Australians Voice Climate Fears at 350.org Rally
Climate Change Rally Draws Hundreds Of Supporters To Central Sydney
Oct 26, 2009
The human ‘350’ was formed by hundreds of blue t-shirted, umbrella-toting Sydneysiders as the key-note Sydney event, and one of the 229 in Australia. It was part of 4,500 similar rallies held around the world on October 24, 2009, organised by 350.org as a show of force to world leaders before the Copenhagen talks in December.
350.org itself originated in the United States during the last presidential election as a grass-roots climate change lobby group; now it is trying to influence world leaders at the Copenhagen talks in December to agree to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 387 parts per million (ppm) to 350 ppm.
Australians Stand Up Against Climate Change at the Sydney Opera House
An estimated 1200 people gathered under blazing sunshine and were attended by helicopters, a choir, a rock band, and a sailing ship. The Sydney crowd was full of families, and old and young people – none of the “usual suspects” as Australian 350.org CEO Blair Palese said.
The concern for what is happening to the world’s climate was evident among the Sydneysiders. They were generally ordinary Australians, and though they were reserved in spelling out their reasons for being at the rally, they were all saying the same thing.
Liam Mulligan, 19, was attending with his friend Mitchell Kuhn, 19 and father Neil. He wanted politicians to take “strong action to reduce carbon emissions in this country, even if the rest of the world doesn’t”.
Relaxing in the sun on the Opera House steps, Lesley and Jane Foulstone, 63 and 54, their son Marcus, 31, had come from Beecroft to show the country’s politicians that people did care.
Lesley Foulstone was pessimistic over how much would be achieved, and gave a firm “no” when asked if he thought the rally would change anything.
“Too many vested interests; it’s not going to happen. The world’s going to fail…I live in the hope that something will happen but I don’t think it will.”
Passionate Environmentalists Call for Change
“Passionate environmentalists” Sue and Michael Kavanagh, seven year old Eloise and four-year-old sons Daniel and Patrick were more optimistic, as they waited for the action to begin at 3pm.
Mrs. Kavanagh hoped that large numbers of ordinary people “standing up and being counted” would make world leaders understand just how much desire there was amongst a silent majority of people for policy change on the climate change issue.
She said the way things were done needed to change.
“Instead of subsidising the coal industry we, we need to subsidise renewable energy industries and instead of talking the talk we really need to make sure that houses are built more sustainably, buildings are built more sustainably, we eliminate air conditioning, we conserve water.
“I think a lot of people are doing these things in their everyday lives and you know, it’d be good if it was more mainstream and policies of government supported it.”
Teenagers Say: Do Your Bit
Emily Lanzillotti, 14, and Eva McCarthy, 14 were supporting Emily’s father and in halting teenage fashion said they were not happy with the current climate situation.
Emily said they learned about it at school and was worried that “we’re kinda killing our planet”.
“What the scientists say could happen kinda freaks us out.”
Eva hoped the rally would make politicians take notice and make people more aware of how serious climate change was. “It’s going to effect all of us so why not do your part.”
350.org An Opportunity For People To Stand Up and Be Counted
Liane Rossler was at the rally with her five- and eight-year-old daughters, along with the Knitty Gritty & Loopy craft group that had made 350 baskets from plastic rubbish especially for the day.
She thought it was fantastic that “one man and a couple of people” had been the start of a worldwide movement, and it had been a great opportunity for people to do something innovative and imaginative to show world leaders attending the Copenhagen meeting how they felt.
“I mean for us it’s really the most important meeting. It could be a suicide act or it could make it could be a meeting that really decides our future. There’s really no time to waste. There’s been too much talk and we really need to make a decision and make a plan and try and stop arguing.”
The Knitty Gritty & Loopy group was displaying some of the baskets they had made to recycle used plastic, and was an example of Mrs Pelose’s “little heroes” who had organised something by themselves to support the 350.org message.
As the crowd listened to speakers such as Sydney Mayor Clover Moore, the Gate of salvation choir and the ABC’s Robin Williams and before forming the giant 350 on the Opera House steps, Michael Houston, 50, summed up the key hope of the day: “I just hope the message gets through to the world leaders at Copenhagen basically, just how urgent it really is….I hope the world leaders really study up on what the implications really are.”
 |
 |
 |
