Innocide and the Future

The Apology to Young and Future Australians

From Glenn Albrecht, Citizen, 17 Wanliss Street, Jarrahdale, Western Australia.

My fellow Australians,

We have reached the point where we must come together to acknowledge a severe injustice being perpetrated on current and future citizens. We must say to you; the recently conceived, newborns, infants, young children, youth, young adults and all future generations in Australia, that we are sorry that your future is being put at risk.

The callous abuse and mistreatment of the earth and its climate is a source of deep shame. In particular we need to offer you, the innocent and non-consenting parties to this destruction, a profound and deep-felt apology for failing to consider your interests. You are not responsible for the mess we are making of your future.

To all those who will be disadvantaged and who will have their life potential cut short by climate chaos … we say sorry for the innocide.

To avoid a warming and unpredictable climate you, the occupants of the future, need right now to be represented by well informed people with wisdom and ethical courage. Instead you have political and other leaders, who, in their denial or inaction on the reality of a warming world are putting the nation, families and whole communities at risk.

It is an unfolding tragedy that leaders are risking the future of the Earth for dubious benefits in the here and now. The so-called representatives of the people of Australia must be seen and judged for what they are … intellectually and ethically bankrupt. We must apologise for their lack of wisdom and their failure to look after those they ought to represent.

For this gross lack of integrity, for putting children and families last and for the abuse of those in science who are the messengers about our warming world … we say sorry for this tragedy.

It is a dark period in our history when critically important decisions about a genuinely sustainable future are being unduly influenced by those with vested interests. The time has come for us to stand up to such selfishness and egocentricity. To continue to abuse the earth and bring suffering to its future inhabitants is an ethical failure of the highest magnitude.

We must apologise in advance for the massive hardship that will occur to every facet of life as the climate gets hotter, disease, heat stress, drought and fire frequency increase, agriculture collapses, sea level rises and powerful storms wipe out our coastal communities. For all these things and more that will happen in the foreseeable future ... we say sorry.

My fellow citizens, we must care about the future. We must make a rapid transition to an ecologically sustainable economy, one that is in harmony with our environment and climate. With courage and hope we can right a future wrong in the here and now.

Speakout in support of Tamil refugees

Newcastle No War Collective speakout in support of the Tamil refugees

Friday 20th November 

Noon to 1pm

outside Federal member Sharon Grierson's office

cnr Hunter & Auckland st, Newcastle

Download a leaflet with the main points you'll never get from the mainstream media:

page one- http://tinyurl.com/yzjxqhr

page two- http://tinyurl.com/yjtlzkw

Enquiries- niko 0406296141 niko@idl.com.au

Newcastle Premiere of "Capitalism: a love story"

Capitalism, a love story, Friday 6 November, 6.45pm for 7pm

In Newcastle, with its array of activist organisations, this film should go down well.... at the:

Greater Union Theatre, King St, Newcastle

Light supper afterwards

Green Left Weekly benefit showing- please invite your friends, family, etc.

$20 / $16 concession Contact : Steve 0409 878485 Niko 0406296141

Mike Moore's new film explores the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default the rest of the world)

Download a flyer for printing-click here

The latest bit of junk TV advertising...

about coal is hilarious. I nearly fell off my chair when they pointed to the line of coal ships, with those poor sailors from far-away lands being ripped off by vessels under flags of convenience. On a more serious note, here's an excellent response from the Getup Crew:

Have you seen what the coal lobby is up to? Right now they're blanketing the airwaves in coal country marginal seats with a new ad campaign, in an attempt to undermine our transition to a clean-energy economy and strong-arm politicians into giving them extra handouts. 

We need to expose their ad campaign for what it is: a highly-paid rebranding exercise. The good news is we have just the ad to do it. Once people see it, every time they see the coal lobby's ad they'll think of our parody. That means you could make every marketing dollar the coal lobby spends work against them. 

In just weeks the Government will decide how much extra tax-payer assistance the coal industry will get - can you chip in to get this ad on air before Parliament resumes next week? 

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SameOldCoal 

The coal lobby has brought out the big guns - the same man behind 'Kevin07' is running their campaign. And there's already signs it may be working - with key politicians dancing to the coal lobby's tune. They want to further weaken the Government's woefully inadequate emissions trading scheme with even more exemptions for the coal lobby. 

You can show Labor and Liberal leaders alike that there's something more powerful than the polluting lobby: everyday Australians, like yourself, who are fed up with weak action on climate change and are willing to do something about it. 

If we can raise $50,000 in the next 48 hours we'll buy ads on TV spots like Meet the Press and Sky News, as well as in the areas that the coal lobby are running their ads, so that Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull can see that Australians are not buying the coal lobby's line: 

www.getup.org.au/campaign/SameOldCoal 

As part of our ReEnergise Australia campaign, GetUp members have been going door by door, block by block in targeted marginal seats across the country. They've been telling their friends and neighbours about the importance of renewable energy to Australia's environmental and economic future. 

Don't let the coal lobby undermine the grassroots efforts of your fellow GetUp members and volunteers with their slick marketing tricks. Watch this ad and donate to stop the coal lobby in its tracks. 

Thanks for being a part of the solution,
The GetUp Team 

PS - GetUp members are taking the story of clean-energy jobs to Australia's doorsteps. But in order to get that message out, we have to counter the marketing ploys of well-resourced lobby groups like the Australian Coal Association. Watch our ad and donate to send the message that cutting emissions creates jobs.

----- 'end of Getup's response. I reckon its a great idea. Below Above is a pic from the action at Woronira dam- protest against plans to mine underneath Sydney's water supply. Zane Alcorn (drily) remarked (somewhat acidly) "maybe Tillegra Dam was proposed to replace Woronora"...

Niko.

----

AFGHANISTAN: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION

THURS OCT 8

5.30-7.00pm
Sydney Town Hall, George St Sydney

Speakers: 
JOHN KAYE, Greens NSW MLC
PAUL McALEER, MUA (Sydney Branch)
JIM CASEY, FBEU
Professor JAKE LYNCH, Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies
RIZ WAKIL, Afghan refugee...

End the War Now!
Bring the Troops Home!

Save Mayfield Pool (Australia) Goes Solar

On the 19th August 2009 Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) donated $15,000 to the Save Mayfield Pool campaign, representing the community contribution to the solar heating initiative and basketball half court upgrade of Mayfield Pool and grounds. This is probably the very first initiative in Australia where a coal company has financed the installation of renewable solar infrastructure to a community facility.