Activists scream for climate action
Image: Activist Ramya Krishnan addresses thousands at the climate change reform rally Photo: Susiana Chandra
Dr Elizabeth Hall cancelled her ninety-second birthday celebrations to attend the climate change rally last Sunday.
Instead of balloons and cake, she encouraged friends and family to come to Prince Alfred park in central Sydney to support for what economist and climate change advisor, Dr Ross Garnaut, has called the most difficult and long-dated policy reform ever attempted in Australia – putting a price on carbon emissions.
Dr Hall, also known as “Betty” said she chose to have her birthday at the rally because “it was one of the few occasions where people could get together and show what they really felt about climate change instead of those stupid questionnaires. Because I learnt in psychology one that you can find out whatever you want to find out from one of those, and here you see people turning up and you know that this is what they are concerned about.”
On climate change, she said: “I think we must do something and there should be consensus. Obviously we won’t please everybody but we’ve got to make a start.”
Thousands of people rallied at the Sydney event, organised by activist group Getup and supported by organisations including Say Yes Australia, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Greenpeace and Oxfam. Similar rallies were held around Australia. Getup representative, Paul Mackay, said tens of thousands had indicated their support.
Politicians are debating a carbon tax, which Garnaut said should be adopted because he does not accept Australia being a “pissant country”, unwilling to join the rest of the world in pricing carbon emissions. At the rally, the voice of young activist Ramya Kirishnan shook with passion as she called for even more radical reform.
“Thank you for standing up for a price on pollution, and a future powered by 100 percent renewable energy,” she said as her audience cheered.
Jack Versace,13, has been campaigning for action on climate change since he was nine. Addressing the crowd, he said: “I’m not a scientist, yet even I know that myself and my generation will be paying the price of inaction.”
“We need to do something about climate change, and we need to do it now,” he said. “Lets say yes to finally tackling climate change before it is too late.”
In an interview after the rally, Dr Hall’s message for both sides of politics was sobering.
For Tony Abbott: “He’s selling himself short. He’s an intelligent man with a lot of ability, and he is dumbing himself down by opposing everything and antagonising people who might otherwise vote for his type.”
For Julia Gillard: “I think Julia Gillard was handed a poison chalice. And under the circumstances, she has done the best that she could do and probably better than anybody else could do.
“I’m looking forward to the day when all this stupid antagonism in parliament stops, and we can find out what the quality of our politicians really is.”
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