Queensland Climate Movement

This workshop considered the role and prospects for the establishment of a safe climate coalition in Queensland. It used two proposals circulated at the summit as the basis for the discussion, the Proposal for a Safe Climate Coalition and the Proposal for a Global Safe Climate Covenant.

Coalitions already do exist - what is proposed here?

How do new things avoid duplication? How does this coalition idea relate to what is already happening?

Current targets would move us quickly into catastrophic disasters. How do we turn ideas around by next year? To go back to zero and below zero emissions. Immediate, emergency need for urgent action. Concepts need to be out there. Can be get common agreement between groups. A compatible statement that is put out for public consideration. The question isn’t what it costs.

Are you targeting a certain level of emissions?

No, that’s one of the questions. 300-350 is the proposed target, which represents the concentration in the 1980s and the last time when we had a stable climate. It is really important not to let ’safe’ be distorted. Stern managed it. We do need specific numbers attached.

The 350.org movement is steaming ahead in the United States. We are currently at around 387ppm globally.

Coalition and/or Covenant

What is the difference between committing to be a member of the coalition and signing the covenant? None.

You could get people to sign onto a three sentence statement easily. The covenant is more detailed. Calling it a coalition might not help. It might be worth talking in terms of a safe climate objective. Earth Charter. Declaration is a good word - the Safe Climate Declaration. Almost the least amount you could say and still have something to say. Provides the least opportunities for objection.

Looking for getting with what other groups are saying. Encourage people to get on the same page.

Three demands: state of emergency, need for action, need to get back to safe levels.

What are the conditions under which we lose all the ice in the Arctic (or 70m sea level rise)? 425ppm plus/minus 75 ppm. We shouldn’t be within the risk zone at all. What about the conditions for Greenland, to get back the Artic sea ice, the permafrost, the Great Barrier Reef, the Himalayas, the Amazon? 300 - 325ppm. The target 350 campaign may not be enough.

Want to move away from ‘what will it cost?’ to ‘what is safe?’. The future of life on earth is now at risk.

“Safe Australia”

The Garnaut recommendations are recommendations for the death of Australia. Australians did not ignore the risks of WWII.

Individuals and groups to sign on. How will you disseminate it? Collect signatures? We’d now try to frame political campaigns, everything we do, through this approach. The continuity is the concept of ’safe’ - not necessarily 350. As the science strengthens, the concept of safe climate can tighten up.

We have a lot of fuzziness around the danger and very unclear ideas about who the enemy is (unlike wartime mobilisation). Surveys show public ideas are ahead of the politicians. But they are not doing it. They see hypocrisy from the government. Tunnels drilled and no public transport. Qld Coal industry racing ahead.

People have to believe that what they do makes a difference. This is lacking - which is debilitating.

If you change people’s beliefs, then they will change their behaviours.

Pictures of all of the species that are going to go extinct, People have to see it, get it and realise that they can do something about it.

It’s like we’ve been diagnosed with cancer, and we’re in a denial stage. We’ve been told go and take an aspirin - and not chemotherapy or the appropriate cure for the illness. Take 2 aspirin and you’ll be dead in six weeks. No! I want chemo! - need the right level of action commensurate with the terminal illness.

Concept of the Covenant

How to follow it through in action. Copenhagen is likely to be hopeless and dispiriting. How can we empower ourselves and get control.

Citizen treaty: cascade up through organisations, local government, from cities, to states to nations.

Why bother: we’re in a transition time where we’re realising that it is going to become much harder - 100% in ten years. What if all the people who share this aspiration are able to connect around the world.

Tiers to engage more and deeper levels.