Just in from Deb Hart

Our new national identity, do we dig it?The other evening I was at a meeting organized by the Quit Coal Collective. (ad break: these people are second to none direct action activists). Naturally, exchanging information about mining projects popping up left, right and centre, in our precious places and our critical food bowels, overwhelming our land, threatening our water supplies and so on was exhausting and deeply depressing.

There was a reflective moment when we questioned our country’s national identity. For more than a century Australians lived off the sheep’s back but we’ve largely replaced that with transnational corporations (read: most shareholders are not Australian) digging up and taking away swaths of our country. How do we really feel about being a quarry, and leading exporter of climate change?

We think of ourselves as people of the land, as down to earth and resilient. Given that our iconic Great Barrier Reef is hanging on by just the skin of its teeth, experts say that it could be lost any year now, perhaps our new national identity will be forced on us sooner than we think.

Well, we have solutions that could be adopted immediately. Right now our new Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is accepting submissions and the 100% Renewable Energy campaign has a quick, simple and creative solution to make a submission (see my submission below). The only catch is that you also have to be quick about it because submissions close on 8 December.

Tell the CEFC that we want Australia to be a hub for renewable energy in the southern hemisphere. Tell them that we are tired of witnessing the fruits of our cutting edge renewable energy R&D leave our shores to be commercialised overseas. Tell them to use their new powers to protect our climate, create clean local jobs, ensure a safe and secure energy future and embrace a new national identity that we can be proud of.

With thanks and best wishes,

Deborah on behalf of LIVE

PS Our legal challenge to the EPA’s approval of a new coal fired power station has been adjourned until 6 Feb, stay tuned. See http://www.live.org.au/component/content/article/59-events/399-brown-coal-in-court

PPS please let others know about this important submission opportunity.