Climate Five – 5 Simple Steps For Climate Action:

The bushfire catastrophe has been burning since September 2019. While donations are incredibly effective at helping rebuild affected communities in the short term, direct consumer action – by people like you and me – is needed to shift us away from Australia’s reliance on coal and other polluting industries. We can’t let these horrific conditions become the new normal.

Here are five simple steps you can choose to take to #switchforclimate and tackle climate change in Australia today:

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Pay The Rent

https://youtu.be/wnwxjLbOv-0

Our climate catastrophe is a direct result of colonisation. An integral step to combating climate change is to acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded, and that Traditional Land Owners are the true custodians of this land. Land which should be rightfully returned and reparations paid.

As Luke Pearson says, “Colonisation in Australia was not a single act 200 years ago, but an ongoing process that continues to disempower and disenfranchise many who live within it’ and none moreso than First Nations people. The impact of history continues and new ways to oppress are imparted by our government – often with bipartisan support – so the damage continues and compounds.” 

What is Pay The Rent?

“In essence, it is a private reparations system. The idea is that, without a treaty, non-Indigenous people continue to live and meet on stolen land, and, in recognition of this, we ought to pay our rent. The money goes to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation or cause, and preferably to the traditional owner group whose land we live or work on. First developed as a policy by the National Aboriginal and Islander Health Organisation (NAIHO) in Fitzroy in the 1970s, its devisers were clear: it is not charity – it is paying what is owed.” — Via New Economy Journal

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Switch your Super Fund

Switching your super is one of the most important things you can do to stop the investment and growth in coal mines and other polluting industries. This reduces climate impact more than going vegan, recycling & not driving a car combined!

Super funds like Future Super or Australian Ethical do not invest in fossil fuels. You can find more options and comparisons between Super funds at Market Forces.

Australia’s superannuation industry invests $2.7 trillion of our hard-earned money, giving it to companies that are driving us toward catastrophic climate change – such as coal mines, coal seam gas and other big polluting industries. We don’t want our money invested in this. As consumers, we can demand our money is invested in clean, green energy, not big polluters that are destroying the planet.

Switching is simple, takes less than 2 minutes, and can be done online with the links below. Simply sign up online to the new super of your choice and let your workplace know you’ve made the switch. Once it’s done, you can roll your existing super into your new one with one click using the MyGov website.

Whether you’ve got $50 or $500,000 in super, you can ensure that your money is used as a force for good in the world by switching now.

Divesting

If switching super funds isn’t an option for you, you can also pressure your existing super fund to move away from fossil fuel investing; check out Super Switch for more information.

Should I switch my fund or keep pressuring my current fund to divest?

This is your choice, but if you are considering changing funds it is important that you seek independent financial advice. If your financial planner is not attune to your investment values, the Ethical Advisers Co-op provides financial advice through a responsible investment lens

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided above does not constitute financial advice. The information is presented in order to inform people motivated by environmental concerns and take actions based on those concerns. 

The information and actions provided by above do not account for any individual’s personal objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be used, relied upon, or treated as a substitute for specific professional advice.

It is recommended all readers obtain their own independent professional advice before making any decision relating to their particular requirements or circumstances. Switching super funds may have unintended financial consequences.

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Switch to 100% renewable energy

Currently, only 13% of Australia’s electricity is generated by renewable energy. Choosing renewable energy invests back into sustainable power and away from polluting fossil fuel industries. It also sends a strong message to the government and power companies that as a nation we demand a switch to renewable energy sources. 

As consumers, we use far less energy than businesses, but we have the power to make big changes in this country. The choices we make matter and can start a positive ripple effect. Social scientists have found that when just ONE person makes a sustainable change, it creates a snowball effect that motivates other people to join them. 

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Switch a business to 100% renewable energy

Electricity bills are tax-deductible, so it costs businesses nothing to make the switch! Email Coles, Westpac, Telstra, your university or even your office manager and support them to switch to a 100% renewable energy company.

Companies like Powershop, Enova Community Energy and Energy Locals provide clean energy. Powershop, Australia’s greenest energy company, is the only power company to be accredited 100% carbon neutral for both gas and electricity under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) by the Australian government. 

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Switch to 100% recycled toilet paper

 Only 5% of Australian’s are using recycled toilet paper! We can dramatically reduce the destruction of our precious old-growth forests by using 100% recycled toilet paper. Getting your school or workplace to switch to 100% recycled toilet paper can also make a big difference.

Who Gives a Crap offers free shipping directly to your home or workplace, and they also sell tissues and forest friendly paper towels.

Zoos Victoria has been actively campaigning for people to use recycled toilet paper to ensure trees stay in the ground where they’re needed most to provide habitat for native wildlife.

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Follow these steps to #maketheswitch and share this post to spread the word!

Even getting one person to make the climate 5 switch makes a meaningful step toward a cleaner future!

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Other impactful things you can do

• Support media that doesn’t deny climate change is real. Use news sites such as the ABC and the Guardian. Try this free Google Chrome extension which blocks all Murdoch-controlled media sites. Avoid/Boycott the Herald Sun (Rupert Murdoch), The Australian (Rupert Murdoch) and other Murdoch media. Cancel your Foxtel (Rupert Murdoch) subscription.
• Switch to a Bank that does not invest in fossil fuels – use this handy table to find a bank. 
• Switch to a plant-based diet.
• Get your workplace to switch to using 100% post-consumer waste recycled printer/copy paper. Reflex is NOT an ethical option.
• Contact your local council to see if they have FOGO (Food Organics & Garden Organics) Green Bins, they can collect ALL your food waste & garden waste, which gets composted at a depot and turned into free compost you can pick up. Removing food waste and garden waste from landfill is the single most effective way that local councils can reduce carbon emissions from waste quickly. Use this template to send to your council requesting a FOGO Green Bin.
• Collect your ‘soft’ plastics (anything plastic that can be scrunched into a ball) and return to your local Woolworths/Coles for recycling. Click here to find your nearest store to recycle them.
• Offset your CO2 emissions by purchasing offsets. Greenfleet is a not-for-profit that allows you to purchase per tonne at $15.
• Vote for Governments and politicians that are serious about climate change and have a track record of supporting positive climate policies.