Hi Rising Tide supporters,

Rising Tide has a lot planned in the next couple of months, and we’d like you to be involved. From protesting across the country at MPs’ offices and meeting with other climate change groups, to taking direct action against Australia's coal addiction, there are lots of things for you to do.

In this email:

• Step it up Australia – be ready to protest if the Government doesn’t commit to peak carbon in 2010. First two weeks of December
• Walk Against Warming – 15 November
• Eraring power station vigil, camp & mass action – 22 November til 1 December
• Australia's Climate Action Summit – February 2009
• Flotilla protest against Newcastle's coal exports – March 14 2009

Step it up Australia

First week of December 2008

In December, the Rudd Government will announce Australia's medium term emissions reductions targets, and they are widely expected to be weak and ineffective. When that happens, please join with people all around Australia as we STEP-IN to the offices of Federal Parliamentarians, to STEP-UP the campaign for real action against climate change.

This is especially important as the government will also be going to the international climate change talks in Poznan, Poland, in December. The Kyoto Protocol runs out in 2012, and the framework for replacing it will be made at the end of 2009 in Copenhagen. It is crucial that governments come out of the Poznan talks with a robust plan for reducing carbon emissions to be finalised in Copenhagen the following year.

As a movement, we want to be ready for those announcements and have as much influence on them as we can. We’re all going to try and arrange to visit our local Federal Member of parliament before the end of November. We will be stronger as a movement if we share a common message at these meetings and if we share with each other the outcomes of them.

For this meeting we’re going to ask for two key things:

1. That in December, the Government announces that 2010 will be Australia’s peak carbon year
2. That the White Paper for the CPRS remove the concessions to the major emitting industries that were proposed in the Green Paper.

(The recent NSW Climate Action Groups summit endorsed these two key asks, though of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t talk to your MP about other things.)

The climax of the project will come in December when the Government makes those announcements.

In early December, if they don’t announce those two policies we’re asking for, we’re all going to go back to our MP’s office to protest in whatever way we feel comfortable. Some people will be handing out flyers, some will take their kids in and hand over a petition from them to the Prime Minister, some will be sitting down and refusing to leave, just like the African-American civil rights activists did in the 1960s.

It is so important that we let them know that their half-measures are not acceptable. We have so little time left to change our ways.

If you’d support in organising a visit to your local MP, please contact us. For more info go to http://stepitupaustralia.wordpress.com/

Walk Against Warming

November 15th

We’ll be going to Sydney to take part in the Walk Against Warming, a community event calling for renewable energy and a safe climate future for our children. For more info and pictures from previous years, check out http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/

People's power for the climate

November 22 at Eraring Power Station

It is almost unbelievable: we are living through a climate emergency, but our greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Our community must come together to call for a safe climate future. Come and be part of starting the new, renewable industrial revolution on Saturday November 22nd.

• Where: Eraring Power Station, the largest coal-fired power station in NSW
• When: 11am, Saturday 22nd November 2008
• Why: Just one week later, Australia will meet the nations of the world at the international climate talks in Poland. We need to tell them: we would rather keep the Great Barrier Reef than live on polluting coal power.
• Contact: Georgina Woods 49261641 or georgiefrances@yahoo.com.au

On 15th November, thousands will march in the Walk Against Warming. One week later, we will take our demonstration for a safe climate directly to the equal biggest single source of carbon dioxide pollution in the country – the Eraring Power Station on the Central Coast, between Newcastle and Sydney.

In the first two weeks of December, Australia will join the rest of the world at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) talks in Poznan, Poland. During this time, major climate policies, with the potential to change the course of history, will be announced.

Don’t let them forsake the Murray Darling and the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t let them sell out the climate and our children’s future for the sake of coal company profits.

Join us protesting ongoing rise in greenhouse pollution at the Eraring Power Station, between Newcastle and Sydney.

The rally will be calling for immediate commitment by Australia to 2010 being our “peak carbon” year – after that and forever, our greenhouse pollution must come down.

Some people will be establishing a vigil camp after the rally in the lead up to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong heading to Poland for the climate talks. More details below.

The next few months are such important times to be part of community climate change action. Please come along. Meet at 11am, Saturday 22nd November, at Eraring Power Station. Click here to see it on google.

About Eraring Power Station:

Eraring is one of the biggest single point sources of carbon dioxide pollution and equal largest coal-fired power station in Australia.It is owned by the NSW State Government company Eraring Energy. Every year, the Eraring power station emits over 20 million tons of C02 (carma.org) – making it among the most polluting power stations in the world.

It is facilities like Eraring that will need to be closed if we are to shift quickly to a low-carbon future. Come and help start the new, renewable industrial revolution on Saturday 22nd November.

Travel:

Travel by bus is being arranged from Sydney. Contact Meg from Greenpeace if you would like help. Meg dot ivory at au dot greenpeace dot org

By train: Get on the Newcastle train from Sydney, or the Sydney train from Newcastle. Not all of the trains stop at Dora Creek station, so make sure the one you’re getting does. Hop off at Dora Creek. Protest organisers will be running shuttles from Dora Creek to the protest site, but it is a pleasant 20 minute bike ride, if you bring your bikes.

By car: Travel north on the F3 from Sydney (south from Newcastle). Take Freeman’s Drive (the Morisset exit) and follow the signs to Morisset. Head north from Morisset along Wangi Road. There is an Eraring Power station turn off left from Wangi Road.

What’s going to happen?

On 22nd there will be a big protest rally at the power station.

There will be speakers and a barbeque lunch.

We will be establishing a vigil camp after the rally to remain at Eraring for the week leading up to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Change Minister Penny Wong heading to Poland for the climate talks.

You are welcome to stay over at the vigil, or come back during the week for workshops, film screenings and cheerful candle-lit dinners.

Then join us again at the end of the week for direct action protest against the power station on the eve of the Poznan climate talks.

We won’t get another chance to stop the flow of pollution into our atmosphere. We must do everything we can to show the Government that this is an emergency, and that we will not accept anything less than emergency measures.

What you will need:

• Bring your family and friends and make it your stand against ongoing rises in greenhouse pollution.
• Bring sun-cream and hats. There will be some water, but a personal bottle is advisable.
• Bring banners and placards.
• Vegetarian barbeque will be provided.
• If you would like to camp, bring camping gear

Australia's Climate Action Summit

February 2009

In February, community climate action groups from across the continent are joining together for Australia's Climate Action Summit in Canberra, the weekend before the first day of the 2009 Federal Parliament.

Last year, Kevin Rudd was elected to government in the world's first climate change election. One year on, we are still waiting for the urgent action needed to peak our greenhouse gas emissions and begin this urgent transition to renewable energy. In December 2009, Kevin Rudd will meet with world leaders in Copenhagen, to set the framework and benchmarks for future global action on climate change. We need to ensure the Australian Government goes to Copenhagen with the strongest commitment to reducing greenhouse pollution and averting runaway climate change.

In February at Australia's Climate Action Summit, people from climate change groups will create and launch a cohesive and strategic national climate campaign, form a national grassroots network, and send a powerful message on the eve of the second year of the Rudd Government that sets the agenda for urgent climate action.

Australia' Climate Action Summit will be two days of facilitated meetings and workshops to build a unified national climate campaign. It will be followed by one day of dynamic training in climate campaigning skills for taking action, facilitating climate action groups, effective lobbying and more. On the first day of the 2009 Federal Parliament, we will mobilise thousands of people in a high profile demonstration for real action on climate change.

Check out the website as it develops: www.climatesummit.org.au

The 4th People's Blockade of the world's biggest coal port

14 March 2009

Newcastle is still the world's largest coal port and coal exports are still Australia's single biggest contribution to climate change. There have been three community blockades of the coal port in previous years – all have been peaceful and fun and all have prevented coal ships from entering or leaving the port for most of the day. The next one will be one Saturday 14th March. If you want to help end Australia's coal addiction, please come along and join the protest. If you'd like to help with the flotilla – whether through publicity, logistical support, lending and transporting canoes or taking photographs – please contact us.

If you'd like to get more involved in Rising Tide but don't want to come to meetings every week, please let us know and we'll add you to our volunteers database, so you can be contacted to help with specific tasks that arise.