Earthling Environmental Activist Forum 

Climate crisis panel  

5:00pm - 7:00pm Sunday 1^st October, 2006, Newcastle Town Hall, Banquet Room

While the preliminary effects of climate change are already being felt, the potential effects are enormous. The future of human civilisation, and indeed life on earth, is under threat. If the effects of climate change are unprecedented and profound, so are the implications of solving it, because civilisation as we know it is founded on fossil fuels – the root cause of the problem. 

We are now being told that global greenhouse pollution needs to be phased-out almost completely, and fast. Yet even the tiny targets of the Kyoto Protocol are not being met. While governments quarrel over climate change and what to do with about, it seems everybody agrees on one thing – economic growth must be maintained at all costs. The growing global economy demands cheap energy, and lots of it.  How does this expectation fit with the challenge of climate change? Can consumer-capitalism and the growth economy exist in a zero-emissions world? And if dealing with climate change really does require radical social change, do we really have time to achieve that? 

Monica Richter,  Australian Conservation Foundation,

Asher Goldman, Save Happy Valley Coalition,

Steph Long, Friends of the Earth Australia,

Pete Gray, Rising Tide Newcastle,

Ben Pearson, Enery campaigner Greenpeace

Monica Richter: Monica Richter is the Sustainability Programs Manager for the Australian Conservation Foundation. She and her team run numerous campaigns such as stopping climate change including advocating against the nuclear option, and pushing for the development of greener, cleaner buildings and more sustainable cities.

Prior to this, Monica worked for Greenpeace as the Corporate Environmental Campaigner. Building a business case for accounting for greenhouse gas emissions, working to educate the finance sector about environmental impacts as well as advocating for business to embrace better environmental practices was a key focus. Monica has also worked in the Federal government and corporate sector.

She has an economics degree from University of Queensland, a Master of Applied Science Social Ecology from University of Western Sydney, and is a Graduate from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Asher Goldman:  Asher Goldman is an environmental activist and anarchist in New Zealand. For the past few years, he has been active in the campaign to stop a proposed coal mine in the Happy Valley – a biological jewel on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The Save Happy Valley campaign is the highest-profile political campaign of any kind in currently underway in New Zealand, receiving widespread national coverage. Asher will participate in the panel discussion via internet link-up. 

Steph Long: Steph Long was the national coordinator of Friends of the Earth's Climate Justice campaign for three years until 2006. During this time she organised a national speaking tour with Pacific Island and African guests (“The Climate Justice Tour”); lobbied state and federal governments on greenhouse, energy, refugee and aid related issues; produced a range of campaign material on social implications of climate change - including the recent “Citizens Guide to Climate Refugees” and participated in the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change meeting in Montreal in November 2006. After a short break from campaigning, Steph has recently commenced a new role working on the Climate Change campaign with Friends of the Earth International. Steph works with FoE International member groups and affiliates to support 'affected peoples' to reduce vulnerability and compensate for the historical climate debt. 

Pete Gray: Peter Gray is a disaffected local resident and long time member of Rising Tide. Pete has played many bit parts in multiple, mostly environmental, campaigns and wants to see the end of Newcastle coal exports in particular. Care for the living things and love for the temporary autonomous zone motivate him the most. Pete recently lodged a Land and Environment Court application against the proposed Anvil Hill coal mine.

Ben Pearson: Ben has a long history working on climate change issues, attending international climate talks and until recently running CDM-Watch Australia – an NGO monitoring the “Clean Development Mechanisms” of the Kyoto Protocol. Ben now works for Greenpeace, campaigning with local groups in the Hunter against coal mining and exports in our region.