CLIMATE ACTION RADIO SHOW – OCTOBER 4TH 2021

Produced by Vivien Langford

Guests:

Violet CoCo and Sasha Steindl from Extinction Rebellion – RECLAIM OUR FUTURE this October – Action Network(link is external)

 

A/Professor Rob Eisenberg – from Vote Earth Now – Vote Earth Now(link is external)

 

Rebecca Byrnes from The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (fossilfueltreaty.org)(link is external)

 

The pressure is on for politicians in the month we have before COP 26 in Glasgow.  If you have never contacted the PM or your MP before, now is the time , according to all four of our guests. Extinction Rebellion will be  escalating actions in Canberra as our Parliament sits. Their campaign is called (20+) Reclaim Our Future | Facebook(link is external) Even if you are in lockdown you can phone  MPs,  Contact Your PM | Prime Minister of Australia(link is external) or phone Scott Morrison’s office on  (02) 6277 7700.

 

At a webinar from The Climate and Health Alliance I learned that . “Health professionals are far more concerned about climate change than the general public. They feel frustrated, outraged and sad when thinking about it”.  Apparently midwives are among the most alarmed. They want to talk about climate change but feel insufficiently informed . It was pointed out to us by Rebecca Huntley, that fossil fuel lobbyists are not so shy and that armed with information and support ,medical professionals are the most trustworthy messengers to convey positive messages about the health benefits of climate action.The “Real Urgent and Now” survey of Medical Professionals is worth reading and passing on RUN_Survey__September_2021c.pdf (d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net)

Meanwhile in London

Doctors protest outside JP Morgan offices to demand they end fossil fuel investments — Doctors for Extinction Rebellion (doctorsforxr.com)

‘It’s my duty as a doctor’: XR medics glued to bank demand end of fossil fuel investment | The Independent

 

We speak to Rob Eisenberg whose day job is as an Ear Nose and Throat surgeon and  A. Professor in Public Health at Newcastle University. He was motivated to create Vote Earth Now by his belief that we must make our government more accountable.Just one click and you can send a message to the political parties that you are a climate voter Vote Power – Vote Earth Now(link is external) . Let them know you are watching how they ramp up their climate plans before Glasgow.

 

At a global level there will also be pressure on Fossil Fuel Producing nations to wind back their industry.  The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (fossilfueltreaty.org)(link is external) is a breath takingly well connected new organisation. They will be at Glasgow arguing that it’s not just getting emissions down we need,  but phasing out the production of coal oil and gas. The UN Report  about the production gap between Paris committments and what  the fossil fuel industry is actually planning will put out a new edition before Glasgow.2020 Home – Production Gap(link is external) report shows that global fossil fuel production needs to fall by 6% each year from 2020.Meanwhile the industry is planning at least a 2% INCREASE and Australia is actively signing up new countries for locking in long term coal and gas use. Feeling the Heat | Australian Foreign Affairs(link is external), We speak to Rebecca Byrnes from The Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty about phasing out subsidies and investing in a transformational plan to ensure 100% access to clean energy on a global scale.