I have forwarded this email from Tim Flannery because I think it has some positive messages and explains why he is hopeful about the coming Paris Conference on Climate Change.  John Lloyd
 
From: Tim Flannery - Climate Council [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, 26 November 2015 6:51 PM
To: John Lloyd
Subject: Why I have hope for Paris

Dear John,

In 2009, 190 countries met in Copenhagen to discuss a global agreement on climate change. And while the conference was widely dismissed as a failure, it actually triggered a significant shift in global energy use and production away from fossil fuels - giving rise to the renewables revolution.

And now six years later, as I head off to Paris for the climate talks, I’m hopeful. Because conferences like these don’t make change - they mark it. These talks will give yet another boost to the momentum we’re already seeing behind this renewable energy revolution. The commitments made by countries as part of the Paris talks will alone almost quadruple renewables capacity by 2030! And it’s this ‘revolution’ that we explore in our latest report launched this week, A Whole New World: Tracking the renewables boom from Copenhagen to Paris.

In it we talk about the 4,700,000 new jobs that have been created worldwide in renewable energy since the previous UN talks in Copenhagen. And how at the same time, the price of solar PV modules has dived 75%, wind power has fallen a dramatic 30% and the number of countries with renewable energy targets has almost doubled.

This is an important and exciting report; one that demonstrates just how much momentum is behind the transition to renewable energy. Please share it with your networks so we can propel that momentum even further!

The Climate Council’s CEO, Amanda McKenzie, fellow Climate Councillor, Prof. Lesley Hughes and I will be in Paris for the climate talks. We’ll be speaking to media both in Australia and internationally about what’s really going on at the conference, keeping the public informed of the facts about what the world is doing - and how Australia tracking.

We’ll also be sharing our insights and reflections on the innovation, progress and scale of solutions that are being implemented throughout the world. Make sure you check our website and social media channels regularly for our latest updates. And please continue to keep sharing our work with your family, friends and colleagues - it truly does make an impact.

We’ll update you from Paris - but until then I’m signing off with hope, and leaving you with a short video the team at the Council have put together to explain the Paris climate talks in under two minutes. Keep an eye out for Lesley and my appearance about halfway through!

The Green Electricity Guide, released last week by Greenpeace and the Total Environment Centre, provides rankings of energy companies in relation to supplying clean renewable energy.  
 
Powershop, which a number of BSFG members have switched across to, has been ranked the greenest retailer in Australia for the second year in a row. 

Reading the Green Electricity Guide will provide a useful guide to help you, your family and friends make an informed choice when considering the move to an energy company which prioritises the supply of clean renewable energy. 

On Thursday the 12th November the Benalla Men's Shed is hosting a talk by Colin Bain on combating Fruit Fly in our gardens. Colin is from BioTrap Australia and has been working with the Sunraysia area to deal with this problem. The talk will take place at the Benalla High Country Library at 11.00 am.
 
The Men's Shed has traps available for purchase to combat Fruit Fly.

If you were unable to go to the Shepparton screening of 'This Changes Everything', based on Naomi Klein's best selling book, it will also be screened in Wangaratta.
 
Promoted by Wangaratta Sustainability Network, it will screen on Monday, November 09 6:30PM - 8:30PM at Wangaratta Cinema Centre  1st Floor, The Co Store Complex, Corner of Ovens St and Reid St, Wangaratta VIC, AU, 3677

$16.00 AUD General Exhibition. 

Go to this link to pre-order your tickets https://www.tugg.com/events/72305

"The film ‘This Changes Everything’, based on the best-selling book by author Naomi Klein, addresses climate change from a different angle. Unlike many works about the climate crisis, this is not a film that tries to scare the audience into action: it aims to empower. Klein argues climate change is not really about carbon at all, it’s about capitalism. She also reminds us that all is not lost and there is so much we can all do both individually and collectively to turn this around."  Dianne Nicholson, WATCH (Wodonga/Albury Towards Climate Health) from 'Living Lightly' extract on Ecoportal

On the weekend of 27-29 November, as world leaders arrive in Paris for the UN climate summit, people will take to the streets in hundreds of major cities around the globe as part of the largest climate mobilisation ever: the People’s Climate March.

In Melbourne, a broad and diverse coalition of organisations from the environment, conservation, clean energy, development, indigenous, health, labour, faith and grassroots climate sectors will join forces to demonstrate the huge public support for real action on climate, hold our political leaders to account and build on existing campaigns and organising methods to strengthen our movement for the longer term.  

The Melbourne march will be held at 5.30pm on Friday 27 November.

More information available at the following website:   
http://www.peoplesclimate.org.au/about
 
This is a very important event, part of a global movement.  It would be great to have a BSFG contingent there to help show the world that we do care enough!

Unfortunately our train timetable does not synchronize with this event - but if there is enough interest it may be possible to organise a bus to go down and back on the Friday.   If you are interested in taking part in the major event and would like to travel by bus please let John Lloyd know as soon as possible.

As many of you would be aware BSFG has had a stall at the Day in the Gardens market for a number of years. This year the date is Sunday 8th November and we are looking for volunteers to help us staff the stall.

This is not a difficult task as there will be a range of materials available for people to take away and any questions are usually of a general nature.  People on the stall are not expected to be experts on climate change or sustainability.  The main task is to make people feel welcome as they come to the stall and encourage them to take any of the available material they are interested in.  We often have interesting conversations with people who come to look at the stall. 

There are still some spots available between 10 am and 2 pm.  If you are able to volunteer one hour (or more) of your time please let John Lloyd know the time slot you would prefer by 2nd November. We prefer to have two people on the stall together for company.

If you are visiting the Day in the Gardens, please drop by the BSFG and say hello.

A free community event is being held in Albury/Wodonga for Sustainable Living Week this Saturday morning (7th) from 9 am to midday.  The program includes local food cooking demonstrations; making mud bee inns or tree bee inns; 'speed dating' a sustainable designer for 15 minutes consultation(need to book in on the day); workshops on seed saving, cloth nappies, home composting and preserving. Luke Davies' Recycled String Band will be performing from 10 am to midday--a great incentive to attend!