climate protests

Scott Morrison’s imposing and threatening crackdown of protests in Australia is a contradictory, and terrifying one.

Last week, following the climate change protests at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne, Morrison announced that he was working on legal measures to outlaw the ‘indulgent and selfish practice’ of protest groups that try and stop major resource projects.

Morrison made it clear that his new law would not punish the companies paying limited tax and pushing our quickly and dangerously warming climate to the limit, but instead, he would punish those protesters for speaking out on the issue.

Contradictory, because it completely rejects Morrison’s ‘free speech’ ideology (the special kind of free speech that keeps gays, and now activists, in the firing line). So the story goes like this:

Scott Morrison is an upstanding and loyal soldier when it comes to defending religious freedom.

• Free speech is fine when Andrew Bolt draws a cartoon and describes an Aboriginal youth as ‘criminal trash’ and ‘scum’

• Free speech is fine when powerful religious groups want to humiliate the LGBTIQ community

• Free speech is NOT fine, when it comes to protesting our alarming climate emergency.

And terrifying, because as our climate rapidly rises, alarm bells ring in the ears of the community members, civilians become disenchanted with the political process that continues to invest in coal fired plants, and our climate continues to soar and break world temperatures to date. So, we take to the streets. And ScoMo swiftly pledges to outlaw those fighting against major polluters, arguing they threaten the economy.

This vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and avid Pentecostal Christian believer, driving the importance of faith throughout his short political career, is a very clear threat to our democratic system.

In late 2015, I took part in a protest. I dressed up in a dress, with a protest sign in my pocket and a video camera attached to my collar and snuck into the Australian Mining Prospect Awards in Sydney's Sofitel Wentworth Hotel, to take part in a stunt aimed at drawing attention to the government’s subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. It was a peaceful protest, and I attended a 3 day course prior to learn nonviolent direct action, or civil resistance tactics. My growing concern for a rising climate and mass extinction categorized me as a concerned Australian citizen, and I felt like political leaders weren't listening. So, I ‘took to the streets’.

After I was hit on by a drunk executive mining worker, who grabbed my arm and asked his friend to take a photo of us, a policeman with an aggressive agenda grabbed my other arm, and roughly escorted me out of the building, realizing I was not invited to this event, and understanding that we were drawing negative press towards the mining awards, who donate a lot of money to the Liberal Party.

Gina Rineheart was being recognized with an award for her contribution to the mining sector, as I was told to shut up and escorted out of the room in case this made the news.

I was proud to be standing up for a cause I believe in, and I was proud to be able to speak my mind, without being arrested, and without taking part in something illegal. I didn't even mind that the aggressive policeman had me in a tight and firm grip and was beginning to bruise my scrawny arm.  Because I had made a point.

I do, however, remain skeptical that our political leaders are doing much to combat this very alarming and current climate emergency, and I would like, if it's okay by you, Scott, to continue to speak my mind, to those in the mining sector and those in a position of power, even if they are ‘stimulating the economy’.

I remain a concerned citizen.

Global Tourism in 2017

It’s 2017. And we’re off to an okay start.  We haven't exactly hit our climate targets. Trump got elected. Brexit happened and the rise of the far right is becoming more and more prominent in society.  

But amongst the torture, we are bound for good things at home. We've managed to shut down Hazlewood and invest more in renewables in Victoria. BP pulled out of drilling in the Great Australian Bite. 18C was shut down in parliament and people power has seen the prolonged Great Barrier Reef fiasco encounter a few positive wins. 

Globally, The US said goodbye to its plan for an oil and gas drilling rig in the Atlantic waters, Giant pandas were taken off the endangered list, Liberia was officially cleared of Ebola and world hunger reached its lowest point in 25 years.

Late last year, the United Nations declared 2017 as the International year of sustainable tourism for development. The idea is to advance the tourism sector under the following pillars of sustainability -  Social, economic and environmental.

In 2013, Australia generated $29 billion from the tourism and travel industry alone. We’re well on track to achieve our target by 2020 and hit between $115 - 140 billion dollars. With increasing globalisation, tourism is growing faster than ever before.

As I wandered through Flinders Lane on my lunch today, I noticed it was full of bustling  tourists. Short tourists, tall tourists, tourists with hats on, or beards, German tourists that bumped into me and carried on with their day without noticing, Italian tourists that spoke at a million miles an hour in their mother tongue, Chinese tourists, Lebanese tourists. All travelled from opposite ends of the globe to see the buzzing Melbourne city. I think of what it's like in New York right now, Dehli, Rome, Beijing...

Cities and people make tourism thrive, both economically and socially. This can be taken into account for third world and developing countries along with the Western world. Tourism creates employment and business services opportunities - for example through hotels, restaurants, transport, infrastructure and entertainment activities. Growing levels of disposable income in China in particular have enabled the industry to grow dramatically in recent years and will continue to do so. Humans want to be entertained, so investing in programs, activities and events to promote social tourism is only going to drive it higher.  

Natural wonders. Oceans, mountains, waterfalls, ancient cities, deserts, the highest of mountains looking over a ruined city from before your grandmother was born. People want to see this. People PAY to see this. Conserving the ocean, seas and marine resources for sustainable development would be a good place to start.

The mining boom is dying and we’re slowly turning to renewables. Allowing Chevron to pop deep sea oil rigs in the Great Australian Bite doesn't seem like a great place to start. Neither does using the Great Barrier Reef as home for the Carmichael megamine to export more brown coal to India. Drilling in the Arctic between the Russian and Ukrainian political storm doesn't seem like that good an idea either.

The most detrimental affects of global tourism are the effects that it has on the environment. Carbon emissions polluting the air from added air travel, generation of rubbish in environmentally sensitive areas such as national parks and destruction of the natural environment and disturbance of wildlife and vegetation.

But, despite all this, there are good things happening. We have ocean sanctuaries set up around the global seas to avoid overfishing, depleting stocks and encourage breeding grounds for wildlife.  Putting aside resources for management and planning heritage listed areas, ecosystems and wildlife preservation helps degenerating environmental areas and sustains them for future generations.

We can use tourism as a global benefit - by raising awareness of the natural environment, creating meaningful employment and allowing cultural exchange - while minimising or preventing its detrimental effects through research and protective measures. Throughout the world, governments can invest in the environmental, social and economic aspects of tourism, which will continue to grow long after 2017 the year of sustainable tourism has passed.

Prawns on the Hawkesbury River

It’s 4:45am and we have arrived on the Hawkesbury River. It’s a breath of fresh air to get out of the city and Gary Howard is waiting patiently for us at his gate. His house is located on a beautiful farm, about 20 steps from the Hawkesbury River-bank. There is an abundance of plum trees to the right, and behind the house cattle are sleeping in the dark. With no time to waste, we make our way down to the river and take to the boat.

The boat is a medium sized one, and the nets hang from either side of the rafters. Six of us pile in easily and take a seat. Gary starts the motor and off we go to join in the queue – first in line for the morning trawl. This morning, Gary’s is the first boat on the river but he explains that this is not always the case. It makes all the difference getting in line early because the first trawl can often be the best one. But this of course all depends on the weather, the tide and the moon.  The windless weather, high tide and small moon.

Today is a good day. The tide is high and the water is murky. The best time to fish for prawns.

I sat and listened as Gary explained to us the art of fishing on the Hawkesbury River. Number one. It is in his best interest to keep the river healthy and full of fish. Without a healthy river, there are no healthy prawns and without healthy prawns, Gary can’t run his family business.

The nets are fit for purpose – the holes are the perfect size to catch adult school prawns and leave the young ones to mature. This is the breed we are after.  School prawns, I learnt, are deliciously tasty for human consumption and can keep fresh for up to six days if they aren’t frozen.

Unfortunately, much of the catch is used as bait by recreational fishers as consumers increasingly go for cheaper, bigger imported prawns.

The question that ran through my head that day was how can one person catch so many prawns and have this be a sustainable practice? So I asked. As usual, I asked all the questions.

How long does it take for a prawn to reproduce? How many eggs do they lay at once? Does the trawling damage the bottom of the river? Is there bycatch? And I received answers. Gary was very knowledgeable and happy to share with us his vast knowledge on the topic.

School prawns spawn hundreds of thousands of eggs at once and have a lifespan of about 18 months. Once they spawn, they die. They are bottom feeders so spend the majority of the time lurking on the bottom of the river. That’s why murky water is good for fishing. While we complain about a rainy day, the prawn fishermen are usually pretty happy with the outcome.

Trawling the bottom of the Hawkesbury does not result in the same destruction as it can in the ocean. There are no coral reefs or seagrass beds to destroy.

We leave for the first trawl at 5:30am. I watch as the nets drag behind the boat for 15 minutes. In comes the first catch of the day. The bottom of the net is opened and the prawns are released onto a stainless steel tray. As they flipped about, Gary goes through the tray and removes any bycatch, throwing it straight back into the water.

A few Australian herring, an Australian bass, and a couple of bullrout. Judging by the look of the bullrout, I decide this river is not one for swimming. Venomous spikes run up its dorsal and its pectoral fins. The fish were not smiling. Nevertheless, the bullrout and the bass were thrown back into the water to swim away. The few herring are kept for bait for eel traps. Once the prawns are sorted, they are sized and separated. The bigger ones destined for the fish market and restaurants and smaller ones used for bait. The prawns are then sorted into tubs, and put on ice.

We stayed out on the river for at least seven hours, continuing this process over and over. Eventually, Gary was satisfied with the day’s work and we made our way back inside. 150 kilos of prawns were caught this morning.

We helped carry them onto the ute that was waiting at the end of the pier. The prawn trays are loaded and driven up to the shed, next door to the house. This is where the processing takes place. Buckets of prawns are weighed, packed into bags, ready to be taken straight to the fish market. The remaining are kept and frozen. And this is all done by Gary and his lovely wife.

Supporting local businesses like this is the way to bring prawns home responsibly this Christmas. No bycatch. No antibiotics. No labour abuse. Just fresh, river prawns caught in an ethical way that supports local fishermen. 

Photo from Greenpeace Australia

Human Repercussion

Whales historically dominated the world’s oceans, but they have suffered tremendously in the last hundred years. It is estimated, that, due to harvesting in the last century, nearly 3 million cetaceans have been wiped out by whaling fleets.

In 1986, a moratorium was introduced by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on all commercial whaling but some countries continue the practice. Around 30,000 whales have been killed since then. The Northern right and sperm whale have come very close to extinction.

Whale products have been used for a variety of commercial purposes and their meat is still considered a delicacy in places like Japan, Iceland and Norway. It was with a heavy heart that I traipsed the streets of Iceland a few months ago and witnessed people buying whale meat over the counter as if it was some sort of common vegetable.

I use the whale as a primary example, but they are just one species that humans have interfered with to the near reality of extinction. It is becoming increasingly difficult for wild animals to survive. Human impact has left an enormous environmental footprint.  In 2011, the International Union for Conservation in Nature, officially declared the Western Black Rhino as extinct  due to ivory hunting.

We continue to burn fossil fuels at a rapid rate driving climate change that is causing the world to get hotter. The ice is melting in the Arctic and these cetaceans have to migrate further to breeding grounds. We have depleted fish species from overfishing and used monsterboats with giant nets to sell tuna for a cheap buck. We have cut down forests in order to grow cheap paper and palm plantations.

Things you can do to help:

• Stay away from products that contain unsustainably sourced palm oil.The palm oil industry has caused devastating deforestation in the past years.  Zoos Victoria have this campaign highlighting some palm oil containing products that are not currently sustainably sourced or properly labelled.

• Buy pole and line tuna. This means the tuna has been caught with a hook and line instead of a massive boat using destructive fishing gear that causes bycatch. You can find our tuna guide here to see what is sustainable. If I could make the whole world stop eating one thing it would be tuna.  Unfortunately I can't control your eating habits. 

• Buy recycled! Whether it’s the paper in your office, or the toilet paper on your roll, there are many brands that comply with 100% recycled products. Who gives a Crap are an excellent toilet paper initiative that give 50% of their profits to build toilets. It also feels nice on your bum because it is recycled and your conscious is guilt free.

• Eat local produce – This can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint as well as support local farmers.

• Teach your kids that there used to be whales and rhinos in the same way we learned about the dinosaurs. Teach them to be informed with their decisions, to recycle, buy second hand or locally sourced clothing, to avoid fast fashion, grow your own garden and leave that bloody plastic bag at the supermarket. To go to rallys, sign petitions and to make some god damn noise. It's nearly time for the revolution. 

Plastic waste

‘I’ll just chuck it in my backpack’.

That’s what I said to the cashier in Albert Heijn, the biggest Dutch supermarket on the streets of Amsterdam.

She had tried to charge me .50€ cents for a plastic bag so that I could carry my bunch of bananas 100m down the road. It was more than the bananas themselves had cost.

As an Australian, my initial thought was why on earth do I have to pay for my supermarket bag? Coles gives me as many bags as I need for free. In fact, most Australian retailers will hand over an item dependent sized plastic bag every time you make a purchase.

I put my bananas in my backpack and walked home to avoid the .50€ cent fee. While I was walking home, I realised that a plastic bag was a completely unnecessary and wasteful resource to supply me with. I also realised that while a lot of Australians are environmentally conscious, out of habit, we still accept plastic bags to move our groceries from A to B.

Europe has nailed the concept of minimising plastic wastage when it comes to bags. All fruit is packaged in paper bags (not just the mushrooms) and often retailers don’t give you a bag with purchase. International companies like Apple have gone even further and use emails to send receipts after purchase. This technique is an exceptional way to minimise paper usage and keep everything electronically filed for future reference. It’s resourceful, and saves you searching for your paper receipt months down the track when your computer battery unexpectedly fails.

The plastic bags we are receiving from the supermarket are often not biodegradable and they are not environmentally friendly. It’s the ‘single use’ bags that we use to transfer groceries from the shop to the car that are the problem. We use them once, and then throw them in the bin.

While the life of these bags is relatively short, the environmental impact they cause is enormous. They are energy-intensive to produce and their lightweight texture causes them to float away when left outside. Then they end up in the ocean, choking marine life to death.

South Australia have been the first to crack down on plastic bag pollution, banning the bag in 2009. We need to follow their lead as the rest of us rely on these bags without thinking. If supermarkets started charging for bags, people would think twice before leaving the house. Charging people for bags means they are still available if necessary, but the use of them would reduce significantly.

Canvas bags are the perfect environmentally friendly equivalent. They are stronger, bigger, reusable and easy to store at home. If we are able to minimise plastic waste in supermarkets, we will save money, time and a whole lot of energy.

The next time I went to the supermarket, I bought a backpack to carry my goods home. And I did this every single time I went to the supermarket for the next 7 months. Think about how many plastic bags that little old me – a one-person show, saved in that time. (I calculated – it was about 84 bags!)