/
Elyse Cunningham, Coordinator of the Sustainable Cities collective who are running the Better Buses campaign at Friends of the Earth Melbourne speaks to Girish Khara, a resident from the Mt.Atkinson estate in Truganina, in Melbourne's rapidly growing Western suburbs. The estate currently only has 1 cafe run by the developers, Stockland, and has no shops or other community facilities. There is also no public transport so residents have to drive minimum 10 minutes to get to basic ammenities. They also discuss the Better Buses campaign's new petition calling for a pilot for bus reform in Melbourne's West using the contracts of bus company CDC Victoria. Read more about the Better Buses campaign here: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/better_buses_pageSign the petition here: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/better_buses_new_petitionCheck out Mt.Atkinson Residents Group facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092454716464
This week, Dirt Radio host Jeff Waters discusses the ongoing blockade in Port Melbourne and status of offshore wind in New South Wales with guests Jess Tran and Coco Venaglia.
On today's episode, our Sustainable Cities collective coordinator, Elyse Cunningham, interviews Chloe Aldenhoven, one of the campaigns coordinators at Friends of the Earth Melbourne, about the People's Inquiry into the Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic. A series of public hearings that Chloe is coordinating alongside volunteers. More info on the hearings can be found on their website here: https://www.peoplespandemicinquiry.au/
The Southern Ocean is up against seismic blasting proposals, in the search for new oil and gas, which threaten whale songlines and precious ocean ecosystems. Seismic blasting surveys are proposed in waters as close as 8km from the coast of Warrnambool and Port Fairy. The seismic blasting process involves ships towing airguns that blast powerful soundwaves, and is commonly used to identify resources beneath the ocean floor, blasting through the water, rock and deep into the ocean floor, between 230-250 decibels every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week often for months on end. This has been shown to negatively and harshly impact marine ecosystems, and has raised the concerns of marine biologists, environmentalists, First Nations groups, commercial and local fishermen, swimmers, and surfers.Both Warrnambool and Moyne Shire Council recently voted to oppose seismic blasting along our coastline in response to an outpouring of concern from community members. But to stop these projects and protect Southern Sea Country from this dangerous practice, we need to keep up the pressure and make sure the our community's opposition remains consistently heard by the decision makers in federal parliament and national regulatory bodies. Links:- https://drillwatch.org.au/- Rally details: https://fb.me/e/HSySu65Z
Join Alana and Oli from Djaara corporation for a fruitful conversation about First Nations led climate solutions, bringing culture and TO's back into the landscape for healthy Country and healthy people. Alana Mountain- Forest collective campaign coordinaterOli Moares - Djaara Forest Gardening project manager & developer of climate strategy https://djadjawurrung.com.au/ Episode image description: L-R: DJAARA Forest Gardening Project Manager Oli Moraes, DJAARA General Manager Cassandra Lewis,Central Victoria Greenhouse Alliance CEO Annika Kearton, Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO Rodney Carter
On this week's episode, Elyse Cunningham from FoE's Sustainable Cities collective talks about the upcoming event 'Transport Equity Week'- a week of action for communities across Australia to take action to demonstrate how our transport system is causing transport disadvantage, and to demand action from decision makers to make our transport system safe, affordable and accessible for all. Read more on the website www.transportequity.org.au or follow the Transport Equity instagram @transport_equity
On this episode of Dirt Radio, Claud Gallois spoke to Friends of the Earth's No New Gas campaigner Freja Leonard about how renters deserve to have gas-free homes, and how to make it happen. Take the pledge today: https://www.getoffgas.org.au/RSVP to the action: No coal to hydrogen for Victoria August 30, 2023 at 8:30am - 9:30am @ Victorian Parliament Steps https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/no_coal_to_hydrogen_for_victoriaSign the petition to Stop the Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain project http://bit.ly/No2HESC
Today, Sanne de Swart and Xavier Dupe join us from friends of the Earth’s anti-nuclear movement and the national student union as we discuss the current state of affairs in nuclear policy in Australia, seventy eight years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Details for rallies:Adelaide 2pm Mitchell Building, University of Adelaide: https://fb.me/e/uy4ennf6TBrisbane 1pm Grassy Knoll, University of Queenland: https://fb.me/e/5abEbHD9lBrisbane 1pm, Lady Bowen Lawn, Gardens Point, Queensland University of Technology: https://fb.me/e/4otF2jcdj?mibextid=Gg3lNBCanberra 1pm Kambri, Australian National University: https://fb.me/e/9TIM6HAeGPerth 1pm AWST, Murray St Mall, Perth: https://fb.me/e/8SRhh74G3Melbourne 1pm State Library: https://fb.me/e/5YSKG14eKSydney 1pm Fisher Library, University of Sydney: https://fb.me/e/4Bc3jQW0JWollongong: 12pm Rainbow steps, University of Wollongong: https://fb.me/e/2UWu3Imfs Protest Labor Party National Conference 8am Fri 18th August, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, https://fb.me/e/4Dh0Fz4Uc Protest "AUKUS masterclass" 1pm 23 August, at University Club, UWA: https://fb.me/e/3NuapNVCp Please take a minute to email the Albanese Government today calling on them to abandon plans for a national nuclear waste dump on Barngarla Country in SA:https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/walk_away_from_kimba_dumpTo stay up to date and get involved in the movement please visit www.melbournefoe.org.au/nuclear, join us at one of our next in person action meetings (www.melbournefoe.org.au/nuclearevents) or get in touch on how you would like to contribute via nuclearfree@foe.org.auFacebook: www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheEarthAntiNuclearCampaignInstagram: @foenuclearfreeTwitter: @NuclearFreeAus Welfare Not Warfare campaign on social media:instagram.com/welfarenotwarfare/facebook.com/booksnotbombsnus And students, trade unionists, university staff and community activists are encouraged to sign onto my open letter against AUKUS: https://forms.gle/R4yT5mWojUgD4qBh9
This week Alana Mountain chats to Elyse from Friends of the Earth's Sustainable Cities Collective about some juicy justice taking place for social equity in the public transport system. She also spoke to Potdog from Grassroots Action Network Tasmania and got a download on the goss, fighting the housing crisis by exposing the unfair AirBnB sitch and continuing the fight for Tassie's lush forests.
This week Jeff Waters and Rob Harrison speak to Lara MacFarlane and Ally Scott from the Disability Resource Centre about Disability Pride Month and their Transport For All Campaign -- which recently led a series of protests against the inaccessible tram network across Naarm. Before that, Jeff and Rob spoke to Pat Simons from Friends of the Earth's Yes2Renenwables Collective and the premiere of 'Power On', a film about Gippsland's energy transition 100 years after the LaTrobe Valley's coal industry began.For more information on 'Power On' see: https://www.poweronfilm.com.au/Get involved with the Disability Resource Centre at https://drc.org.au/
Claud Gallois and Dr. Jay Iwasaki spoke to Sanne de Swart and Dr. Jim Green from Friends of the Earth's Nuclear Free Collective about the grassroots campaign to stop a nuclear waste dump in Kimba, South Australia as well as the future challenges that nuclear submarines present. For more information on the Nuclear Free Collective go to https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/nuclear, sign up to their newsletter and send an email to nuclearfree@foe.org.au to join the next meeting.
Find out more about the No More Gas Campaign here:https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/gasRSVP to the Nuclear Free Collective Art Auction here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1965450690513867Donate to Dirt Radio's Radiothon target here: https://www.givenow.com.au/cr/foe
This week Elyse Cunningham, Anna Langford and Aleesha Hanczakowski dive into the history of Friends of The Earth's Climate and Transport action over the past 50 years.
Alana Mountain FoEM forest campaigner and Eva Davis Jones citizen scientist and forest activist chat about the power of the mass action for forests on the weekend and the incoming state budget announcement of an early end to native forest logging. Read Friends of The Earth Melbourne's media statement Find out more about FoE celebrating 50 years of creative resistance
Sustainable Cities Coordinator Elyse Cunningham interviews Late stage PhD candidate and sessional lecturer in public transport planning at University of Melbourne, Iain Lawrie, about the recently announced changes to Melbourne's bus contracts. They look at what these changes actually mean for the community and discuss the realities of bus reform in the current political context
On today's episode of Dirt Radio, Elyse spoke to Pat Simons and Gem Romuld who joined a rally on Saturday 7th May 2023 at Port Kembla on Dharawal Country, NSW. The rally was in opposition to a proposed nuclear submarine base as part of the federal government's AUKUS deal. Community, union groups and activists joined together to say no to nuclear subs, and yes to peace and climate justice. Check out Gem's work at ICAN here: https://icanw.org.au/and WAWAN's work here: https://www.facebook.com/WollongongAgainstWarandNukes/and Pat's work here: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/energy
In the wake of the latest IPCC reports, Alana Mountain from our forest collective sat down with lead IPCC author Dr Joelle Gergis to discuss her new book, 'Humanity's Moment - A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope'. You can listen to Dr Gergis new podcast here
Tune in to hear an update of FoE's Strzelecki Koala Campaign and new findings of poor water quality in the NT.Find out more about the Strzelecki Koala Campaign: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/koalasOr contact Anthony Amis at anthony.amis@foe.org.au to get involved raising awareness about water quality issues.
Friends of the Earth's two main gas campaigners, Freja Leonard and Jeff Waters, discuss the latest news from this polluting industry, and how they are working to kill it.
Keeping Culture Alive Through Language - International Language Day 2023On today's show Elyse Cunningham speaks all things language with the community for International Language Day 2023.
On today's show Jack and Sam discuss all things relationship anarchy with Kim Croxford. Followed by an interview with Maddox Gifford and Alee Hanczakowski on Midsumma festival and the questionable use of cops and corporations to sponsor and walk on the day.
On today's show Jack, Sam and Alana discuss invasion day rallies in Melbourne followed by Cam Walker and Alana's update on a trip taken to the Little Dargo river and how this beautiful old growth forest is set to be destroyed for pulp. Can we finish the native logging this year?
On the first Dirt Radio show of 2023, Sam Castro talks with Wendy Farmer and Pat Simons about renewable energy and the transition taking place in the LaTrobe Valley away from coal. Find out more about Friends of The Earth Melbourne's Yes2Renewables campaign at melbournefoe.org.au
Today on Dirt Radio, Jack and Sam talk with Cam Walker about an update on the Alpine region and what is happening at Friends of the Earth Melbourne in 2023.Dirt Radio are now on summer leave and would like to thank all guests and volunteers that have made the show happen in 2022. See you next year!
This week is the election recap. Guests: Anna Langford (Act on Climate), Alana Mountain (Forests) and Cam Walker (Campaigns co-ordinator) give their thoughts on an election that could have gone very differently and what their focus will be for next year.
On today's show we talk all things Victorian state election with Cam Walker. What stance theparties have on the key environment issues of Gas and Forests for the upcoming election. We also talk all things community response and positive pathways from fossil fuels.Dont forget to donate to Friends of the Earth's Bring the Noise to help support FoE for another year.
On today’s two-part Dirt Radio episode Nathalie Farah sits down with Dr Jen Sanger (The Tree Projects) and Chris Schuringa (Victoria Forest Alliance) to discuss the new Victoria Forest Carbon Report that has been co-authored by Dr Jen and the VFA.This report highlights the current emissions from native forest logging and the legacy left by their delayed release into the atmosphere. But, do not lose hope! The incredible propensity of these ecosystems to absorb carbon can be utilised if we can just learn to nurture and protect them. For the full Victorian and Tasmanian report read through the FoE Melbourne Media Release.Keep the donations rolling in for Bring the Noise to help Friends of the Earth collectives moving.
On today's show Jupiter McIntire discusses her new report - Northern Waters: Uranium in Drinking Water in the Northern Territory. The report, due to be released later this week, looks at the heightened levels of Uranium in the drinking water of remote communities in the NT, the detrimental health effects and social issues that are driven by careless Uranium mining in the territory.Keep your eyes peeled for the report through FoE Melbourne and find out how you can get involved spreading the word of this very pressing issue in the NT.
On today's show Freja is back to talk all things gas. Freja has been working hard behind the scenes on the Community Gas Retirement Roadmap in response to the Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap. Get all the thoughts from Freja on this project including how she will hold the politicians to account on their committments for a Victorian future without gas.Keep up to date with all of the No More Gas for roadmap updates and all things Gas.
On today's show Elyse Cunningham (Sustainable Cities) speaks with Graeme Blore.Graeme is the covener of a community group in Cairnlea that has been campaigning on the lack of community services and public transport in their area. Graeme's community group are concerned about a new housing development being built in their area. The area has no PT provisons and a main road without a bus for 20 years.How does public transport provisions relate to class, the governement and the quality of life for those in Melbourne's outer suburbs? Listen in to find out more.
On today’s show Michelle Baxter of the Strzelecki Koala Action Team (SKAT) talks with Dr. Steve Phillips and Mel Darer about the Strzelecki Koala.Dr Steve Phillips of Biolink provides vital support to the SKAT collective on their surveys of the Strzelecki Koala and talks about the new Areas of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) surveying technique that will be released to citizen science in the coming months.Mel Darer of Mel and the Menagerie and VFA member who has been organising a Strezelecki Koala Festival in Gippsland that will be coming your way on Sunday 16 October 22 at Old Gippstown, Moe. For more info on how you can get involved contact melandthemenageria@outlook.com Keep up to date with all things Strzelecki Koala at the SKAT collective's page.
On todays episode Anna Langford (Friends of the Earth) is back to talk with Professor Lauren Rickards and Dr. Todd Denham (RMIT) on the new collaborative report 'Climate Impacts at Work', the background of the report, and an overview of findings and how they affect workers. Access the entire Climate at Work report to expand on the pressing issues discussed in this episode.
On today's show, Anna Langford (Act on Climate) speaks with Cam Walker (FoE) and Aairin Moon (Maritime Union of Australia) about the legacy left by oil and gas, how decomissioning this infrastructure looks for the environment and workers and can we pave a pathway to a safer renewable future by extending the decomissioning levy.For more information on FoE's work with the offshore gas levy.Keep an eye on MUA's twitter for future actions.
Jack and Sam talk with Alana Mountain, forest collective extraordinaire and co-ordinator who discusses all things threatened species, VIC forests and the continued logging of native habitats.Check out FoE Forests and the Victorian Forest Alliance for more info on how you can get involved.
In today's Dirt Radio show, Sam Castro catches up with Friends of The Earth's Campaigns Coordinator Cam Walker. They discuss protecting forests, just transitions, stopping gas and going back country to celebrate the places we love. FoE Melbourne Forest Collective https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/forests
FoE Melbourne - No More Gas Collective https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/gas
Victorian BackCountry Festival https://backcountryfestival.com.au
Tim and Isabelle discuss resisting Australia's climate destruction with organised disruption and the authoritarian response by NSW police.
On today's show Elyse Cunningham (Sustainable Cities) who has a great chat with community members Adrian (Point Cook) and Sarah (Brimbank) about their difficulties engaging with community through transport links in the West. The shortcomings by state government to provide an effective bus system to these communities is reducing their ability to move throughout their area. Finally, John Stone discusses the better bus service campaign and discusses bus systems used in other cities that can link the larger routes making bus journeys more accessible to all.See more of John's research here
Alana and Tuffy share their thoughts on the new anti-protest laws that have been implented in forset protests and what that means for Victoria's forests. Alana (FoE Forest collective campaign co-ordinator) and Tuff (Geco Organiser) have years of front line experience fighting for forests and land and have a unique perspective on the fight for the right to protest. What will be Dan's legacy?
On the show today Jack and Freja talk with Lisa about Seismic Testing. You might be wondering - is this a Post-Punk revival band? A cold war relic?Nope... Seismic testing is the process of locating gas and oil deposits deep beneath the ocean floor. This is done by triling an air gun off the back of a boat, which send out sonic blasts 24 hours a day, every 10 seconds, at up to 256 decibels for months at a time. To give perspective, a jet engine at 50m is 140 decibels, so it’s no longer a sound than human ears can hear, its more of a burst of energy so powerful that it kills and causes permanent and significant damage to many species of marine life. The full extent of the damage done is not known and that suits the authorites and the gas and oil industry very nicely.Not much is known about the secretive seismic tests being done offshore as most reports into are done by the fuel companies themsleves. The only reliable source of information on Ottaway testing is OCEAN, keep up to date on their events and eyes peeled for a 60 second video by young Apollo Bay filmmaker Jackson Hyett and Patagonia.If you want to look further into titles that have been given by the government and investigate these practices check the NOPTA database. And as always,
On todays show Jack and Sam speak with Freja about Victoria's role in Gas. The interview touches on the role gas plays in Australia, the way it's exported and a recent (staggering) proposal for a floating gas terminal to be built in Geelong. The terminal boasts a location within the advised safe 3km radius residental housing, an immediate threat to local bay wildlife and a shallow attempt to prop up the crumbling Australian gas industry.Help show solidarity to the people, flora and fauna that will be effected by the project by sending an email to your MP to TAKE ACTION on Victorian gas.
This week Sam and Jack present part two of the Keerray Woorroong Gunditjmara First Nations Peoples this World Environment Day to Protect Whale Songline Country in Gunditjmara Sea Country. Every year Koontapool (Southern Right Whales) return to their birthing grounds along the coastlines of South West Victoria. Travelling up from the colder Southern and Antarctic waters, they use the southern coast, waters and songlines to navigate their journeys to and through Gunditjmara Sea Country to feed and birth. Over the past year we have seen state and federal governments earmark vast expanses of Gunditjmara Sea Country for a massive expansion of gas mining as part of a national economic recovery. The event was hosted by the Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective and supported by Friends of The Earth and Surfers For Climate in solidarity with Gunditjmara Whale Dreaming Custodians and Local Gunditj community in proclaiming protection for Southern Right Whale Birthing and Songline.
Presented by Friends of the Earth, Dirt Radio is presented by activists that are on the front line and cutting edge of the environmental movement. Each show includes a feature interview, focussing in detail on a particular environmental or social justice issue that Friends of the Earth is campaigning on or affiliated to. These include issues such as nuclear energy, climate and energy justice, coal mining, fracking, Indigenous land and water rights, the emergence of new technologies and much more. Dirt Radiothon - SHOW US THE MONEYDirt Radio offers an opportunity for local communities to find out what is really going on in the environmental movement and potentially in their local area. .Donate straight to the Dirt Radio ShowDetails on all the ways to donate direct to 3CR here
This week Sam and Jack are joined by Jemila Rushton from the Friends of the Earth Gas Collective who joined Keerray Woorroong Gunditjmara First Nations Peoples this World Environment Day to Protect Whale Songline Country in Gunditjmara Sea Country.Every year Koontapool (Southern Right Whales) return to their birthing grounds along the coastlines of South West Victoria. Travelling up from the colder Southern and Antarctic waters, they use the southern coast, waters and songlines to navigate their journeys to and through Gunditjmara Sea Country to feed and birth. Over the past year we have seen state and federal governments earmark vast expanses of Gunditjmara Sea Country for a massive expansion of gas mining as part of a national economic recovery. The event was hosted by the Southern Ocean Protection Embassy Collective and supported by Friends of The Earth and Surfers For Climate in solidarity with Gunditjmara Whale Dreaming Custodians and Local Gunditj community in proclaiming protection for Southern Right Whale Birthing and Songline. Image Credit to Cape Whale Coast
Today on Dirt Radio we speak with Michelle Baxter of the Strzelecki Koala Action Team (SKAT) about the iconic Strzelecki koala, Victoria's only endemic species of Koala and the difficulty the species faces from logging, fires and private land ownership in Victoria.With news last week that the death of four Koalas have been reported in a planned burnoff of the Mount Richmond National Park, this is a very present threat to all koala species.Find out how you can get involved with SKAT spending long weekends (like Michelle) hunting for koala gold.
On today's Dirt Radio Sam, Jack and Jarred talk with climate community organisers about the Federal Election outcome and the impact of grassroots organising with special guests, Lynn Franks from Lighter Footprints: Grassroots and Morgan Pickett from Climate Action Network Australia.
Today on Dirt Radio we dig deep on the politics of patrarchy with our guest Leah Ward. How parties are addressing patriarchy in the current election cycle, overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US and more. Leah Ward is the creator of the Loud, Angry & Not Sorry podcast available on all good podcast services.
Sam and Jack talk with Cam Walker about the VIC government's scheduled for logging of the Little Dargo and what can we do to ensure the protection of these old forests and the communities that live in the area.Read the follow up Little Dargo River article for more information on what you can do to help.
Sam Cossar interviews Leti (Friends of the Earth Brazil) on a new campaign and proposed law to hold corporations accountable in Brazil.
Sam and Jack talk with Jarred Abrahams, Climate justice member at Friends of the Earth. Jarred talks about fighting climate in the community, with two pre-recorded interviews with community members Mick and Greg, who are organising climate forums within their communities.Find out more below:Higgins Climate Action NetworkLighter FootprintsFoE Community Forums
Sam and Jack talk with Dee Mould, a Lismore resident rebuilding after the recent devestating floods in the area. Dee speaks of the strength and resilience their community has shown to pick up the pieces after the destructive March floods.Pass on your donations and support below:Koori Mail Go Fund MeDee's Personal Go Fund Me
Sam and Jack talk to Zia about direct action group Blockade Australia and its series of actions around the Port of Botony area in New South Wales.Check the Blockade Australia website for more information and updates.
Sam and Jack talk with Pat Simons of Yes2renewables on recent wind energy wins in the state of Victoria.Keep posted on updates for Yes2Renewables and see how you can get involved.
Today on Dirt Radio we spoke with Freya Dinshaw, a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre on human rights violations, modern slavery and the ways in which we can hold Australian corporations to account.
Today on Dirt Radio we spoke with Friends of the Earth's anti-nuclear expert Dr. Jim Green on the threat of nuclear disaster in the Ukraine war."Nuclear Energy Atomic Energy" by Sakucae is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
Today on the show Phil and Sam playback an interview with Jess Trevena about activist burnout and 3 things we can do to avoid it. Find out more about FoE Melbourne events here
Today on the show, Phil Evans and Sam Castro play an interview conducted by Friends of the Earth's Anna Langford with Fiona McCandless and Hannah Warne-Smith from the Health and Services Union (HACSU) about how climate change is impacting workers and why the care economy is so vital to any conversation about adaptation to climate change. We also discuss the Climate Impacts at Work survey project being coordinated by Friends of the Earth with six unions and RMIT University.Check out HACSU's websiteTake part in the climate impacts at work survey hereCheck out upcoming events at Friends of the Earth
Today on the show Nic Fox from the Victorian Forest Alliance joins host Phil Evans via the phone to let us know how to party fopr a purpose this weekend with Festival for the Forests.Book your FREE ticket here (Limited numbers due to COVID restrictions)Check out the art from the auction here and make a bid. You can call or message 0423 109 765 to make an appointment to view the art outside of the festival times.Check out more details on the Facebook Event
This week our host Phil Evans tries to inspire you to action by getting involved at Friends of the Earth.Sign up to hear more about volunteering hereSign our petition to protect Snow Gum forests here
Today on the show Lock the Gate's Freja Leonard joins me via phone to talk about gas, why we need to kick this dirty fossil fuel habit, and how local governments are spearheading the Renewables Not Gas revolution.Join a webinar on Thursday Januay 27th - details here.
Alice, an activist involved with the Blockade IMARC alliance, joins host Phil Evans for a conversation about what extractivism is, how we need to think beyond growth economics, and how to get involved with Blockade IMARC and the resistance against global extractivism.Find out more about Blockade IMARC hereJoin an information session on Sunday, 11AM on January 23rdGet involved with a citizen science trip to protect forests near Mt Hotham
Today on the show, Director of United Workers Union, Caterina Cinanni, joins Friends of the Earth Act on Climate Coordinator, Anna Langford, to talk through what green capitalism is, and how we can smash it through solidarity. We also hear the story of the victorious striking women who took action at Melbourne Fashion Week.Find out more about Cooperative Power.Get involved with Freinds of the Earth's climate collective.
This week on the show Phil is joined by Jarrah and Belle from Blockade Australia - a new network of activists taking a systemic and direct action approach to solving the climate crisis.You can find out more about Blockade Australia on their website, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.Read ANFA's statement on AUKUS and nuclear submarines here.Find out more about Friends of the Earth's work on koalas, including how to get the new pamphlet mentioned in the show here.
This week on the show we hear another of the presentations from a recent webinar held by Friends of the Earth and the Climate Council about the potential for an offshore wind industry in Australia. This time we heard a little further north ot the home of the world's largest coal port, Newcastle, and hear from Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes, aobu how offshore wind could be a transition boom for the city.Watch the full webinar hereTake action to get Victoria's buses 100% electrified!
Today on the show we hear some of the highlights from a recent webinar held by Friends of the Earth and the Climate Council about the potential for an offshore wind industry in Australia. We hear presentations from Tony Wolfe, a coal fired power plant worker, and Penny Howard, a research officer with the Maritime Union of Australia.Watch the full webinar here Read the Blue Economy Cooperative report on offshore wind potential hereGet active with Friends of the Earth's Yes 2 Renewables collective here
This week on Dirt Radio - Lucinda, Mareta, and Phil catch up with Friends of the Earth's Anthony Amis and Michelle Baxter from the Strzlecki Koala Action Team and find out why the koala issue is a lot more complicated than first glance.Get involved with the Strzlecki Koala Action Team at Friends of the Earth here.Get involved with protecting Greater Gliders by joining the crew at GECO, or with the Friends of the Earth forest collective.Say no to nuclear submarines in Australia with this petition, and read more information about the decision here.
Today on the show we will catch up Laura Sykes - Friends of the Earth’s Sustainable Cities collective coordinator to talk about all things transport, climate change and anew campaign that is being launched called Better Buses in Melbourne’s West.Take action to call for better buses.Take part in a day of action to call on stronger Australian targets for COP26 (if it goes ahead!)
We listen in to a presentation by the Kathy Jetnil-Kijner - and activist, artist and poet from the Marshall Islands - made at the Climate Change Challenges to the Cultural Identity and Sovereignty of Pacific Atoll Nations conference organised by the Pacific Island Council of QLD(link is external) and Friends of the Earth in July.Join the national Day of Action for Australia's 2030 Climate Target on Friday 1 October to call for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take a strong 2030 target to the COP26 climate summit.Be part of the Better Buses for Melbourne's West Campaign Launch on September 15.
We listen in to a presentation by the Honourable Simon Kofe - The Tuvalu Foreign Minister - made at the Climate Change Challenges to the Cultural Identity and Sovereignty of Pacific Atoll Nations conference organised by the Pacific Island Council of QLD and Friends of the Earth in July.SIGN THE PETITION: Call on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to match (or beat) Boris and Biden's climate targets for COP26!
Zianna Fuad from Friends of the Earth Australia joins Phil Evans via phone to discuss LGBTIQA+ struggles, and how they intersect with climate justice work.We also run through 6 ways to build more inclusive movements:Educate yourself about LGBTIQA+ struggles and share knowledge and resources.Challenge harmful perceptions and actions, especially if you’re straight and cis-gendered.Never assume identity - invite people to share if they feel safe to do so.Use inclusive language - in meetings, and in your campaigning, and organising materials.Be deliberately inclusive.Turn up and be good comrades.Meanwhile check out the awesome work happening up at Camp Nunguu.Also check out these other great sister shows on 3cr celebrating all things queer:In Ya FaceOut of the PanQueering the Air
Today we are looking at so called, "junk agroecology" and what's behind the transition towards a sustainable agricultural narrative in agroecology circles. We will dig into a report released in 2020 titled “Junk Agroecology: The corporate capture of agroecology for a partial ecological transition without social justice.”Yes, it is Food Sovereignty, Agricultural Practices, Corporate Cooption and social justice today on Dirt Radio with a special report featuring an interview with Katie Sandwell from Transnational Institute of the Netherlands (TNI) recorded by our sister show, Friends of the Earth International’s Real World Radio who also wrote today's script (used under Creative Commons licence).Please email phil.evans@foe.org.au if you want to find out more about food sovereignty work, or to get involved.
A new report suggests that Australia has some of the world’s best offshore wind assets, in fact enough to replace our aging fleet of coal fired power plants. Centred in this new opportunity is the Latrobe Valley, home of Victoria’s remaining brown coal reserves and power generation. It’s never been as simple as switch off coal and switch on renewables, and today we will be joined by Pat Simons from Friends of the Earth’s Yes2Renewables campaign to hear about some of the obstacles, and some of the opportunities that wind powered energy generation has for the community. Yes it is the tale of two wind farm projects, here on Dirt Radio!Take action to get the government moving on offshore wind here.Find out more about the Delburn wind project and public submissions here.
Phil is joined by Friends of the Earth's Sam Castro, who is part of an international working group looking at dismantling patrirchy and gender justice. Friends of the Earth believes that social and environmental justice is only achievable through a radical transformation of our societies. We seek justice and freedom from all systems that devalue and exploit women, peoples and the environment, including patriarchy, racism, (neo)colonialism, class oppression, capitalism and heteronormativity. These systems cannot be tackled in isolation; they reinforce one another in the constant drive for material accumulation and for the benefit and privilege of elites in society.Today we drill in to capitalism, why we must apply a feminist lense to our environmental justice work, and what some examples might look like.Get involved with Friends of the Earth.
The temporary ban (moratorium) on onshore ‘conventional’ gas drilling, which has been in place across Victoria since 2014, expires July 1st. This will leave significant areas across Gippsland and South West Victoria exposed to gas exploration. Phil is joined on the phone by Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth to talk about the renewed threat.Drillwatch is coming - sign up here.
Friends of the Earth Bangaldesh AKA Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association or BELA, have made calls for an independent investigation into the shooting of coal plant workers by police back in April that left 7 people dead.The workers were defending their worker’s rights and payment of their overdue salary.We hear from Bareesh Hasan Chowdhury a research lawyer from Friends of the Earth Bangaldesh / Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).Read Friends of the Earth Bangaldesh / Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)'s statement here.Audio from this episode comes from our sister show, Real World Radio.Join Friends of the Earth Melbourne for the Cane Toad Awards Trivia Night on July 1st.Please donate during Radiothon to Keep Dirt Radio on the air.
For the first time in history, a judge has held a corporation liable for causing dangerous climate change. As a result of legal action brought by Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) together with 17,000 co-plaintiffs and six other organisations1 the court in The Hague ruled that Shell must reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% within 10 years. This historic verdict has enormous consequences for Shell and other big polluters globally. Sam Cossar-Gilbert from Friends of the Earth joins us to talk about this historic win that has sent shockwaves around the globe and shivers down the spine of fossil fools everywhere.Vote now in the Cane Toad awardsGet involved with Friends of the Earth's Economic Justice Collective
The onshore conventional gas moratorium - or temporary ban - is due to be lifted on June 30. This means that a potential new front could open up in the fight against fossil fuels with onshore drilling and exploration across Victoria's farmlands.In this report we hear from South West VIC resident and former dairy farmer, Gillian Blair, and the Australia Institute's Mark Ogge, about how the economic argument for gas just does not stack up - especially when it comes to jobs.Upcoming events:Delivery Day for the People's Climate Strategy - June 4Fundraiser for local anarchist publication - Beyond the Dark Horizon - June 26
Phil is joined by Friends of the Earth's Sam Cossar-Gilbert to talk about the Cane Toad Awards.From BHP’s Samarco dam disaster in Brazil to Mayur Resources’ push for the first coal industry in the Pacific. Many Australian companies are implicated in the destruction of our planet and peoples livelihoods, just like cane toads. Demand accountability by voting in Australia’s most disgusting award, sharing and exposing these toxic toads.VOTE NOW!Get active for corporate accountability:Friends of the EarthJubilee AustraliaActionAid
This week we caught up with Nina Atkinson from Tipping Point - a Friends of the Earth project supporting the Stop Adani grasroots movement. The Stop Adani and Beyond roadshows are coming up in early June - and they have a bold new strategy to ensure that no financing goes towards this destrcutive coal mine.Join your local roadshow here (Melbourne is June 1)
The Andrews government has announced Victoria’s climate strategy including Emissions Reduction Targets of 28-33 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 and 45-50 percent by 2030.The long-awaited announcement comes after a four-year community campaign for science-based targets and a year-long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Leigh Ewbank from Friends of the Earth joins to unpack the decision, and what next for the climate justice movement.Send an email to Scott Morrison asking him to match Vic's climate targets.
Phil is joined in the studio by Leigh Ewbank - Friends of the Earth's Act On Climate Coordinator - talk talk about what is going on with climate policy here and abroad, what are net zero emissions, and how you can get active on climate justice.Think Global and Act Local! Join a local grassroots group - like Friends of the EarthWrite to your MPSign up to be part of delivery day of the People's Climate Strategy!
This week we are joined by Anna Langford from Friends of the Earth's Act on Climate collective to talk about the People's Climate Strategy - a bold project that crowdsourced climate solutions from the general public.You can attend the launch of the strategy on April 22 by registering here
Technical issues held us back from the planned interview, but instead we listened to some cool tunes.Come along to the People's Climate Strategy Launch on April 22. Details here.If koalas are your jam, then come along this Thursday to get active to protect this iconic species.
Katherine Cunningham from Earthworker Cooperative joins Phil on the phone to talk about how worker owned cooperatives are engaging the resistance and dismantling patriarchal, corporate power.Earthworker have another round of 10 week courses beginning April 27.The course outcomes include:The tools to develop and launch a worker cooperativeAccess to resources for ongoing learning and supportConnections with a supportive community of collaboratorsA statement of participationEmail earthworkereducation@gmail.com for more info.Earthworker Cooperative is a member of Friends of the Earth Australia.
We hear an interview by our Friends of the Earth sister program, Real World Radio, with Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Chima Williams, about his reaction to the historic Dutch court case that saw fossil fuel giant Shell be held accountable for oil pollution on the Niger Delta.Join Extinction Rebellion for the Autum Rebellion all this week, including a yarn about climate justice today with Uncle Bill Nicholson.Come to a public meeting about the huge protest planned for Land Forces 21: #DisruptLandForcesLand Forces 21 is a global arms expo on at Brisbane Convention Centre 1-3 June.
Phil Evans is joined on the phone by Pat Mackle from Otways Climate Emergency Action Network (OCEAN) to discuss the threat that seismic testing from oil and gas projects has on the local environment, and economy.Join OCEAN this Friday 19th March at 3:30PM at the office of NOPSEMA to call for a stop to this drilling. Expect lots of songs!! cnr William and Bourke sts MelbourneFacebook event here.
Phil Evans is joined by Anja Homberg from the Disability Resources Centre who are highlighting the government's failure to meet its own targets via the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport which require all tram stops to be fully accessible by 2022. Sign the petition.More ways help here.Live video of the action on Facebook.
Phil and Sam from Friends of the Earth talk aobut a radical shift in International Women's Day and why dismantling patriarchy and gender justice are precursors to a safer and healthy planet.Hear Sam Castro speak alongside other radical voices at the International Women's Day march at 2PM Monday, March 8 at Parliament.
How can we address the climate crisis and support the livelyhoods of 50,000 Victorian families? A new report by the Act on Climate collective answers just that! Tune in to hear Act on Climate Coordinator Leigh Ewbank give us all the details. Learn morehttps://www.actonclimate.org.au/report_launch_star_of_the_south Email Premier Dan Andrewshttps://www.actonclimate.org.au/email_the_premier
Community gardens have the potential to provide a range of benefits, including climate change mitigation, increased social cohesion, and improved mental and physical health. That's why, as part of our Sustainable Cities is developing a community garden poster.Sustainable cities intern Alisha Fulton share's her experiences and tells us all about the benfits of community gardens and the ongoing community survey. Take the Surveyhttps://www.melbournefoe.org.au/community_garden_survey Keep an eye on the Facebook page for upcoming materialshttps://www.facebook.com/WeSustainCities
Lucinda Walker interviews West Papuan activist, community organiser and all round legend Porobibi about the Futuna Youth Nursery. The Futuna Youth Nursery is a grassroots, Climate Adaption project in Futuna, Vanuatu. Poro is raising funds here in Australia for the project. Vanuatu is experiencing intensifying climate impacts including disatrous cyclones. Check out the Project leader in Futuna Isso Nihmei talking about the impact of cyclones in Vanuatu and. The project will fight climate change, decolonise agriculture and support the local community.You can support the project by donating below! And don't forget to check out the perks which include Albums from Wantok Music and United Struggle Project.Nursery for community: Vanuatu Climate Adaptation ProjectYou can keep up to date with the project by following their instagram @futuna_youth_nurseryThankyou so much for listening!
50 years ago today, an international treaty for the protection and sustainable use of wetlands came into effect. The RAMSAR convention was to protect wetlands of international significance, to support populations of migratory birds, endangered species, purify drinking water, and sink carbon. But how is Australia faring?We catch up with Mel Gray from Healthy Rivers Dubbo to hear about the RAMSAR listed Macqualrie Marshes and the conditions of wetlands in the Murray Darling. Learn more about Healthy Rivers Dubbohttps://healthyriversdubbo.com/ Stop New Dam Developments on the Lachlan Riverhttps://www.melbournefoe.org.au/reject_wyangala_wallStop Floodplain Harvestinghttps://www.melbournefoe.org.au/flood_the_ministerBinge listen to Earth Matters River Programs for World Wetland Daywww.3cr.org.au/earthmatters
Tim Hollo, executive director of the Green Institute and visiting fellow in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at ANU, focuses a wide angle lens on some end of year big picture issues: campaigning and the climate crisis, grassroots community building and mobilizing for consequential change in a post-pandemic world.
Today we spoke with Belinda Baggs and Linley Hurrell from Surfers for Climate about this exciting new organsiation.Check out Surfers for Climate's website here including how to get involved, and check out their awesome film clip collaboration with Jack McCoy and Paul McCartney (yes! The BEATLE!).
Dirt Radio is back LIVE in the studio!Today we talk to Fundraising Coordinator and No New Gas campaigner Jemila Rushton and Act on Climate campaigner, Leigh Ewbank.The theme was to think global (and federal) and act local. The US elections have national consequences on climate action, and the Federal push for a gas led recovery is putting pressure on local gas projects.Sign our letter to Scott Morrison calling for climate action>>Get involved in the 100 laps for climate action event>>Donate to support our Food Coop crowdfunder>>
Executive director of Market Forces, Julien Vincent talks about their campaign work exposing the sectors and institutions that finance environmentally destructive projects and climate change, and explains how communities and individuals around Australia can make these institutions accountable.
Friends of the Earth campaign coordinator Cam Walker and Megan talk about the increasing intensity and frequency of fires at home and overseas. What might come from the bushfire royal comission and what needs to be done mititgate and adapt in this changing world.Sign up to volunteer:https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/volunteer
Communities along the Darling-Baaka are rich in stories, life and culture. Dan Shultz and Otis Filley from homelandings media have been capturing and sharing these grassroots stories for 10 months. This week they caught up with Megan on Dirt Radio Check out This Is Water: https://www.homelandings.com.au/Sign up with Friends of the Earth: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/eventsLearn More about the Menindee Lakes: https://www.3cr.org.au/earthmatters/episode-202008021100/leave-our-lakes-alone-darling-baaka-community-says-no
Environmental water and Cultural Flows play a distinct and important role to #ReviveOurRivers. But Whats the difference?Tune in to a snippet from an online event discussing just that, hosted By Friends of the Earth's River Country Campaign and featuring former Commonwalth Environmental Water Hoilder David Papps and director of the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations peak body Brendan Kennedy. Watch the full discussion:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6itWCtfXz4gGet involved with Firends fo the Earthhttps://www.melbournefoe.org.au/events
We passed another great milestone, 20 years since the S11 protests at the World Economic Forum outside Crown Casino in Melbourne on Sep 11, 2000. Listen back on a snippet from 45 Years of Creative Resistance - a Friends of the Earth Herstory show, discussing the protest, the time and the influence of the anti globalisation movement with campaign greats: Dimity Hawkins, Cam Walker, Dave Kerin. Listen to the full program: https://www.3cr.org.au/actingup/episode-201912241500/acting-45-years-foe-anti-capitalist-trade-union-solidarityListen to Globalisation unplugged:https://www.3cr.org.au/s11Get involved at Friends of the Earthhttps://www.melbournefoe.org.au/events
School Strike 4 Climate is now affiliated with Friends of the Earth here in Australia. Campaigner, activist and striker Veronica Hester, who also happens to live in Scott Morrison's electorate, talks about the upcoming SS4C national day of action on Friday Sept 25 and local plans for a special action outside the Morrison electoral office.For more information, go to https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/buildourfuture
It's been a big year! So where is Daniel Andrews on the promised state based emissions reductions targets? And how have the people taken the lead in developing our climate policy? We check in the Anna Langford and Leigh Ewbank from Friends of the Earth's Act on Climate Collective to find out all about it For more info go tohttps://www.actonclimate.org.au/RsVP to the Climate Solutions Forum www.facebook.com/events/774309326720021/
Dirt Radio Co-Host Lucinda Walker steps up to speak with Friends of the Earth's Yes 2 renewables Coordinator Pat Simons about the Coalition's economic plan to prop up gas instead of investing in renewables at this critical moment for the climate and economic recovery.Relevant links:1. Feds dial up attacks on renewable energy and environment 2. TAKE ACTION > Tuesday 8th August 11am: Call Blitz the Gas Guzzlers3. Petition: Get a move on with offshore wind
The North-East Link could be the biggest major toll road in the country - up to 24 lanes in some places and preliminary works are now underway.Sustainable Cities collective member and researcher into air and noise pollution Barry Watson and President of the Friends of Banyule Michelle Giovas join Megan and Lucinda to talk about the impacts of this mega road, fears local have for air and noise and what alternatives are on offer.Sustainable CitiesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeSustainCities/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeSustainCitiesInstagram: @we.sustain.citiesWebsite: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/sustainable_citiesEmail: claudia.gallois@foe.org.auFriends of Banyule Website: https://friendsofbanyule.wordpress.com/the-ne-link/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Banyule-153722784678987/Email: michellegiovas@gmail.com Residents united against north east link https://www.facebook.com/groups/NoNEALink/Contact the North East Link Project on 1800 105 105 or email community@northeastlink.vic.gov.auSign the Petition https://www.change.org/p/daniel-andrews-say-no-to-ne-link-m3-widening
Health workers of all kinds have been on the front lines right from the very start of the coronavirus crisis. But even during this time, some have still been able to turn their attention and energies to the environmental and climate crisis inevitably in front of us once the pandemic subsides. Doctors Harry Jennens and Kate Lardner, co-founders of Healthy Futures (an affiliate of FoE), talk about their activism and campaign work in the health sector.
From bushfires, lawsuits, and community tree sits, it has been a HUGE year for forests! Join us for a National Tree Day Special with Chris Schuringa from the Goongerah Environement Centre Find out more and sign up for emails at http://geco.org.au/The FoE food Coop is OPEN - order online https://www.foefood.org/Emergency Meeting for Emissions Reductions Targets https://www.actonclimate.org.au/emergency_meeting
A small genetic "edit" to cattle for more efficient food production? Solar radiation management to protect the Great Barrier Reef? Louise Sales, co-ordinator of Friends of the Earth's Emerging Tech Project provides a critical assessment of the science behind these innovations and argues for a serious rethink about their proposed rollout.
Friends of the Earth's SKAT (Strezlecki Koala Action Team) Collective have been working on surveying koala habitat in Victoria's south-east since 2013. They are working to create comprehensive mapping of the state's only endemic koala population. Today on the show we chat with Anthony Amis, who has been involved with forest conservation in the area since the 1990s and who has been heading up the koala mapping project. This year he has surveyed around 200 sites, and we get an update on the project as it stands. You can find the mapping work here: https://strzkoala.australianmap.net/
Today on the show Megan speaks with Peta Thornton - a citrus grower from Swan Hill, community sustainability leader and fierce opponent to the floodplain infrastructure that is being pushed ahead in the Nyah Vinifera Forest.Tune in for an indepth discussion about the Murray Floodplain and what's happening right now. See Friends of the Earth Melbourne Events page for upcoming collective meetings and online eventshttps://www.facebook.com/pg/foemelbourne/events/
This June, the Lock the Gate Alliance marks ten years of campaign work aimed at confronting the potentially devastating impacts of unchecked mining for coal and coal seamed gas for rural and regional Australia. Georgina Woods, NSW Lock the Gate co-ordinator and spokesperson, looks back on those early days of organizing, recounts some memorable successes, and foreshadows the on-going challenges still ahead.
In this week's episode of Dirt Radio, Em brings you a snippet of one of last year's Acting Up series episodes that celebrated Friends of the Earth's 45th birthday. The episode looks at the Barmah Millewa collective that was set up in solidarity with the Yorta Yorta people in 1998 to support their fight for Native Title and the designation of the Barmah Millewa national park. Hear Aunty Monica Morgan, Jono La Nauze and Indira Narayan interviewed by Megan Williams.
It's Global Wind Day! For today's show we talk to Friends of the Earth's Yes2Renewables Coordinator, Pat Simons, Voices of the Valley's Wendy Farmer, and Strezlecki Sustainable Future group's Cath Thompson about the Latrobe Valley and how the winds of change are blowing in a renewable energy future.Get involved:Friends of the Earth's Global Wind Day actionVoice of the ValleyStrezlecki Sustainble Futures
Megan and Lucinda catch up with the Steve Meacher, the President of the Friends of the leadbeaters possum and Cath Rouse from the FoE Forest Collective to talk about the recent Federal Court decision to halt logging in 66 coups across Victoria's central highlands. Final hearings to be set by the end of the month, find out why this could be a Franklin Dam scale win for the environemnt movement. Follow the Friends of the Leadbeaters Possum on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadbeatersPoss/Donate to the 3cr Station appeal: https://www.givenow.com.au/cause442
In this week's episode of Dirt Radio, Em takes us back into the archives to hear some audio from the Indigenous Solidarity Gatherings hosted by Friends of the Earth in 1997 and 1998. We hear speeches from Aunty Pauline Gordon and Aunty Wadjurlabinna Nulyarimma, and intro from Anthony Amis who was involved in organising the conferences. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners please note this episode may contain voices of people who are deceased.
As our isolating shows continue, we catch up with Anja Homberg from the Disablity Resource Centre to hear about a recent collaboration with Friends of the Earth around accessible access to transport - #LifelongLockdown.Then we get a bit silly with Sam Castro and Sean Bedlam to talk about their new podcast- They're Gonna Kill Us - whihc you can find on Itunes or Spotify.
On today’s show we catch up on how the Act on Climate Collective has been adapting to COVID 19 and pushing ahead to make Vicotoria a leader in Climate action with collective member Anna Langford and then hear how Friend of the Earth is keeping the doors open with a fundraising update from frundraising coordiantor Jemila Rushton.RSVP to the People's Climate Strategy for Victoriahttps://www.actonclimate.org.au/launch_vic_climate_strategy?fbclid=IwAR0HiASpK6f7hyCm6F2bG24KPKTmkks87zuoElvJBnedbOwG_VT6KOGNWCISign up for the Maybe Mullethttps://maybe-mullet.raisely.com/Get your bulk foods via click and collect at the FoE Food Coop!https://www.foefood.org/theshop
The NorthEast Link Project is set to start early works on May 18. The project has come under scrutiny as 4 local councils that will be impacted by the project have taken it to court over its inadequate Environmental Effects Statement. Today on Dirt Radio, we chat with Claudia and Mary from Sustainable Cities about their campaign to oppose the project, as well as Michelle from Friends of Banyule - one of the council areas impacted heavily by the project. We chat about some of the environmental impacts as well as the potential risks to the project from Covid19.
What will the post lockdown world look like? What examples can we look to for alternative way of operating? Megan speaks with Katherine Cunningham from Earthworker and Godfrey Moase from Cooperative Power about the place for cooperatives in a post-capitalist world. More infor about Earthworker https://earthworkercooperative.com.au/Sign up for Cooperative Power https://www.cooperativepower.org.au/Shop online at the FoE Food Coop https://www.foefood.org/theshop
Communities across Australia are caring for one another by staying at home to flatten the curve, however extractive capitalism continues on in a business as usual fashion in so-called Australia and across the world. On today's show host Em Gayfer chats with Babs Rapeport about the ways in which State of Emergency powers can be used by governments to expand colonial, capitalist pursuits. Em also spoke with Cam Walker about some of the worrying environmental decisions that have been made since the start of the Covid19 crisis, and some of the ways that Friends of the Earth has been involved in looking forwards to the world we want to create post Covid19.
The Friends of the Earth Food Coop is still trading under COVID-19 restrictions. We hear a little about the history of the Coop and how you can stil come in to shop.
Last week Daniel Andrews opened up Victoria to gas exploration as the everything else was shutting down. We couldn't hit the streets, but we could not let this go down without an action. Tune in to find out how Friends of the Earth is adapting to these rapidly changing times. Its not too late to join our digital rally https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/snap_action_fossil_fuels_vicMutual Aid Resources for people in Narrm/MelbourneNorthside: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2467532753498978/?hc_location=ufiEastside: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EastsideMelbCoronavirusOutreach/Southside: https://www.facebook.com/groups/486869402197064/?hc_location=ufiWestside: https://www.facebook.com/groups/614273975816743/?hc_location=ufiViral Kindness: https://drive.google.com/.../1L.../view...
We chat with Pat Simons from Friends of the Earth’s Yes2Renewables campaign and Penny Howard, a researcher with the Maritime Union of Australia about how offshore wind is a win win win for jobs, climate and a just transitions.
Last week, conservation group Forest Conservation Victoria stopped logging in the Zinger Coup located in the Valley of Giants, Toolangi. Conservationist Alana Mountain was involved in the protests and joined Megan in studio to talk about why this special forest desperately needs protection. Follow Forest Conservation Victoria on Facebook - www.facebook.com/forestconservationvicCall Premier Daniel Andrews office on 03 9651 5000Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio on 03 9637 9504Resources Minister Jaclyn Symes 03 8392 2261
Today we start the first episode in a BRAND NEW series documenting the way we organise and operate at Friends of the Earth. In the show we interview Dirt Radio co-host Phil Evans about "The Rhizome" a concept we use to describe the organising work FoE does. Tune in for some nerdy discussions around anti-hierarchical structures, supporting frontline communities and so much more!
Over the Weekend When the River Runs Dry made its Australian premiere at the Transitions Film Festival in Melbourne. Hear the panel discussion with film makers Rory Mcleod and Peter Yates, Muruwari and Budjiti man Bruce Shillingsworth and Friends of the Earth River Country Coordinator Megan Williams facilitated be Alanta Colley. 1. Find a screening near you2. Take the Pledge to Save the Barka
Today on the show we speak with Dr Jim Green about the recent Federal government announcement of a national nuclear waste dump in Kimba, SA. Jim is currently in SA where Traditional Owners and community members are fighting to oppose the dump. To find out more, visit nuclear.foe.org.au
The Act on Climate Collective made a human sign that spelled the out less than 1.5C as a directive for Daniel Andrews to set emissions reductions targets in line with the science that says globally we need to limit warming to less than 1.5C if we are to avoid the most catastrphic impacts of the impending climate crisis. Megan interviews Emma Sandford and John Knox from the act on Climate collective with pre-recorded speech from Sam GalvinSign the petition for ambition https://www.actonclimate.org.au/petitionforambition
This show may be disturbing to some listeners.We talk to Friends of the Earth Strzelecki Koala Campaigner, Anthony Amis, about the recently reported koala massacre in South West Victoria. The issues surrounding the incident are not as clean cut as at first glance, and Anthony talks us through the history of translocation, boom and bust populations, and dipslaced animals from plantations.Please sign Friends of the Earth's petition here calling for Daniel Andrews to take action.Let's make 2020 a year of action and get involved with Friends of the Earth. You can find a full lists of events to get you started here.
There's so much misinformation in the Murray Darling Basin that it can be hard to tell fact from fiction. Tune in as we bust some of the biggest myths in the murray Darling Basin, with Megan Williams and jack McPherson of River Country and Katharine McBride of Tolarno Station.Learn more: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/river_myths_1Follow River Country on Facebook and get in touchhttps://www.facebook.com/rivercountrycampaign/
As the year draws to a close Megan catches up with Jane Hutchings from the Transform Waste Collective and Larissa Milsum from the FoE Food Coop about how to reduce your footprint this holiday season.
Concerned community members Michelle Giovas and Helen Claudia and Helen Tsoutsouvas joined Phil in the studio to look at the community resistance to the $16 billion dollar North East Link road project. Claudia Gallois from Friends of the Earth's Sustainable Cities collective also let us know about an upcoming rally and how you can get involved.RALLY - Wednesday 27th November at parliament. More details here.Join the Sustainable Cities collective and also the Friends of Banyule group to get involved.
Friends of the Earth Act on Climate activists, Anna Langford and Aaron Brooks, joins host, Phil Evans, to talk about how climate has changed in Victoria, what are the impacts, and who is standing in the way for climate justice action.The Act on Climate climate impacts map is launched November 27 at Katherine Symes library. More information here.
Over the weekend, Friends of the Earth hosted the epic WALK THIS WAY to raise funds for Friends of the Earth Melbourne. We heard from community members working to transform our world - including Godfrey from Cooperative Power. Today on the show we spoke with Colin Long to give us a bit more information about what Cooperative Power is and how listeners can get involved
Emmanuel Peni an environmental activist from PNG has come to Australia to raise awareness of the minig project that threatens his homeland and the pristine Sepik river. Tune in to learn about this pending environmental disaster. Save the Sepik River Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/Save-the-sepik-river-and-its-people-520425805066221/Learn morehttps://www.business-humanrights.org/en/papua-new-guinea-report-says-panausts-intended-mining-activity-on-frieda-river-poses-adverse-environment-social-impacts-lacks-adequate-free-prior-informed-consentGet in touch with Friends of the Earth to help(03) 9419 8700
Friends of the Earth's annual community event Walk This Way is fast approaching! We hear from event organiser coordinator Jemila Rushton on what its all about and how you can get involved. Sign up today at https://walkthisway.org.au/Walk this way Nov 9th https://www.facebook.com/events/2454077478248943/Come along to "Get Ready for Walk this Way" Weds Oct 16th https://www.facebook.com/events/409910113004704/
We cross live to the Spring Rebellion protests organised by Extinction Rebellion and speak to protesters preparing to take peaceful direct action in Melb CBD.
We were joined in the studio by Kate and Cam from the Energy Justice collective from Friends of the Earth to find out what they are up to in their campaign to see a fair and just transition from fossil fuel use in Victoria.Find more information on the Fossil Frontlines Community Tour mentioned on the show here.Keep up with all the comings and goings at Friends of the Earth on our Facebook Event page.
Em and Megan catch up with Charlotte Borthwich from the River Country collective and Menindee local Susanah Clarke to get an update from the River Country's recent trip to Menindee. Tune in to hear all about our community drag show and film screening and whats happening out on the rivers. Take action: https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/fix_murray_darlingFollow the Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rivercountrycampaign/
We talk to Friends of the Earth's Emerging Tech Coordinator about the current move to deregulate gene editing in Australia. What are these technologies? What are the threats? And what are alternatives?Check out the Emerging Tech Projects website here.For a full ist of events around Friends of the Earth, check out our Facebook page.
Climate Justice is resonanting in the environment movement as the approach needed to both tackle climate change and care for those most effectived. What does this look like in the transport space? We causght up with Claudia Gallois from the Sustainable cities collective to find out.
Phil and Em are joined in the studio by Sue McKinnon from Kinglake Friends of the Forest to talk about their work to protect their local state forest from logging. At risk is the habitat of threatened species, like the Greater Glider, and the community from risk of fire and the economic impact of deforestation.Follow Kinglake Friends of the Forest on Facebook and get along to their spotlighting night on Threatened Species Day - September 7th (flier below).Catch up on all the event listings on Friends of the Earth Melbourne's Facebook page.
We are joined by activist and musician, Andy Paine, part of FrontLine Action on Coal (FLAC) who are currently blockading the Adani Carmichael coal mine. They recently issued a red alert at the camp and we caught up to find out what is happening.Melbourne information night 20th August details here.Follow FLAC on Facebook, Twitter and their website.Donate to support Wangan & Jagalingou Family Council here.Check out all the events you heard about on Friends of the Earth's Facebook event page.
Today, fomer Dirt Radio host Sam Castro comes in studio to interview former US Marine turned anti war activist, and PhD student at the University of Massachuestts Ross Caputi. Ross co-authored The Sacking of Fallujah - a peoples history, which details how modern wars are waged and the use of propaganda campaigns in both legitimating military incursions and mollifying domestic audiencesBuy the bookhttps://www.umass.edu/umpress/title/sacking-fallujah?fbclid=IwAR1X0Rm8vE_UJi1jeJ2d8P3rj9DHe8YHuHzicvMIKuu5XRRKiEWadeGCPv0Continue the conversationhttps://www.facebook.com/events/2511617592404640/
This week Em checks in with Jim Green to get an overview of the current state of affairs around nuclear energy, waste and weapons in Australia. Recent months have seen far-right politicians like Tony Abbott and Clive Palmer push once again for Australians to adopt nuclear power - even though the science and economics tell us nuclear is on the way out worldwide. We talk about the changing energy system, radioactive racism, nuclear dumps and why Australia doesn't need nuclear power.
We hear from Alberto Villareal about the work by a Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power for a binding treaty on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights within the framework of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.The interview was taken from our Friends of the Earth International friends, at Real World Radio.
Today's episode focuses in on a number of projects and battles currently underway around Victoria's roads. We give you an update on the RED ALERT issued at the Djab Wurrung Protection Embassy, share information about PFAS contamination at the Westgate Tunnel Project and chat about the North East Link Project. Sustainable Cities Coordinator Rachel Lynskey joins Phil and Em in the studio for a deeper look into some of the issues with the current North East Link Project, and what the Sustainable Cities campaign is doing. Get out to camp on the Western Highway 10km east of Ararat and check out dwembassy.com.au and the Djab Wurrung Protection Embassy Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Djab-Wurrung-Heritage-Protection-Embassy-191956261657314/ Sign the petition to Stop North East Link: https://www.getonboard.org.au/stop_north_east_link
Today on the show we will drill down into what energy transition actually mean for communities on the frontline, with Yes 2 Renewables Coordinator Pat Simons
On today's show we spoke with Cam Walker about Friends of the Earth's new "Transforming Vic" report. The report details the way Victoria can move towards a fair and just transition - drastically cutting emissions whilst ensuring workers and communities aren't left behind. You can read the full report here. You can sign on to endorse the report as an individual or organisation here.
Megan and Phil catch up with Richard Swain from Reclaim Kosci, an indigenous river guide from the Snowy Mountains and ambassador for the Invasive Species Council about the impact of feral animals in the Snowy Mountains.Follow Reclaim Kosci at www.facebook.com/ReclaimKosci/Rally at NSW Parliament on the Aug 22ndDon't forget to #ConnectToCountry send us pics on your feet in soil on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook
Megan from Drit Radio interviews Arrante woman Amanda Mahomet and Djab Wurrung woman Bec Jakobi about their time on Country protecting the sacred trees on the Western Highway. Join us as we dig into the structural issues that have lead to the ongoing 12 month battle to protect sacred land on Djab Wurrung Country.Get out to camp on the Western Highway 10km east of Ararat and check out dwembassy.com.au and the Djab Wurrung Protection Embassy Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Djab-Wurrung-Heritage-Protection-Embassy-191956261657314/
We look back to a time when we had a conservative government and an imminent fossil fuel threat. Sound familiar? No not Adani, but the threat of fracking in Victoria. The resilient communities stared down the government and went on to one of the most stunning victories in Austrlalian environmental history. Who says history is boring?Jemila Rusthon interviews 4 inspiring women from the Protect the West Alliance as part of the show.Check out upcoming events on Friends of the Earth Melbourne's Facebook page.
We need your help to power radical radio. For the last 5 years Friends of the Earth's Dirt Radio show on 3cr has given voice to radical, grassroots campaigns. Give the station a call on 03 9419 8377 to pledge a donation to keep Dirt Radio on the air.The station needs to raise $250,000 - so every dollar helps.Donate online now bu clicking here.
We are celebrating 45 years of mobilising communities to resist destructive industries and transform our society into one of ecological and social justice.This week we spoke to Merrill Jusef who, back in 1996, encountered Friends of the Earth's Rad Tour. And it forever changed her life.Radiothon is here and Dirt Radio needs to raise $850 to stay on the air. Please help us with a tax deductible donation here.
This week its about money. The State Budget was the usual mixed bag with some great initiatives, but also more allocations that will see us descend further into the climate crisis. Friends of the Earth's Climate Justice spokesperson, Leigh Ewbank, joins us to unpack what happened.Sign the pledge for a #ClimateBudget here.Lucinda Walker from the Act On Climate collective then lets us know about the upcoming Who are the Climate Blockers walk on May 31. Check out the Facebook event here for details.Radiothon is coming....
Today on the show we are pay tribute to the 45-year history of Friends of the Earth and carcked open the archives. We hear from long time campaigner Anthony Amis about the 1996 court case when Friends of the Earth took STY Afforestation to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal over breaching their logging permit and the Code of Forest Practice.Read more herehttp://baddevelopers.nfshost.com/Docs/sty.htm?fbclid=IwAR3V0vOoswc4WQMzJR_gU8xbI_IbGJvVzAcidQCJcQIRxYa9ITNLuidt8XU
What's been happening on the Murray Darling since millions of fish died back in January? Tune in to find out!Dead Fish Projection Melbournehttps://www.facebook.com/events/2364747450435315/Contact Megan Williams River Country Coordinator for more info about River Countrymegan.williams@foe.org.au
We review the recent #SchoolStrike4Climate actions around the country and hear snippets from students as young as 11 speak on why they took action. Check out the Schools Strikers' Facebook and website to find out more.We then take an optimistic look at the Latrobe Valley with Friends of the Earth renewable energy spokesperson, Pat Simons - where the school strikers' demands are slowly becoming a reality.Get in touch with Pat at pat.simons@foe.org.au to get involved with Friends of the Earth's Yes2Renewables campaign collective
The 8 hours day was fought for and won by unions through the mid 1800’s, but in are 2019 worker cooperatives are the new face of worker rights? We catch up with Eleanor Coffey from the Red Gum Cleaning CooperativeMore info on Red Gum: http://redgumcleaning.coop/Earthworker Cooperative: https://earthworkercooperative.com.au/
The Sail4Justice story is EPIC. A broad church of activists, artists and community members have undertaken plans for a journey for justice, freedom and environmental justice. How? By taking to the seas of course!Activist, artist, dancer, writer and all round awesome human Sumarlinah Winoto joins us in the studio to tell all about this amazing undertaking, and how you can get involved. Please donate to keep the flotilla safe and on the seas here, then see you at the launch event on May 4.Download Combat Wombat's radical hip-hop track 'Plant Dem Seeds' and proceeds go to #Sail4Justice.The Flotilla for justice will be launched from so-called Melbourne in May and leave Australia from Gimuy/Cairns in June 2019.
Friends of the Earth Netherlands will deliver a court summons to Shell to legally compel the company to cease its destruction of the climate, on behalf of more than 30,000 people from 70 countries.We hear an interview from Real World Radio with leading lawyer Roger Cox about how the case works and why he thinks it will win.You too can become an honorary plaintiff in this historic case here.
We get an update on the Djab Wurrung protection embassy.Then we speak to Friends of the Earth climate justice spokesperson, Leigh Ewbank, who tells us about new reseach shows that Victoria must amp up its efforts if we are to meet our emissions reductions targets. Also we check in about the impending Federal Election.Email Dan Andrews & Cabinet: Put Climate Action on the Agenda!
An update on the Djab Wurrung Protection Camp and listen in to the speeches from the last weeks rally "Send My recycling to landfill, I'll take it to Parliament" organised by the new Tranform Waste collective.
Breaking news: Police have decended upon the Djap Wurrung Protection embassy in order to begin works on the Wester Highway duplication project. Stay up to date with events as they unfold follow the Djap Wurrung Protection Embassy on Facebook and the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance Learn more about the Djap Wurrung Proetction Embassy here
Megan catches up with Yes 2 Renewable Coordinator Pat Simons about the new campaign to see Victoria's largest offshore wind farm get off the ground.Sign the petitionhttps://www.foe.org.au/star_of_the_south_offshore_windContact to get involved!patrick.simons@foe.org.auLearn morehttps://yes2renewables.org/2019/02/21/powerful-maritime-union-backs-star-of-the-south-urges-energy-minister-to-proceed-with-exploration-license/
This week March 8 is international woments day, we speak to long time voice of Dirt Radio Sam Castro about how the patriachy impacts women everywhere, even in the environment movement.
Legendary FoE Campaigner Anthony Amis interviews Professor Alfred Poulis about his new book, The Secret Life of Chemicals.Contact Alfred Poulos for a copy at alfredpoulos@gmail.com
Millions of fish have been killed on the Darling River this summer, we speak to Kate McBride from Tolarno Station about whats been happening.
The term Carbon Capture and storage has been bandied around for some time, but what is it and what does the community think about plans to bury waste carbon under local seasbeds?
Daniel Andrews has opened up the coastling from Port Campbell to Portland, Anna Langford joins us in the studio to talk about what's wrong with this plan and what the community is doing about it
Dirt Radio host and campaigner for the Bob Brown Foundation, Emma Wasson interviews Canberra lobbyist Dan Cass about his work bringing the Tarkine and the Trans Tarkine Track proposal to the attention of Federal parliamentarians. Then Tarkine in Motion artist/singer song writer Melissa Black talks about her Eden Project which has involved the release of a new album and song "Red Blood Moon" complete with a music video filmed in the Tarkine where she was body painted into the scenery. Film and photos from the Eden Project are exhibiting in the upcoming Tarkine Art Salon at the ACU Gallery on 26 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy from Dec 14 - 23rd, 2018.
Dirt Radio co-hosts Emma Wasson and Alan Ndzinga talk to Yarra City councillor Jackie Fristacky about potential developments in Victoria's public transport system in the context of climate change campaigning for a renewable energy powered train network.
With just 4 days left until the Victorian State Election we catch up with the Forest, Act on Climate, Sustainable Cities and Quit Coal collectives to see how their campaigns are tracking and how we can have conversations to help people make there choice on Saturday.
A united anti-mining rally planned for the International Mining and Resources Conference plenary, “Global mining, principles that contribute to sustainable development" aims to draw attention to the massive negative impacts of mining and expose the "sustainable development" myth used by the mining industry. Recently returned from Ecuador, Liz Downs, campaign correspondent for the Rainforest Info Centre, the umbrella organization for the Melbourne Rainforest Action Group explains.Trains on the Upfield line are infrequent - only a single track exists north of Gowrie Station. That means trains can’t pass each other. The logical way to improve services is to duplicate the Upfield line. Moreland Councillor Sue Bolton surveys the issues and talks about the community action "More Trains on the Upfield Line".
Climate and Energy Researcher, Dylan McConnell joins us in the studio to let us know about what Australia's energy system might look like, if only we had the leadership. With just over 1 month to go to the Victorian State Election you can still get involved with Yes2Renewables' push to see Melbourne's trains powered by renewable energy. Find out more here.Keep up with all the latest events around FoE on Facebook.
Rachael Lynsky co-ordinator of FoE's Sustainable Cities campaign talks us through some of the climate focused highlights of the Walk This Way FoE fundraiser that happened over the weekend. And environmental engineer Petra Stock from the Climate Council explains some of the findings and recommendations contained in her recently published renewable powered public transport report.
Can you believe it is just under 2 months to the Victorian State Election? This month it is Yes 2 Renewables in the guest chair as we look at their fantastic work to build cross party consensus on the Victorian Renewable Energy Target and to see Melbourne's trains powered by renewable wind and solar energy.Sign on to protect the Victorian Renewable Energy Target here.Sign the open letter to call for renewable powered trains here.Sign up to be part of Walk This Way- Friends of the Earth's 15km sponsored walk here.
Walk This Way is fast approaching with just 3 weeks to go! We talk to Anine Cummins from Friends of the Earth's new Waste and Consumption collective about this year's theme for the 15km sponsored walk: No Time to Waste of Climate Change. You can find out more about joining the Waste and Consumption collective on their Facebook Group.Sign up and start getting sponsored for Walk This Way here. Then invite your friends on Facebook!!
Ed Hill from FoE's Forest Collective talks about legal challenges to logging in Victorian forests, campaigning to protect native flora and fauna and how these issues connect to the up-coming Victorian state election in November.
We were joined by FoE's Forest Collective who continue to grow and expand across the state. They tell us about the recent Threatened Species Day action and also about ways people can get involved. Check out Friends of the Earth Melbourne's Facebook page to find out more about how you can get in on the forest action and all the other campaigns.Also, Walk this Way is back for 2018 - find out more and sign up here.
On September 7th, 1936 the last known thylacine died at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart. Eighty-two years on, this date is a national day of reflection on the plight of Australian threatened species, but also a day to celebrate work being done on threatened species recovery.Dr Terry Mulhern, Director of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Melbourne University talks about attempts to prevent the extinction of the largest freshwater invertebrate in the world - Tasmania’s giant lobster.Tessa Campsi from Friends of the Earth's Forest Collective explains why some of Victoria’s most threatened species are in crisis due to logging in critically important habitat.
Today we were joined by Friends of the Earth River Country Coordinator, Megan Williams as we explore drought, the Murraay Darling Basin and the upcoming Drag Festival - Broken Heel.Contact megan.williams@foe.org.au to get involved with River Country and check them out on Facebook.
With just over 100 days to the Victorian State Election we take a look at Friends of the Earth's Energy Justice Victoria campaign. Zianna Fuad speaks to us on the phone about what energy justice means, why she may get a mullet, and picnics in the 1950s.Get involved with the Maybe Mullet fundraiser here. Find out more about the Anti Nuclear Art auction here and Stories from the Frontline to the Heartland here.
In the state of Victoria, community groups, local councils, businesses, and non-government organisations are more than ready to implement innovative climate solutions. But there's a problem... demand for the government's climate grant scheme dramatically outstrips what is currently available. This week Phil Jackson from Act on Climate backgrounds the situation and explains the solution, a Victorian Climate Change Action Fund.
As part of the the run up to the state election in November, this week, Dirt Radio talks energy – how to make it, how to save it, and how our everyday use of it connects to climate change. Community co-ordinator for FoE's Yes2Renewables campaign, Pat Simons explains the importance of the state of Victoria's very first renewable energy auctions. And Dean Rizzetti from Environment Victoria unpacks the thinking behind the One Million Homes Alliance.
As we continue our look at the Sustainable Cities campaign, we take turn to look at the health aspects of what transport means. We are joined by Action for Health co-founder, Matt Nguyen and zero in on their Park Off! campaign to rid Sydney Rd of on street parking.We then turn our attention to the west coast and talk to Claire Anderson about the formation of the new Friends of the Earth Perth - including the month long Walkatjurra Walkabout happening soon!
This week we continued to unpack the sustainable cities oxymoron and get down to where the rubber hits the road with Don Stokes from the Warringal Conservation Society and their work to resist the North East Link Road proposal. We also hear from Tony Morton, President of the Public Transport Users Association.To find out more about the campaign and get involved visit www.getonboard.org.au
If you’ve been paying attention to the media, you’ll know that in the race to the Victorian state election in November, Labor and the Coalition are neck in neck in the polls. And it seems both major political parties are also breaking their necks to build mega road projects.This week Dirt Radio continues its special pre-election series on sustainable cities and issues connected to transport and urban planning. Alex Breskin from Residents Against Mordialloc Freeway (RAMF) takes a community perspective, and Crystal Legacy from the University of Melbourne offers a big picture overview.
As we continue the march towards the November State Election we focus in on Friends of the Earth's Sustainable Cities campaign. We speak to Friends of the Earth's Rachel Lynskey about the #GetOnBoard plan and then to Chris Dunlevy from Don't Destroy Millers Rd about the Westgate Tunnel Project.Find out more about Friends of the Earth on our website.
This week Dirt Radio addresses the topic of waste and in particular plastics! June 5th was the focus of the World Environment Day campaign to beat plastic pollution world wide. Plastic pollution is emerging as an environmental problem only second to climate change. This show leads into the month of Plastic Free July.Annett Finger from the Boomerang Alliance spoke about the campaign for a container deposit legislation and Berish Bilander from Green Music Australia talked about how music festivals are beating single use plastics, and which ones are leading by example including artist advocates.
Dirt Radio continues its special series highlighting FoE’s “6 months to make a difference” campaign which will lead up to the Victoria state election on Nov 24 this yearThis week we follow up Act on Climate's earlier discussion of state based emission reduction targets and the implications of a climate budget. To do this, we head out to hear about the real and practical ways that two regioanl communities are dealing with the unfolding crisis of climare change. Colin Lamby from the Bendigo Sustainability Group (BSG) provides an overview of some recent initiatives, and Linda Kennedy from the Tarnagulla Alternative Energy Group explains the launch of her community's research on the impacts of climate change.
All the family were in the studio as we celebrate Radiothon 2018. It is not too late to donate!! Jump on line pledge to support keeping Dirt Radio on the air!!
An auspicious day. June 5, 2018 - World Environment Day. Also the day Dirt Radio kicks off its special series, featuring all the tributaries of the big FoE campaign “6 months to make a difference” leading up to Victoria’s state election happening in November this year.This week, Leigh Ewbank, campaign co-ordinator for Act on Climate explains the significance of a state based climate budget, setting ambitious emission reduction targets, and the importance and centrality of community engagement for making politicans and policy makers really sit up and listen.
This morning we spoke to Jemila Rushton, Melbourne FoE's Fundraising Coordinator about the "6 months to make a difference" campaign launch event and the upcoming winter speaker series. We also spoke to Sam Cossar-Gilbert about the upcoming court case where FoE Netherlands are taking legal action against Shell to take action on climate change. You can become an honourary co claimant here. Radiothon is fast approaching! You can donate to keep Dirt Radio on the air here
In November this year, voters in Victoria head to the polls for the state election. With massive changes occurring right across all Victorian communites, Friends of the Earth regards this election in particular as a prime opportunity for all political parties to demonstrate leadership on the interconnected issues of climate, energy, social justice, and the economy.This week on Dirt Radio, FoE's campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker sets out the key issues to be addressed in the roll out of "6 months to make a difference" campaign.
We talk to Sumarlinah Winoto about a new podcast, Condemned to the Labrynth, exploring the human rights issues surrounding Australia's refugee policies. How did we get here?Also we chat about how AWESOME the Students of Sustainability conference is, and why you should get your tickets NOW!Radiothon is fast approaching! You can donate to keep Dirt Radio on the air here.
"Health is everyone's business". That’s an organization called Healthy Futures doing some straight talking. They’re a group of health professionals taking action to address climate change and the related threats to health and well-being. This week on Dirt Radio we hear from Healthy Futures campaigners Sasha King, Tatiana Hitchen and Harry Jennens.
Dave Kerrin - long tim unionist and Earthworker Cooperative member joins us to talk about how environmental justice and worker rights are not always mutually exclusive. We also take a quick look at the wonderful work that Friends of the Earth affiliate member Earthworker Cooperative are doing with their Energy Manufacturing Cooperative in coal affected Morwell and the new Redgum Cleaning Cooperative.Check out the upcoming Green Ban Tours with Dave here.
Increasing numbers of people in Melbourne are thinking about and experiencing the Yarra River as an invaluable environmental asset and a centerpiece for Melbourne as an urban ecosystem. In no small part, this is could be the result of Andrew Kelly's work as the Yarra/Birrarung Riverkeeper.This week on Dirt Radio, Andrew talks about some of the issues currently facing the maintenance and remediation of this pivotal waterway, including the development of the Yellingbo Conservation Area, and a weekend cleaning exercise that netted a whopping seventy dumped o-bikes and five tonnes of rubbish in only one very small portion of the river.
We talk about all thinks takayna/Tarkine focussing in on the intersection between art and activism. We interview Glenn Todd about the Bob Brown Foundation's Tarkine in Motion artisit convergence that recently took place in the forest. Get more involved at bobbrown.org.au/april_action_group_meeting.Image supplied by Glenn Todd. Check out more of Glenn's artwork at flamewriter.art
This week, Kate Wattchow from FoE's Act On Climate campaign runs through some of the ins and outs of emission reduction targets as they relate to the state of Victoria and the pending state election in November. Kate also explains the philosophy behind, and the policy implications of, what could become a state based climate budget.
We talk all things nuclear with the SA Conservation Council's Mara Bonacci and cross LIVE to the Friends of the Earth Radioactive Exposure Tour of 2018.
This week, first up, Dirt Radio heads into the dwindling forest ecosystems in the state of Victoria to discuss the environmental viablility of current Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs).Then, we move on up to Canberra, to take a look at proposed government legislation that could mean dwindling resources and funding for environment groups like Friends of the Earth, and potentially, the shutting down of citizen based advocacy for the entire charity and non-profit sector.
In the first part of the show, we examine a campaign that thinks local and acts global for the survival of the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental socal science researcher Georgina Gurney from James Cook University talks about the reach and impact of the on-line Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef initiative.Then, Maddie Egan from Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific (FoE APac) explains the on-going brutality and repression faced by environmental campaigners in our region, most recently in the Philippines.
First up, a report from the Bowen Magistrates Court on Front Line Action on Coal's on-going campaign work to stop the Adani mega-mine, then an up-date from Yes2Renewables and their vision for an energy system powered by renewables.
More elections than you can shake a stick at.Tasmania goes to the polls March 3, 2018. Burnie based campaigner with the Bob Brown Foundation, and now candidate for the Greens in the seat of Bradon in Tasmania's northwest talks about the the community based campaign to save the Tarkine and how this will play out in the coming poll.Then it's South Australia on March 17. Mara Bonacci, a member of FoE Melbourne's Nuclear Free Collective based in Adelaide, delves into the background of the anti-nuclear waste campaign being run out of Conservation SA, and explains the connections with the state's political crosscurrents facing voters on the day.
The Radioactive Exposure Tour is a journey through Australia's nuclear landscape. The Tour has exposed thousands of people to the realities of 'radioactive racism' and the environmental and social impacts of uranium mining, radioactive waste and nuclear bomb testing. We spoke to ACE Nuclear Free Collective's Jemila Rushton about the tour.Also check out the recently launched Community Powered Transport Plan and #GetOnBoard.
In this the second part of our state election, start-of-the-year special, Dirt Radio talks first with Zianna Fuad, co-ordinator of FoE’s Quit Coal campaign, about dubious plans for carbon capture and storage in the La Trobe Valley, and the myth of 'clean coal'. Then, Callum Simpson from FoE’s forest collective explains the importance of the Emerald Link proposal for East Gippsland and the need to dump Victoria's Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs).The election happens in November this year, and there’s much at stake in terms of environment policy, sustainability, and with the perspective of a wider optic – the question of social justice and the role of the communities in the working of democracy.
With the 2018 Victorian State Election less than 10 months away, Dirt Radio embarks on a 2 part series to explore Friends of the Earth's vision for Victoria. This week focusses on climate and energy justice, and transport. You can check out the full election vision statement here and read the transport vision document here.
Adani have already began construction on their rail line to link up the proposed Carmichael Coal Mine to the existing export facilities at Abbot Point. But there are a determined group of people ready to stop them. We are joined by Ike Schwartz from Front Line Action on Coal who are facilitating a frontline protest camp to #StopAdani in Queensland.(Photo: Twitter - Front Line Action on Coal)
Louise Sales from Friends of the Earth's Emerging Tech project speaks to us about a new unregulated genetic modification technique known as CRISPR. Dr Jim Green then joins us to talk about how to deal with that obstinate uncle who thinks that nuclear energy has a place in Australia. Check out foe.org.au for more on all of Friends of the Earth's campaigns.
Yarra Riverkeeper, Andrew Kelly, talks about the Yarra River Protection Act and a forum coming up where future planning for the river will be discussed. And, Leila Farahani from the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University explains how even Melbourne’s least appealing spaces have green potential.
With the #Disrupt2017 (23/11 - 10 days of decentralised community vs capitalism actions just around the corner, we caught up with Tori Ball from Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance (WACA) to talk about the situation on Manus Island and how we can all act to make a difference. Find out more about Disrupt here.
The #StopAdani campaign is ramping up. This week we chack out what Front Line Action on Coal have been up to in Northern Queensland and what local Friends of the Earth collectives are doing more locally and in the climate justice fight.(Image: Darcy Poulton up a monopole in Northern Queensland to #StopAdani. Photo: Front Line Action on Coal)
Environmental sociologist from the University of Newcastle, Vanessa Bowden talks about what she found when she went to the Hunter Valley to interview business leaders about their attitudes to coal and climate change. She explains that Tony Abbott’s doubts about the veracity of climate science and his dismissal of those concerned about climate change, still have considerable support, but there may be some changes in the wind.And, campaign co-ordinator for Quit Coal, Zianna Fuad provides an overview of IMARC, The International Mining and Resources Conference, happening in Melbourne, and explains the strategic importance of a big Stop Adani Rally planned for the conference on Nov 1st.
FoE campaigners Pat Simons from Yes2Renewables, and Chloe Aldenhoven from Lock the Gate Victoria discuss developments in energy policy in the state. With the Federal government dithering, what sort of leadership are we seeing at the state level?
A wrap up of FoE's Walk This Way fundraiser and the subsequent campaign to Say NO to the Westgate Tunnel and a quick look at Matthew Guy's gas plan. We also interview Ed Hill - Friends of the Earth's Victorian Forests Campaigner about the upcoming Northcote by-election.
The campaign against the Adani coal mine proposed for Queensland in the Galilee basin has been described as the biggest environmental battle in Australia since the Franklin Dam blockade. On Saturday October 7th the protest is being taken national. All over Australia the #StopAdani campaign is holding a day of special events and rallies.Blair Palese who heads up 350.org in Aust expains the national day of action and what's happening around the country. And Indian environmental advocate Ruchira Talukdar talks about Adani's environmental abuse in India, and some of the emerging connections between anti-coal activism in India and Australia.
How do you create a sustainable city? Maybe start with a tiny house or two, or even whole suburb full. Heather Shearer, researcher in the Cities Research Institute at Griffith Univesity has been investigating.The Sustainable Cities campaign is relatively recent FoE initiative and Rachel Lynskey is the campaign's key co-ordinator. This week, she talks about her recent work around opposition to Transurban's $5.5 billion mega-toll road proposal - the so called 'Westgate tunnel'- and the kick-start Sustainable Cities campaign fundraiser, Walk This Way.
Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific, FoE APac, the regional network for Friends of the Earth International includes, as well as Australia, 12 other countries. This year the annual general meeting was held in Papua New Guinea, and Chloe Aldenhoven, coal and gas campaigner at FoE Melbourne was the Australian delegate. This week on Dirt Radio we hear about some of the key environmental issues from around the region from a FoE perspective, and about Chloe's impressions of the meeting.
Phil Evans is joined by Leigh and Lara from Friends of the Earth's Act On Climate collective to talk about how the effects of climate change are already being felt by rural Victorians. The Bureau of Metereology has declared 2017 the hottest winter on record and Friends of the Earth are pushing for Victoria's first climate budget in 2018. Keep up to date with the Act on Climate campaign at actonclimate.org.au
The finance section of the Age newspaper reports: “Whitehaven Coal digs big net profit after tax of 405 million dollars". Dirt Radio provided extensive coverage of the pushback against the Whitehaven coal mine in northern NSW a few of years back - Maules Creek, the Leard forest blockade, the Frontline Action on Coal campaign. Tim Buckley from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis provides some context, and offers his prognosis for the future of coal.Kim Borg is a research officer at BehaviourWorks Australia, part of the Sustainable Development Institute at Monash University. She takes up the 'revisit' theme and looks at Al Gore's new climate documentary 'An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power', asking whether such big issue films are really effective in changing audience behavior.
Phil Evans reads Friends of the Earth's statement on same sex marriage before chatting with Pablo Brait from Market Forces about CommBank's decision to not fund the Adani Carmichael Mega Coal Mine and the recent climate policy from the scandal plagued bank. Find out how you can take action at marketforces.org.au
What have religion and spirituality got to do with climate change?Patrick Nunn, professor of geography at the University of the Sunshine Coast and specialist in Pacific Island cultures, thinks there is a deep and abiding connection that needs to be recognized by ENGOs and climate action campaigners. He explains why in this edition of Dirt Radio.Then, long time climate campaigner and active member of ARRCC (Australian Religious Response to Climate Change) Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black from the Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism talks about his recent participation in the 'Funeral for Coal' action at Minister of the Environment Josh Frydenberg's office, and the outcome of a subsequent meeting with the Minister.
Dirt Radio's Phil Evans talks to Friends of the Earth's new Sustainable Cities campaigner Rachel Kate Lynskey and Grow FoE collective's Shalini Rautela and Nabila Norsofiena about Walk this Way - an exciting upcoming project looking at public transport and climate change.
The government’s been sending letters to environment groups registered as eligible for tax deductible donations. That includes Friends of the Earth. They do this every year, but this time around the letters are different, in a disturbing way. First up, Brendan Sydes from Environmental Justice Australia explains the background to latest orchestrated attempt to roll back the tax deductible status of Australia's ENGOs and the current federal treasury inquiry.Then, research co-ordinator at Market Forces, Jack Bertolus, talks about their survey of Australia’s the big four banks' lending practices to the coal industry and the recently published 'Adani list'.
Phil Evans is joined in the studio by Suse Scholem - an activist working for system change who recognises the importance of sustainable activism practice. The show outlines the diverse strategy streams for system change and a Top 3 list of things that activists can do to make their work more sustainable. Check out melbourne.foe.org.au for details about some of the actions described in the show.
This week, Hans Baer, anthropologist and development studies specialist at the University of Melbourne, takes the long view of these turbulent times as he explains what's come to be known as eco-socialism, and talks about eco-socialism's particular approach to climate politics and activism.Hans Baer's publications include: Global Warming and the Political Ecology of Health (2009), Global Capitalism and Climate Change (2012), Climate Politics and the Climate Movement in Australia (2012 edited with Verity Burgmann)
How do you move those seemingly immoveable obstacles on the path to environmental sustainability and gloabal ecological balance?Tria Manley is community organizer at Wilderness Society Australia, and this week she talks about what makes a community organizer and how community organizing builds the collective power needed to create change and maintain public engagement in environmental action.
How much coal mining is enough coal mining? Well, in Australia, it seems there’s never enough. And there’s even an innovative technique being hyped to help convince the state government of New South Wales to let a new mine get started - in the Southern Highlands, right inside the water catchment area used by Sydney. Campaign Coordinator for the Lock the Gate Alliance in the Southern Highlands Charmaine Roth explains what’s been going on.Australia's environmental and climate movement is under attack again. What's at stake is ENGO ‘deductible gift recipient’ (DGR) status - that's the tax deduction that you get for donating to Friends of the Earth and other non-profit environment organizations. Cam Walker, campaigns co-ordinator for Friends of the Earth in Melbourne, elaborates the political context.
First up, Donald Trump - will he or won’t he? – stay in or pull out of the Paris climate agreement? Climate and environmental policy wonk at ANU, and researcher with the Earth System Governance Project at Lund University in Sweden, Luke Kemp, provides his perspective. Then, instead of selling arms to Saudi Arabia, Bryony Edwards, climate emergency campaigner, explains why the US and the rest of the so-called 'developed' world need to start mobilizing their industries like it was WW2 in order to battle the climate change crisis.
Pat Simmons talks about the Yes2Renewables campaign, the pending road trip as part of the western Victoria Energy Future forums, and the Y2R energy future survey asking the community to let the experts and especially the politicans know old paradigms for power no longer work. Glenn Todd, from ActionSkills, previews "Non-Violent Creative Action – Training and ActionJam", a once in a long time opportunity to join a unique activist networking and skill sharing event, starting this Thursday, open to long-time and just starting out campaigners.
Phil Evans is joined by counterAct's Nicola Paris to discuss policing around the campaign to save Beeliar Wetlands from the Roe8 Highway extension in WA and a recent community report. The report published by the legal support team for the Beeliar protests documents over twenty incidents of excessive use of force, unlawful use of pepper spray, injuries from horses, tasers threatening minors, unlawful arrests, innocent people being strip searched and a culture of aggression and violence towards community activists.[Warning: some viewers may find the reports of violence by police upsetting].
This week fresh from Victoria's budget lock-up, Leigh Ewbank, co-ordinator for FoE's Act on Climate campaign, talks about the ways that the 2017 budget makes a gesture towards around climate change. But plans to make climate a major plank of the state's 2018 budget are now being mapped through FoE community conversations and outreach initiatives.
In March this year, Victoria became the first state in Australia to declare a permanent ban on fracking and on shore gas extraction. This ban was the result of a huge mobilization of communities right across the state, especially communities in regional and rural areas.To celebrate this long and hard fought win, Friends of the Earth held a special fundraiser celebration in Melbourne with a special screening of a "The Bentley Effect", a documentary film about another hard fought win, where a comunity in northern NSW took a stand to protect its precious resources and livelihood to fight against the money and the power of politicians and the fossil fuel industry. Kudra Ricketts was on Bentley blockade for many months and she speaks about her engagement and experience as front line environmental activist.In its just released climate change policy, the Westpac bank declared it was not would not invest in new coal mines. This means that the bank will no longer consider putting money into the Adani coal mine in the Galilee Basin. Another win for the environment. But the fight to Stop Adani is far from over. Rob Foster from 350.org explains why.
More than 85% of the Northern Territory is currently covered by petroleum and gas exploration licences and applications. Community members have significant concerns on the practice of "fracking" and the impacts of the unconventional gas industry, and want to see the practice banned. This week, Jimmy Cocking, Director at Arid Lands Environment Centre in Alice Springs talks about the 620km Northern Gas Pipeline that will open up the NT to fracking – a development of dubious economic value, and a potential source of huge environmental damage.Remember the federal government's National Wind Farm Commission? Set up by Tony Abbott, after what appeared to be a massive set of health problems connected living near wind turbines, it began operating in October 2015. The Wind Farm commissioner has just tabled his first report, and Simon Chapman, long time Public Health researcher and advocate, best known for his critical work on the tobacco industry, turns his attention to this report to see if taxpayers are getting value for money.
Gene editing is a new bio-engineering technique that allows precision dicing and splicing of DNA – like a pair of molecular scissors - and, according to its proponents, the process can be used to cure everything from AIDS to malaria. Louise Sales campaign co-ordinator of FoE’s Emerging Tech Project has been investigating.Dr. Michael Antoniou, specialist in molecular genetics at King’s College London, explains how gene editing works and why this newly fashionable bio-technology needs to be rigorously tested and then regulated before being fully introduced in Australia.Claire Robinson, co-author of GMO Myths and Truths and editor of GMWatch.org talks about how countries in Europe are responding to this emerging technology, and the implications for growing crops and raising animals for food consumption.
At the end of 2015, the climate summit in Paris, COP 21, saw nearly 200 countries sign on to confront global climate change. In November 2016, there was a follow up conference in Morocco. But Australia is still dragging its feet to the table, and the Adani coalmine - the biggest in the southern hemisphere if it goes ahead - was given fast-track approval by the Queensland government and the Turnbull federal govenment is promising one billion of taxpayer funds to kick-start the mine.This week, Simon Torok, a specialist in science communication talks about how he finds ways to communicate the climate crisis that will make sense to non-scientific people.Then, Mik Aidt, journalist and climate action campaigner explains a petition he's organized to send to the ABC and SBS calling on Australia's public broadcasters to 'break the silence on the climate emergency'.
Australian summer 2016-17 is officially over, and it has been a weird and unsettled one. Sarah Perkins Kirkpatrick, research fellow at the University of New South Wales with a specialsm in climate extremes related to droughts and heat waves in Australia is here with Dirt Radio this week to explain why.The Yarra River has its own advocate. He’s Andrew Kelly, the Yarra Riverkeeper.The river runs for 242 kilometres through the Yarra Valley, across Melbourne's suburbs, and to the CBD. Environmentalists have been lobbying for better planning rules for years, particularly around the 41-kilometre stretch between Richmond and Warrandyte, where development pressure is the greatest. Now there’s the Yarra River Action Plan – just announced by the Andrew’s government.
What is an environment campaigner and activist supposed to do in a post –truth world? In the era of 'alternative facts' and fake news? In a world being remade by Brexit, the victory of Donald Trump… and in Australia, the re-emergence of Pauline Hanson and the One Nation party?Cam Walker, campaign co-ordinator with Friends of the Earth in Melbourne, talks about FoE's future campaign alignments and strategizing faced with the reality of these momentous historic changes.Also, a live cross to 350.org anti-Adani coal mine rally at a Westpac branch in the CBD, protesting the bank's commitment to fund this climate wrecking disaster.
FoE's Ursula Alquier, key organizer with Lock the Gate Victoria and lead campaigner for Coal and Gas Free Victoria provides an up-date on the onshore gas mining ban declared last year by the Andrew’s Government and talks about the misinformation currently being circulated by the gas lobby.Anti-coal campaigner Maddie Egan from FoE Melbourne was one of the delegates at Friends of the Earth International's Biennial General Meeting in Bandar Lampung, South Sumatra. She speaks about experience there, and her connection with the the School of Sustainability project
The sun is setting on coal in the Latrobe Valley. We have already seen the closure of Hazelwood and the future of other plants looking in doubt. What will the end of coal look like in the Latrobe Valley? This week, Kate Wattchow, Friends of the Earth Latrobe Valley community campaigner, talks about community planning and preparation for a future beyond coal.Join the call for just climate action at melbourne.foe.org.au
Post Trump, post Brexit and the re-animation of One Nation. Progressive movements around the world pondering - where to next? This week on Dirt Radio, we begin to offer some locally focused answers. This is the building from the ground up edition.To start, Hayden Annable from Curvatecture talks about super adobe dwellings and how they get built with innovative, inexpensive and sustainable earthbag technology. An earthbag technology home is being constucted in Gippsland over the summer, and in conjunction with the building, workshops are being offered to the community to introduce this technology.In the second half of the show, Em Gayfer from Yes2Renewables explains the next stage of FoE's climate action campaign and building momentum and support in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs. The kick-off happens with a picnic on Sunday Dec 4, All Nations Park in Northcote.
Today we talked about the fossil fuel future of Victoria. It looks like the beast is stepping down, finally almost on its knees. Hazelwood is shutting down, no coal seam gas, no new coal and gas expension and Mantle, the mining company decided not to explore futher the Mirboo North region for coal. Victoria has been mining brown coal for a century. Unfortunately for them, brown coal is expensive, hard to ship from Vic, does not burn well…. Is it finally time to change our vision for our energy in our future? Cat Nadel for Environment victoria and Marg Thomas for Mirboo North @facebook.peace!
This week Dirt Radio heads off to Australia’s inland waterways to find out what’s lurking there, in the water we might be drinking. Friends of the Earth has just published a national survey that examines the health of our rivers and water catchments. And it’s not a pretty picture. https://www.facebook.com/16744315982/photos/a.355417745982.163108.16744315982/10154013389775983/?type=3&theaterThe Adani coal mine in Queensland is back on the table, with a thump. This is despite court challenges, financing problems, and a raft of potential environmental impacts. Kristen Lyons, an Associate Professor in Environment and Development Sociology at the University of Queensland, has been tracking the history of this highly contentious mine.
Rehab is required for America! Sam spent 2weeks in the US and she comes back with a bag full of inside info. Activism, election, tension, segregation, racism, black life matter, madness.... Is Australia an American Idiot? It's time to break our chains and be a fair and independent country. support the Standing Rock Dakota pipeline fighters on facebook here! listen American Idiot by Green day at the end of the show here. Peace!
The Andrews state government in Victoria is coming up to the two year mark. That means they're halfway through this term of Parliament, with two years left before the next election. Friends of the Earth along with Environment Victoria, the Victorian National Parks Association, and the Wilderness Society are holding a series of community briefings to recap on what the government’s done so far with policies on the environment and climate, and to outline what needs to happen over the next two years. First up this week on Dirt Radio, we speak with Cam Walker, FoE Melbourne’s campaigns co-ordinator, about the briefings, why they're happening and how you can participate.Mitch Jones goes by the name of Captain Ruin. He's a punk rock daredevil who specialises in death defying escapes, pain proof sideshow stunts, knife-throwing, and circus acrobatics. And he's on part 2 of the show where he explains the political and activist aspects of his theatrical and stunt work. He's a special presenter at a workshop happening this coming weekend, entitled Art and Heart – campaigning and creative activism.
This week we talk burnout- what it feels like, how it is undermining our movement, and then go through five steps to help us all avoid it. Taking cues from an article on self care for camapigners on the Everyday Feminism website, Dirt Radio is joined by activist and artist Helen War to go through these important tips.
GECO, the Goongerah Environment Office in far East Gippsland has just been awarded the Bob Brown community environment prize for 2016. Ed Hill heads up GECO and he talks to Dirt Radio about the award, and explains some recent citizen science rainforest habitat surveys.The oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth's water. Less than 1 percent of the Earth's water is fresh water, and 2-3 percent is contained in glaciers and ice caps. The oceans contain 99 percent of the living space on the planet. Tullio Rossi, a marine biologist at the University of Adelaide explains the importance of sound for life in the ocean and what happens when oceans go quiet.
Dirt Radio is joined in the studio by 26 year old activist, Kat Woskett, to talk to her about her iconic banner drops in the #LetThemStay campaign, how she got into activism and climbing, and what her experiences have been like as a feminist living and working at blockade camps.
Alison marchant is a member of the Mt Moriac community (12 mins from geelong). She Joined Frack free moriac 3 and half years ago. She helped declare her towns gasfield free in 2014. Ali has Been part of the campaign to get onshore gas banned, working across western Vic with Chloe. Today Ali is over the moon cause her community won that war, not just a battle. While Victoria is pushing the darkside away SA is struggling to keep their Renewables strong. Foe Melbourne sent one of their Jedi, Leigh Ewbank to protect the SA RET, build strong resistance and keep the dark force away!
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR...?A just released Climate Institute report says limiting global warming to 1.5 C rather than letting it reach 2 degrees C could make a significant difference to the severity of extreme weather events and other environmental destruction. This week on Dirt Radio, we discuss the implications with Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, specialist in regional impacts of climate change at the Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW and Dr. Harry Jennens spokesperson and co-ordinator of Healthy Futures, an organization of health professionals taking action to address climate change.
At the moment the big question is around jobs, health and environment. It’s why most of us turns in the direction of the valley who is powering Victoria. The Latrobe Valley and the community there. Kate Wattchow is the local and the new community campaigner for Foe to link with this community, with local groups like Voice of the Valley and others to work towards a fair transition from Coal. www.votv.org.auEarthworker is a community-led initiative to provide sustainable, wealth-creating jobs that empower local communities and provide clean energy solutions. Dan is the EarthWorker secretary, he is organising a fundraising walk to Morwell to raise awarness around the transition and worker coops' and help to settle the new Earthworker factory in Morwell. www.walkwiththevalley.org
We all know about infiltration of campaigns by undercover agents, and we were all shocked by the level of surveillance reveled by the Snowden leaks. So why are so many activists so lax when it comes to digital security?Phil Evans interviews Glenn Todd of ActionSkills about why digital security is so important and oulines 4 simple steps theat EVERY activist must take in order to begin to build a 'herd immunity' online and to secure their information.Check out actionskills.org/course/digital-security/ for more details and tips on digital security.
Another in the Dirt Radio series exploring the backround, motivation and key radicalizing moments in the lives of long-time Friends of the Earth campaigners. This week Chloe Aldenhoven, currently Western District Lock the Gate Coordinator in the state of Victoriahttp://coalandgasfreevic.org/https://www.facebook.com/coalandgasfree/?fref=nfhttps://quitcoal.org.au/
Today I talked about the coming decision to potentially Ban Gas drilling in Victoria. The decision has been postponed in June cause election stuff and this month we are waiting for a huge news with the Lock the gate campaign. Chloe is with me today. She is the campaign coordinator for Lock the gate Victoria and she is working under the Friends of the Earth banner. Who will make that decision? http://coalandgasfreevic.org/2nd part: Since mid-April in France a lot of things happen in this land nestled between the Meuse and Haute-Marne in resistance against a proposed nuclear mega-trash promising to bury 100 000 m3 of radioactive waste worse, or 99.9% of the French radioactivity, in 300 km of tunnels excavated at 500 m under land for over 100 000 years to 130 years of industrial implementation, estimated to cost between 25 and 35 billion or more, in short, the biggest industrial project of Europe! all of it has been approved by only 20 members of parliament 2 days ago...Colin
Yarra Riverkeeper, Andrew Kelly, talks about the job of a riverkeeper and about 'Protecting the Yarra River/Birrarung'. a recently released discussion paper calling for a full river system management plan for the Yarra, its tributaries and surrounding environments.The big four banks are still pouring huge amounts of money in coal mining in Australia. Despite warnings that, with the growth in renewables, coal will become a 'stranded asset', the banks aren't listening. Community organizer Pablo Brait is part of the team of environmental activists at Market Forces, an affiliate of Friends of the Earth, and in part 2 of the show, he talks about their current divestment campaign and targeting superannuation funds.
Last week 19 Democrat senators in the US stood before Congress to talk about the machinery of climate science denial and the ways that the fossil fuel industry supports and funds this machinery.Graham Readfearn, Brisbane journalist and blogger, has been tracking the dark arts of climate denial over many years. This week he talks with Dirt Radio about 'the web of denial' revealed in the US Congress, and its connection with Australia and the re-animated One Nation party.
In February this year, a 'flock' of seven Climate Guardians Angels blockaded a road leading to Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project in northern NSW. Involving the construction of 850 coal seam gas (CSG) wells in the Pilliga State Forest, the project has been deemed high risk for the flow of ground water catchment and farm production.And for their efforts to raise questions in a very public way about climate change, and its connection with the fossil fuel industry, the seven Angels were arrested, charged with engaging in criminal activities, sent to court and warned that when it comes to protest, the strong arm of the state is the final arbiter of justice.This week on Dirt Radio, two of those participating Angels, talk about the action, and relflect on the growing power of the state in relation to environmental activism.
Modern elections, like the one on July 2, 2016 in Australia, increasingly draw attention to the influence of lobby groups, which have much riding on which party takes power. This week in the first part of Dirt Radio, George Rennie, researcher and writer on the growing sway of lobbyists in the political process and the workings of democracy talks about the lobbying strategies of the mining and fossil fuel industries in Australia. What about the other half of the mining equation - what happens once the lobbying and the digging is done? 50,000 mines have been abandoned all across Australia, with no provisions for rehabilition. In the second half of the show we hear from Rick Humphries, co-ordinator of Lock the Gate's recently launched Mine Rehabilitation Reform Campaign.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FZANZ) is the bi-national government agency that's supposed to keep a watchful and regulatory eye on the safety of what we eat. But they're not doing a very good job when new bio-technologies like nanoparticles in food and food packaging are involved. In part one of Dirt Radio this week, we hear from Jeremy Tager from the FoE's Emerging Tech Project to find out why.Wind technologies will be getting a major boost with the Andrew's Labor government in Victoria announcing new renewable energy targets over the coming decades. In part two of the show, Leigh Ewbank, campaign co-ordinator for Yes2Renewables explains what this change of policy means and how the Y2R campaign played a part in promoting these changes to government policy.
The federal election campaign drags on. Still several week to go to election day, and still only paltry commitments from the major political parties to confront climate change and the potential devastation looming for Australia. #KeepYourPromise is a social media based campaign working to put that commitment front and centre in the lead up to the election. Australia’s leaders must honour the promises they made at COP21 in Paris - to reduce emissions now. First up, Dirt Radio talks to Andrew Laird, the campaign's digital 'engine driver'.In part two of the show, we hear from Morgana Russell, coordinator of FoE Melbourne's River Country Campaign. She talks about an increase inappropriate logging passing itself off as scientifically based culling, and the fight to protect irreplaceable red gum forests in national parks along the Murray River.
This week we are going to talk about a great campaign for divestment. Not the banks or Super but for Universities. Yes Unis are investing in Fossil Fuel and a lot. The Fossil Free Unis Crew ran by students has been lobbying for years now and last week the first Big Victorian’s Uni just decided to divest. More should follow!! www.fossilfreemu.org or facebookPat is today the Y2R spoke person. Y2R is a positive campaign of Friends of the Earth, working with local communities, politics and the renewable industry sector. We talked to Leigh Ewbank couple month ago about a just transition with communities suffering from the coal industry like the one in our beautiful and infamous La Trobe Valley. With the early announcement of a potential closure by Engie (the French runned company who owns The Hazelwood power plant) of the coal plan, the most polluting coal plant in the world, The community must start to take transition offer pretty seriously. facebook
Who is June Norman? the famous woman activist who protects our forests and land all around Australia. an Angel? a willing activist? a mother? or a concern woman? Listen to this brilliant life story hosted by Sam Castro.
For decades now, Australia has allowed dirty and damaging coal to flood out of the Port of Newcastle NSW, polluting surrounding communities and exporting climate pollution to the rest of the world. Yesterday was a great day of action in Newcastel, an unprecedented gathering of over 2000 people from all over Australia are met at the gateway of the worlds biggest coal port to draw a red line under the age of fossil fuels and shut it down for the day. The Climate guardian known has the angels were standing strong on the rail train line to stop any coal to enter the port. With Over 65 arrests the message was clear: it's time to break free from destruction and make way for a clean energy future does not matter the criminal record, their crime is too big to close our eyes. Check the story here BreakFree2016. Peace!
Between May 4- 15, a global wave of mass actions will target the world's most dangerous fossil fuel projects in order to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground.We hear about war refugees forced to abandon thier homes and way of life. If fossil fuels are not kept in the ground, climate refugees will be a common reality in the near future.This week on Dirt Radio, we hear from Ursula Rakova, director of a community relocation program in the Carteret Islands, a group of low lying atolls near Bougainville in PNG already experiencing the impact of climate change. Then we talk to Phil Evans, activist and community organizer from FoE Melbourne, about Australia's participation in the world-wide mass civil disobedience planned over the next few weeks to address the cause of the very conditions Ursula Rakova is currently dealing with - the continued reliance on fossil fuels.
The planet is warming up and our coal Barons and friendly politians are loving it. A bunch of rascals are saying NO. We used lock on, tree seats, tripods, pipe locks but now the must to tackle the planet killers is the attack of a coal train. Sounds like a kick ass western movie but it’s true. Jim and 2 other activist have done it couple weeks ago and today we will learn how to do the same.
Today we will chat about environment, about coke, recycling and direct action. At 5am last Wednesday Laura from Greenpeace got into climbing gear and headed for Kings Cross in Sydney. Alongside six fellow volunteers, their plan was to drop a three-storey banner down one of the biggest billboards in Sydney, Coke’s mega-sign. I decided to get in touch to my friend Laura after I received an astonishing email from greenpeace telling the story and calling for support. TAKE ACTION NOW. It’s getting cold and wet, the forest is now muddy and our dear activists who protects our wildlife need our help and support more than ever. From Maules creek to East Gippsland, from Toolangui to Tasmania groups like FLAC, GECO, the knitting Nana’s and many individuals are still fighting on the front line this broken system. From all around the world, Indonesia, Africa, Canada and South America, Australia and France Forest Activists have no rest. Today I would like to pay a tribute to all of them. My friends in France restarted the battle against the construction of a useless airport in Nantes. Listen the story of French forest Activists, see action here! peace, Colin
As the public outrage over the Fukushima nuclear meltdown recedes, nuclear industry proponents are reviving their plan for South Australia to be the world’s nuclear waste dump. Arguments in favour of nuclear waste storage in South Australia are well and truely on the table. The Royal Commission's interim report into the nuclear fuel cycle says there are valid economic and moral arguments for storage facilities in South Australia.Friends of the Earth's Anti-nuclear & Clean Energy (ACE) Campaign has been at the forefront in opposing the nuclear industry and promoting safer solutions.This week Dirt Radio talks to Dr. Jim Green, FoE's national nuclear campaigner
Friends of the Earth recently published test results showing that – contrary to the claims of our food regulator Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) – nano-materials are present in foods in Australia. They are widespread, untested, unapproved and unlabelled, despite us having laws that require novel food ingredients such as these to go through pre-market safety testing and approval.Take good science. Add public servants corrupted by extreme free market ideologies, dependence on corporate funding, political interference and a belief that the interests of big business equals the public interest and out the other end pops regulation – or lack of it.This week Dirt Radio talks to Jeremy Tager from FoE's Emerging Tech Project to find out more.
Today we talked about waste dump, but not a normal one. about a Nuclear waste dump. The Federal Government has a shortlist of six sites for the facility, which would house medium and low-level waste. The sites have been nominated by the landholder and the Government is consulting with neighbours and community members. But there's no sign of agreement!get in touch with ACE online, be part of the community on Facebook at Ace Kollective, follow all the last news on Twitter @NuclearFreeAus to support their kick ass resistance!
While on a surf expedition to the tropical islands of Mentawai in Indonesia, filmmaker Rob Henry finds himself immersed between two starkly different local communities – an impoverished government-run settlement and a tribal people living traditionally and abundantly in the jungle. IEF aim is to help displaced indigenous peoples build a better future by supporting them in their development of educational solutions based around the preservation and utilisation of traditional knowledge, customs, and understanding of their localised ecosystems. Filmed over the course of six years, As Worlds Divide takes us on an intimate journey inside these two contrasting ways of life, enabling a personal insight into the issue of indigenous displacement as well as demonstrating the importance this ancient cultural wisdom has in protecting the health and wellbeing of all Mentawai people. Rob has been trained on traditional tatoo making, if you ever dreamed about a tax deductibled tatoo and traditionally made based on the designed you always wanted your dreamed came through so don't be shy and contact him here. peace!
Today on Dirt Radio the Bats Return to the Leard State forest, Phil is live at the gate of the Coal mine with 80 people to support the traditional owner, the Gomeroi, in the protection of their last sacred site. Follow the journey on the Front Line Action on Coal web site and follow the action on twitter #Gomeroi /The famous #LetThemStay campaign and the inside of an action, the Highway banner drop by 2 females activists and the pressure from the community to our immoral governement. Sick of this concentration camps? time to close them? jump into the campaign!
This is a big day tomorrow for Foe and the Lock the Gate campaign. The 1st day of the Parliament in 2016. A great opportunity send a strong message to your MP. After years of campaigning to protect our renewable energy target and stop the invasion of CSG we know at a critical point of our campaign. I have Leigh Ewbank with me today, Leigh is the campaign coordinator for Yes 2 Renewable. He has been working hard all over Victoria to help and promote renewable and a fair energy transition. Kate is from Healthy Future and we will chat about the health impact of fossil fuel on community and divestment of Super Annuations from Fossil Fuel.
In the early hours of January 25th, three citizen scientist surveyors from GECO, Goongerah Environment Centre Office, conducted a survey for Greater Gliders in old growth forest on the Errinundra Plateau. Logging machinery had just moved in and logging was about to commence. The survey was conducted to determine if the species was present in high enough densities to trigger legal protection. Fifteen Greater Gliders were found in about 800m. This is a huge population - legal protection and a 100 hectare protected area are the regulatory requirement be created.The survey was finished at 3am, the data compiled and a report written. Submission to the state government was made just before 9am. One hour later, VicForests were forced to stop logging.This week on Dirt Radio GECO's Ed Hill talks about the survey, citizen science and acting to protect high conservation value forests from logging.GECO is a grass roots community group based in the small town of Goongerah in far East Gippsland, Victoria. Since 1993 they have campaigned for protection of East Gippsland’s forests.
So much is going on in the early 2016! Quit Coal on front line is calling for a ban on Unconventional Gas in Victoria. Will they listen to the community?The Bats Return to save the Leard State forest at Maules Creek with FLAC.The Melbourne Mob is getting ready to hit the streets of the CBD during Invasion Day.Colin also launches his new rubric 'How to make trouble and Influence people' Short story from Australia!
Reflections, by two campaigners who were there, on environmental activism over two weeks in Paris during COP21, the 2015 global climate summit, from a FoE perspective.
On Saturday, after 2 weeks of negotiation at the climate conference in Paris, about 190 countries around the world signed onto an agreement to work towards keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. It's being hailed as a history making moment, as a global turning point, in the fight against climate change.The Earth International's online multilingual radio service run by Friends of the Earth in Uruguay by Jose Eloseguis is much more sober and realistic in his assessment of the potential outcomes of COP21. The Flood the System Direct Action on Thursday the 10th of December connected the dots between the multinationals big polluters like BHP Billiton and the banking system who finance the beast and the destruction of our planet, Westpac for example. The people response!
Brief summary of yesterday's fascist march in Melton and the counter rally, the reasons, the vibe, the numbers, the techniques. After a quick break we engaged the talk about the Climate Change summit in Paris. Fossil Fuel multinationals are in the tent and as usual opposing the real social and environemental change the planet needs.Stand Up for a better future, walk the streets on Friday 27th, 5.30pm State Librairy, Melbourne.
We talked about the new Alliance formed at the Liverpool Plains between antimining groups like FLAC and 350.org, the local farming community and the traditional custodians, the Gomoroi people to resist the construction of a new dirty and inhumaine coal mine named Shenhua, check out the actions on www.landwaterfuture.org.au. We followed by the impact of Direct Action in protests with Nicola and CounterAct. Direct Actions have been used for now a long time in australia, it's time to skilled up to make every protest as efficient as possible, for help with your next direct action look at counteract.org.au. see you next week!
This week we talk to Mark Parshin about a new campaign, "Less Meat, Less Heat". He speaks about the meat industry in Australia and around the globle and the impact of eating meat on a daily basis on the climate. He also talks about the ways we can wean ourselves off a meat diet, and how this helps counteract global warming and our health.
Direct Action Melbourne is rebranding the Australian Minister for the Environement, Greg Hunt as the Minister for Coal after his reapproval of the gigantic, destructive, inhumane Carmichael Coal mine project in Queensland. Adani, the infamous Indian corporation is celabrating the victory of the Dark Side while 4 braves are locking on in Greg's office. This show is a prerocorded interview. Check out all the pictures of the action and get in touch with the collectif on the DAM Facebook.
George Bender was a farmer, part of the Queensland community. He spent his life resisting the bullying of the infamous Origin energy company who brought him to the extreme of giving his life away. As a tribute for his cause, we are playing a prerecorded interview we made in 2014 with John Fenton, a farmer from Wyoming in the USA who is currently fighting against destructive fracking in his community. The fossil fuel companies are a threat against humanity - they are using lobbying, media and intimidation to make dollars from people's lives. It's time to stop them. It's time to say NO! Go on this link to learn more about George's story.
The Australian government has used an environmental activist who became involved in the “alternative music scene” as an example of violent extremism, in a booklet aimed at helping teachers identify students who are becoming radicalised and linked to terrorism. Her name is "Karen", and she's with Dirt Radio this week to explain how she came to have such a high public profile and why the government needs to re-tune its focus on "youth".
The almost 600 environment groups that hold tax-deductibility status in Australia are being scrutinised by a federal government inquiry, with reports that more than 100 of them face being struck off the list. And Friends of the Earth has been specifically targeted.As Dirt Radio went to air this week, the inquiry was holding its session in Melbourne.FoE's Melbourne based campaign co-ordinator Cam Walker talks about the inquiry's background and its ideological agenda. Then a cross to the inquiry itself, where we hear from the community rally outside the inquiry supporting environmental camapigners.
"From country to city, we come together to protect our land, our water and our health from unconventional gas. Help us send a clear message that fracking and gasfields will never be welcome in Victoria". That's Lock the Gate Victoria, on their website. This week, we hear about the humble beginnings of the Lock the Gate campaign in NSW, the move into Victoria and the extensive and successful community work being done throughout the Gippsland region to stop the development of unconventional gas mining in prime farmland.An inquiry into the future of the extraction of unconventional gas is concluding, and the current Labor government needs to know that this industry has no place in Victoria.
Front Line Action on Coal’s Leard Blockade is the first coal mine blockade camp in Australia. And the longest. Starting in August 2012, over 3 years, hundreds of people made history by visiting the the Blockade campsite and participated in a variety of activities to show opposition to the destructive Whitehaven coal mine.This week, Dirt Radio looks back on the Blockade and Front Line Action on Coal's critical role in mobilizing and sustaining the campaign. Then we look forward to the next big grassroots coal battle - the mega-Shenwua mine project in NSW. The plan is to construct an open cut mine to extract 10 million tonnes of coal a year from the slopes adjoining the Liverpool Plains, an area known for its fertile and highly valuable black agricultural soils.
When you take the Green Pledge you choose 5 actions from a list of 10 that can see you reduce your carbon emissions by up to 50% and create potential for broader political change. Funds raised will help Friends of the Earth Melbourne campaign for a world powered by renewables, not dirty fossil fuels. Comedian and tireless campaigner Rod Quantok, 2015 Green Pledge ambassador explains, in the first part of Dirt Radio this week.Also this week the Environmental Film Festival begins in Melbourne. One of the co-directors of the Festival takes us through some of the highlights.
The yakka skink is a robust lizard around the same size as a blue tongue lizard. And the ornamental snake is a brown, grey-brown or black snake growing up to 50 cm in length with a prefeered habitat within, or close to, habitat that is favoured by its prey – frogs.These were the little critters pivotal to overturning the approval of the Carmichael coal mine – a A$16 billion mine, rail and port project proposed for the Galilee Basin in Queensland, right on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef. But not without some serious campaign and legal work.We talk to a key campaigner from the Mackay Conservation Group, the local ENGO that spearheaded the legal challenge. In the same week as the court ruling, demonstrating further that this is a dead-end investment, Australia's biggest bank, the Commonwealth Bank, cut ties with this project, joining 11 international banks who refuse to fund the controversial project.But, right now Australia's government is revising their approval plan. So the fight is not over.
A planning blunder led to the destruction of almost 900 towering old native trees after VicRoads severely underestimated the environmental impact of a highway project it is managing. WHAM (Western Highway Alternative Mindsets) is a community campaign pushing back and asking why. Dirt Radio talks with Wham's spokesperson about how it happened.Coal is cheap, renewables are expensive: the Abbott government mantra heard with monotonous regularity when future energy needs in Australia get a public airing. This sham claim is pulled apart in the second part of the show.
That's what Professor Simon Chapman called members of the most recent inquiry into wind energy. This is what he had to say: 'I have... catalogued and publicised public statements about 244 different diseases and symptoms said to be caused by turbine exposure. These include, in all seriousness, herpes, haemorrhoids, and disoriented echidnas. Look for yourself and be amazed. These public statements deserve serious critical scrutiny, which the Committee declined to apply.'There have been 10 wind energy inquiries in 5 years.This week Dirt Radio talked with Leigh Ewbank, co-ordinator of FoE's Yes2Renewables campaign, about the built-in bias of the inquiry, the response of the wind industry and where the campaign is heading next.
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a secret trade agreement that will adversely affect the environment, worker’s rights, cost of medicines, internet freedoms, food safety, intellectual property rights and indigenous rights. The TPP covers 40% of global trade and will impact 800 million people in the partnering nations. The deal is being negotiated behind closed doors in secret. The content will only being released to our elected representatives and the public once it has been signed off on. This agreement is not only undemocratic but would also open the possibility of transnational corporations suing the Australian government, with the possible loss of billions of taxpayer dollars. Currently the TPP has been put on hold due to some unresolved hitches. But the push is on to get it through before the US presidential election in 2016This week, members of FoE's recently reinvigorated Economic Justice Collective discuss the TPP, and their new report 'Fracking the Planet: How the Trans Pacific Partnership will expand fracking in Australia and around the globe’.
The Barmah-Millewa Collective has decided its time for a new name: the 'River Country Campaign'. This is an exciting evolution in our campaign, which points to a broadening effort to protect the ecosystems of the Murray-Darling Basin and to support land and water justice for Indigenous peoples.This week Dirt Radio hears from Morgana Russell, the campaign's new co-ordinator. as she talks about her background and the issues at hand.
A moratorium on the extraction of unconventional gas, better known as fracking, was introduced in 2012 by the former Coalition government due to community pressure. The moratorium expires mid-2015. Labor pledged an inquiry before any change would take place, and this week the inquiry holds a session in Melbourne. In the first part of Dirt Radio, we hear about how communities all across the Gippsland region of Victoria have organized to "Lock the Gate" on the mining of on-shore gas.In part two, we get a FoE perspective on ALP environment policy and the party's national conference being held in Melbourne on the weeked of July 25-27
“Enemy forces" are dug in and poised in the jungles of Northern Australia waiting for thousands of allied troops to storm ashore and drop from the skies for the nation’s biggest war game — Talisman Sabre 2015. More than 30,000 soldiers, marines, sailors and flyers from Australia, the US, New Zealand and Japan will participate in the exercise scenario.This week a Dirt Radio discussion of the implications and environmental costs of the bi-annual Talisman Sabre war 'games'/rehearsal.
East Gippsland, forest heartland of Australia deserves to be protected and promoted as the great tourism asset it is, not logged at a loss to the taxpayer. GECO is an independent grassroots environment organisation based in East Gippsland dedicated to protecting the remaining old growth forests of the region. They're holding a a weekend of threatened species surveying workshops, forest walks and campaign info sessions. We talk to forest campaigner Ed Hill to get the background.At 8am Mon July 6, members of the Melbourne Palestine Action Coalition (MPAC) shut down the headquarters of Israeli arms manufacturer, ELBIT SYSTEMS, at 235 Ingles St Port Melbourne to mark the first anniversary of the 2014 Israeli ‘Protective Edge’ assault on Gaza. The group have blockaded access to the building and currently have two people locked on to the entrance gate. Dirt Radio talked to the Coalition's spokesperson about the issues and the current action.
Some disturbing information from the America's Navy website:More than 33,000 U.S. and Australian personnel will participate in the biennial military training exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 in Australia July 4-19. Talisman Sabre, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command, will incorporate U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force as well as other government agencies from each country. Featuring 21 ships, including the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington and more than 200 aircraft and three submarines, this sixth iteration of the exercise will focus on joint training of a combined task force of U.S. and Australian forces in a mid-intensity, high-end operation, incorporating... land, sea, and air training.As Australia's military gears up for the Talisman Sabre operations, peace activists from all over the country will converge on the war games extravaganza at Shoalwater Bay in Rockhampton.Dirt Radio talks with two activists heading to the Peace Convergence which aims to disrupt the "war rehearsals" and create counter narratives to highlight the cost of the US-Australia military alliance. Debates, concerts, parades, and a "peace pilgrim" into the Shoalwater Exercise Area are all part of the planned events.
This is James Inhofe. He's a senator in the state of Oklahoma: "God's still up there, the arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous". The problem is he's been the Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. This is the committee that has oversight on environmenal matters in the US. And this is Pope Francis last week on climate change: "decisive action, here and now".Denial 101x is an on-line open access course run by environment researcher John Cook from the University of Queensland, and he speaks to Dirt Radio this week about the course and why he decided to put it together.Then we head to western Victoria to talk with a spokesperson from the Otway Conservation Association about why burning native forest is not a renewable energy source and should not be included in the RET.
The Coalition government seems to be intent on trying to silence anyone who stands up for the environment.The House of Representatives Environment Committee is now conducting an inquiry into environmental groups who are eligible to receive tax-deductible donations. While the chair of the Committee has assured Friends of the Earth ‘it’s not a witch hunt’, it is hard to see this as anything but another part of the ideological attack on the environment movement being waged by the Abbott government.This week Dirt Radio looks at some of the campaign work it's been involved in over the past year and the importance of continued community support at this critical time for environmental activism in Australia.
Once a year, 3CR's Radiothon takes off, raising enough dosh to keep broadcasting and 'activating the airwaves', with programs like Dirt Radio, and a bunch of other enviro-focused shows and with lots of progressive and activist oriented content.This week, we hear about why, in the Abbott era of environmental outrages, programs like Dirt Radio and organizations like Friends of the Earth are more important than ever.
On May 31, the No Room for Racism campaign co-hosted a forum on racism and Islamophobia with the Islamic Council of Victoria at the Richmond Town Hall in the City of Yarra. United Patriots Front, a breakaway group from Reclaim Australia, attracting neo-Nazis and white supremacists, insisted on holding a 'counter-rally' on the street. This week we attempt to unpick and analyze the underlying social and political currents driving these developments. Seemingly a distant issue from the environmental concerns of Dirt Radio, these developments are symptomatic of a emergent politcal culture lurching even further to the right, which ultimately will have an impact on all forms of progressive activism.
Weather Stations is a global project which places literature and storytelling at the heart of the conversations around climate change. Launched in 2014, the Weather Stations project harnesses the transformative power of words to imagine, in the context of a threatened environment, how we might live our lives differently. Five partner cities are involved - London, Warsaw, Dublin, Warsaw and Melbourne. Each partner city selects a local school as a 'Substation' where students work with teachers and mentors to discover ways to develop as citizens with the knowledge, motivation and tools to fight for a more sustainable future.Footscay City College is the only school in Australia taking part. This week we hear from FCC students participating in the Weather Stations project and how this has affected their thinking and behavior around the issue of climate change.
This week, sounds and voices from FoE's 40th birthday shindig, and we hear why FoE is unique and a much admired part of the environment movement in Australia.
Across the country a growing network of concerned citizens are taking on large multinationals and government to defend their right to clean air, water, a safe climate and for social justice. CounterAct provides training in direct action skills, campaigning and community organising across Australia. Their aim - to increase capacity and skills of grassroots activists and encourage a culture of skill sharing, on-training and making activism accessible for everyday folk.This week Dirt Radio hears about an up-coming CounterAct training workshop, the recently published Legals Handbook and some of the organizing campaign work ConterAct has done around Australia.
Friends of the Earth celebrates its 40th birthday this week. Actually, the 40th was last year, but there was so much campaign work to do, there wasn't time for a celebratory break. But this year, a post 40 knees-up has been scheduled.From the start, the anti-nuclear campaign has been central to FoE's development as an ENGO in Australia, and in this show we hear from Jim Green, long time national FoE anti-nuclear campaign activist. He talks about past campaigns, and the qualities that make FoE stand out in the landscape of environmentla groups.
Tom Civil’s work can be found in many tucked away nooks of the city and the bush. He is interested in how street art and graffiti create community, mark space and act as a human-scaled anarchic form of urban architecture. He's also a street artist who wants to connect his practice to environmentla activism and social justice. This week he talks about his work with Dirt Radio.Then, from street art to street protest. Sam Castro reports from the Canberra Peace Convergence, and efforts on Anzac Day to raise awareness about arms maufacturing, profiteering and the consequences of a state of continuous war.
The fossil fuel extraction industries are ready to roll across regional Australia - searching for and digging for coal seam gas. They say it's imperative to keep the economy rolling. So do the politicans. The consequences of such extraction seem to be peripheral. John Fenton is an American farmer, and one day the fracking industry knocked on his door with a proposition. This week on Dirt Radio we hear about what happened next, and how he became an accidental community activist.John Fenton's circumstances are being echoed here in Australia. Frackman is a recently released documentary about a local accidental hero who decided to stand up to the mining industry.
This week, we hear about the Earthworker Co-operative, an initiative started up in the state of Victoria to involve workers in environmentally sustainable manufacturing. There's also a discussion of the Yes2Renewables' campaign promotong wind energy.
Can an activist be a comedian? Or does it work the other way around. This week we explore these questions with Sean Bedlam, who's had a long time commitment to activist work in and around a variety of political issues and social justice concerns. And he's decided to add comedy to his campaigning repertoire. He tells Dirt Radio why.Sean Bedlam & David Tulk's "Two Bearded Ladies" is on at the 2015 Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Dirt Radio spoke to Anthony Amis from Friends of The Earth in regard to his extensive report on koala populations in the Strezlecki Ranges and South-West Victoria.