At a family BBQ last weekend the conversation tentatively moved to politics. There were a few assertions about how deceptive various politicians were, but the conversation quickly moved to safer ground.
Some cultures talk a lot about politics, but Australians tend not to - it’s seen as a private matter and not good BBQ-time conversation.
But with an election around the corner, I’m going to break that taboo! I’m not going to tell you who to vote for, but I would suggest that climate change needs to be front and centre as we decide who’ll get our vote this Saturday. If climate matters to you, see this scorecard for the major Parties, put together by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
ARRCC is not offering a scorecard as such for the 2022 Election, but we have outlined the climate policies of the various major parties and groups of candidates. Here's the outline.
Here's an article in Eternity magazine which simplifies the picture further. It's not difficult to see that the policies of the Coalition on climate action are much weaker than those offered by other major groups of candidates.
The content below was written for the 2019 election.
With a federal election on the horizon, how we vote as people of faith is very much a part of living authentic spiritual lives. Being spiritual does not give us an exemption from being “political”. Indeed, we are political whether we speak out or not, because to be silent when faced with injustices is to quietly collude, and is equally a political position. That’s why ARRCC regards it as important to offer a scorecard for people who want to make climate the key issue on which they vote.
FAITH LEADERS TO LABOR: WE WILL BLOCKADE
Several religious leaders have told key Labor MPs today that they are prepared to blockade at Adani’s Carmichael project sites and, if need be face arrest, in order to stop the mine from going ahead.
The announcement came at two interfaith ‘Funeral for Coal’ Vigils outside the offices of Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, and Shadow Environment Minister Tony Burke. The faith leaders’ basic concern is that, given that coal is a major driver of climate change, the world cannot afford the opening up of new coal mines.
Photo by Julian Meehan. Dharmachari Tejopala and Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black with group outside Bill Shorten's office.
Sign and send this letter to Labor
It’s true that Labor listens to pro-environmental advocates more than the Coalition ever has, but the Party has a long way to go when it comes to coal mining. In the SMH on 8 Feb, Chris Bowen said that Labor would not block Adani’s Carmichael mine if it wins office. No! This is all the more disappointing because Mr Bowen is the Shadow Treasurer, so a very influential person in the Shadow Cabinet. And he’s not the only influential Labor MP who thinks like this.
Please write to Mr Bowen with this template letter and let him know this is ethically unacceptable!
You are invited to edit the text, knowing your own words would be more effective. If your local MP is Labor, you have the opportunity to cc her/him so they know your views too.
Not all of us can get to the front lines to highlight the insanity of a new coal mining project which jeopardises our collective future. But some of us can. Greg Rolles is a Quaker and he is one of those people. Here he challenges readers to think outside the box.....
“I know you’ve been through this before, so I won’t bore you with the details.” The Queensland police sergeant had hold of my right arm stretched out in front of me, his constable my other. My legs were like jelly after spending three hours in the tripod. The constable had spent a significant amount of that time tapping a rock on the metallic structure trying to wear me out with the incessant banging, and I wondered how his arm was doing. I drew in a deep breath as I began my stay with Lady Justice. No, not Lady Justice. If the law were just, I’d be set free. Let me do that again.
Greg Rolles on a tripod. Photo credit: FLAC.
Towards the end of 2018, Rabbis across Melbourne were invited to meet with Scott Morrison, who I note is still described as ‘Our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, in case you might think that the position has changed hands again whilst you weren’t tuned in!
I had a discussion with my wife about whether I should dress in a suit, or wear my ‘Stop Adani’ T-shirt.
The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C shows the world is headed for even more dangerous levels of climate disruption. The price is being paid now by vulnerable communities facing super-storms, droughts, disruption of weather patterns and sea level rise. However the future of all humanity is at risk long-term. Great progress has been made in the development of low-carbon technologies, but there has been a reluctance to rely on lifestyle change as part of the solution. In the week of October 7 to 14, Australian faith communities attempted to begin changing this. Around 300 people attended Living the Change events around the country, committing to new decisions to walk more gently on the Earth. They challenge everyone to join them.
Week of Living the Change celebration, Melbourne. Photography, Julian Meehan.
People of Faith get Political to Protect the Reef from Adani
Vigil for the Reef, St. John’s Cathedral, 373 Ann Street Brisbane
September 15, 7 to 9pm
People from the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Krishna Consciousness and Muslim faiths will gather in St John’s Anglican Cathedral to celebrate the gift of the Great Barrier Reef and to dedicate themselves to protecting it from climate change.
Dean of St John’s, The Very Rev’d Dr Peter Catt, said ‘People of faith see the planet as a gift. It is under threat. Not to act is to act. To keep silent is to give consent to the status quo.
Dean of Brisbane, the Very Rev'd Dr Peter Catt with St John's Cathedral sign
We invite you to join us in making a commitment to a sustainable lifestyle as part of Living the Change, a global multi-faith campaign coordinated by GreenFaith in the US.
Living the Change upholds two of our deepest convictions:
- We believe the Earth is a sacred gift.
- We believe each of us has the responsibility to live in a way that supports and sustains our common home.
While world leaders have agreed to keep global warming to a 1.5⁰C limit, current trends have us headed for at least twice that level and a truly devastating future. We urgently need a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible.
AUSTRALIAN FAITHFUL TO LEAD TOWARD CLIMATE FRIENDLY LIFESTYLE CHOICES
The Australian chapter of a new and ambitious global campaign, “Living the Change, was launched on May 3 at a national gathering of the multi-faith Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC). With a byline, “faithful choices for a flourishing world”, this is a fresh faith-led initiative which aims to champion the role of more sustainable lifestyles in protecting the earth from global warming.
By bearing public witness to the vital importance of treading more lightly on the earth, Living the Change intends to challenge the consumerist culture that drives climate change while fortifying more healthy, balanced relationships with the environment.
Image: Buddhist Be Kind Be Vego cooking workshop with demonstrator, Ling Halbert
