SUNSHINE COAST CLIMATE ACTION NOW - SCCAN - Sunshine Coast Climate Action Now

“We are the last generation with a real opportunity to save the world.”

Laurence Overmire, The One Idea That Saves The World: A Call to Conscience and A Call to Action

Think global act local
Push for Sunshine Coast Council to declare climate emergency
and take stronger more urgent action in response to this global crisis

If we needed reminding that we are already in the midst of an existential global climate crisis, 2020 provided dramatic evidence to most people across Australia:

rolling heatwaves with historical records tumbling in many centres across the country and reaching a new maximum of 48.9 degrees
devastating mega wildfires that burnt 21% of eastern Australia's temperate broadleaf and mixed forests; historically, 2-3% of these forests burn annually
smoke haze blanketing large parts of eastern Australia, with Sydney recording its worst ever air quality to date, at levels considered hazardous to human health by WHO
major flooding events in many parts of the country, with Sydney suffering its worst flooding in 30 years
serious coastal erosion threatening both natural and build environments.

To push home the point that "we're all in this together", the Covid-19 pandemic showed how no part of the world is spared these global phenomena.

The Climate Council's latest report: Hitting Home: The Compounding Costs of Climate Inaction outlines the latest science on how climate change is driving more destructive droughts, heatwaves, fires, floods and other extreme events. The report finds that 2019-20 was the most intense period yet for extreme weather, capping off a decade of climate inaction that has cost the Australian economy more than $35 billion.

Time is fast running out to take serious action to prevent runaway global heating.
If you feel powerless to do anything meaningful in the face of this climate emergency, you are encouraged to join a local group of like-minded people. Don't underestimate the power of people! For example a grass roots campaign to push the Sunshine Coast Council to join more than 100 other jurisdictions in Australia and declare a climate emergency; set a target of net zero emissions by 2030 (rather than its current inadequate 2041 target); and start implementing policies and actions to attain this, achieved a significant milestone in less than 12 months of campaigning. The Council unanimously passed of motion on 10 November 2021 recognising that we're in a climate emergency and committing to report on progress on the Zero-net Emissions Plan by 31 March 2022.

Local governments have a key role in achieving a nation-wide climate emergency response by demonstrating successful initiatives at a community level through education, mobilisation, mitigation and resilience building. They can also encourage other councils to implement climate emergency responses and lobby the state and federal governments to adopt and fund a full climate emergency response.

SCCAN was instrumental in establishing a network of climate-focussed groups on the Coast: Urgent Climate Action Network Sunshine Coast (UCANSC), which is running the climate emergency declaration (CED) campaign.

Contact Fergus FitzGerald at fergfitzgerald7@gmail.com or on 0458 880 572 to become involved, or for more information on the climate emergency declaration campaign.

Climate Action 2022: Planning Day

Want to be involved in local climate action in the community in 2022? Come to our planning day on Sunday 23 January 2022, 1:30-5:00pm, venue tba.
This will be a facilitated workshop where we will discuss ideas for actions, events and other activities during the forthcoming year to keep the pressure on all levels of government to do more and sooner to try and avert the worst impacts of global heating.
This will include a focus on the federal election campaign, as well as on-going work with the Sunshine Coast Council to bring its emissions down from the current inadequate net zero target of 2041 to at least 2030.
Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute their ideas, skills and energy.
More information: contact Fergus FitzGerald at: fergfitzgerald7@gmail.com, or on 0458 880 572

Sunshine Coast Climate Action Now (SCCAN) is an unincorporated organisation committed to local action and events to address the urgent social and political change needed to tackle the impacts of the global climate emergency.

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NOW is the time!

Denis White is a long-term Sunshine Coast resident and Sunshine Coast Climate Action Now (SCCAN) founder.

"When I realised climate change will deny my grandchildren a safe future, I was compelled to do what I can NOW, to make a difference.

"I am driven by my outrage that powerful corporate forces are willing to sacrifice my grandchildren's future security for the sake of profit, through a campaign of denial, deliberate misinformation and destructive political lobbying.

"By working with the local community and joining the global climate change movement, I know we can cause the radical social and political change needed to create a sustainable, clean-energy future. And NOW is the time to act."

Learn more

WE RECOMMEND VIEWING THE FOLLOWING TED TALKS FOR INSPIRATION:

The case for optimism...

Why is Al Gore optimistic about climate change? In this spirited talk, Gore asks three powerful questions about the man-made forces threatening to destroy our planet — and the solutions we're designing to combat them. (Featuring Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson – Feb 2016)

Paris Climate Agreement...

What would you do if your job was to save the planet? When Christiana Figueres was tapped by the UN to lead the Paris climate conference (COP 21) in December 2015, she reacted the way many people would: she thought it would be impossible to bring the leaders of 195 countries into agreement on how to slow climate change. Find out how she turned her skepticism into optimism — and helped the world achieve the most important climate agreement in history.

"The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved."
– Richard Rogers