This Gift Hamper fights Climate Change

Climate Action: We have eight years to save the planet.

After decades of frankly criminal inaction on the part of our election cycle-obsessed governments, we're now on a dangerous trajectory of runaway climate change.  Action needs to be dramatic and fast. A lot has happened in the climate action space in recent weeks..,

The Climate Council has released their most important report yet, entitled "Aim High, Go Fast: Why Emissions Need To Plummet This Decade".  We have a decade left to drastically reduce emissions before it’s too late to starve off the worst effects of climate change. Scary stuff, right?

The World Responds to the Climate Science

Thankfully, the most up-to-date science seems to have jolted the world's leaders into action. 

President Biden hosted a climate summit on 22nd to 23rd April with 40 of our world leaders to tackle this issue head on. Biden has committed to cutting emissions in half by 2030 in the US. The UK has promised to cut levels by 78% by 2035, Japan has a target of a 45% drop by 2030 and the Canadians are promising a 40% cut by 2030.

 Australia on the other hand? ScoMo's didn't budge from the target set by former Prime Minister and self-confessed climate change denier, Tony Abbott. In fact, clean tech researcher Ketan Joshi calculated that Australia won't achieve net zero until 2294 (!) based on the government's current pathway. 

To say this is a disappointment is a bloody understatement. We have a firm deadline to turn this ship around and our leader won't lead on the most important issue facing humanity. So, we need to take it upon ourselves to demand action from politicians and business, get others onboard by sharing the science and solutions. Do we really want our legacy to our children to be an inhospitable planet? When we had all the tools to avoid it? 

Here’s what will happen if we don't act fast

• Sea levels will rise and by 2050, 1 billion people will be impacted. 
• Coral reefs will be completely wiped by 2100. 
• Ice-free arctic summers will become a reality.
• Heat waves will become more frequent and severe affecting millions (if not billions) of people. 
• Heavier rainfall will result in more flooding of the extreme variety. 
• Plants and animals are at risk of losing half of their habitats as they become inhospitable. 

This is not a drill. The Climate Council has told us to aim high and go fast to stop these catastrophic events from occurring. There is no safe level of global warming and taking action now is the only option we have. In their report, they have targeted Australia saying:

“While action is increasing in Australia and world-wide, it remains too slow and not enough. Protecting Australians from the worsening effects of climate change requires all governments, businesses, industries and communities to strongly step up their activities to deeply reduce emissions during the 2020s.”

I know, they are just words but think about what that will look like in the future. Our beautiful beaches, all but gone. The Great Barrier Reef, only a memory. The 2019 bushfires, a yearly occurrence. Fresh fruit and vegetables, a luxury. Our struggling wildlife, wiped. Millions of people grappling with starvation. Our children having their own children and not being able to guarantee their safety. It’s terrifying.

Here’s what we can do to change the future

The good news is, Australia is primed to create change. We have unrivalled potential for renewable energy, clean industries and clean jobs. We need to level up in a big way.

In a nutshell, Australia needs to achieve net zero emissions by 2035 and to reduce emissions by 75% below 2005 levels by 2030. This will protect our people, our communities and our eco-systems.

• Reaching 100% renewable electricity by 2030 is the first step.
• Banning any new fossil fuel developments, including gas.
• Phasing out all existing fossil fuels and replacing them with other energy sources, built around renewable electricity.
• Building a stronger, more diverse economy, creating more jobs and spreading benefits to regional centres and communities.
• Stepping up as a global exporter of zero emissions energy, technology and expertise.

If we wait until 2050 to make this change, it will be too late. Abrupt, irreversible changes will tip our planet towards harsher and potentially uninhabitable conditions. Protecting Australia’s unique ecosystems by building resilience to future climate threats.

Talk about Climate Change with your Friends, Family, and Colleagues

One of the most important actions you can take for the climate is just to have a conversation about it!  Having these conversations with friends and family aren't always easy, particularly with those who have been fed a diet of anti-science messages from the Murdoch media empire. 

The Climate Council's excellent Climate Conversation Guides including the Summer BBQ Guide have you covered with all the conversation starters and tips on responding to the curly questions that may pop up mid-convo. 
Here are just a few of the key talking points..

• Renewable energy is the cheapest form of new power.
• Australia's ageing coal-fired power stations are unreliable and vulnerable in heatwaves.
• Climate action means economic recovery and jobs. 

There are fact sheets galore in the Climate Conversation Guides to get you conversation-ready!  

 Powered By The Sun Hamper

Who doesn't appreciate a beautiful gift?!  I’ve created the Powered By The Sun Hamper to shine a light (literally) on climate change and to encourage conversation around the benefits of a renewable energy future. Every product in this gourmet hamper is Australian-made using renewable solar energy, including the box.

Solar is powering the success of our artisan small business sector across metropolitan, regional, and rural Australia, and it's my privilege to celebrate these talented makers. 

$10 from every sale of the Powered by the Sun hamper will be donated to the Climate Council - an independent and community-funded voice for climate science and solutions in Australia - an organisation I am hugely proud to support.

Each hamper includes:

• Macadamia and Middle Eastern Spice Dukkah by social enterprise Summerland House Farm; a macadamia and avocado farm in NSW's Northern Rivers region, dedicated to creating opportunities for people with a disability to make the most of their abilities.
• Caramelised Fig and Quince jam, handmade in the Yarra Valley by Cunliffe & Waters.
• Organic premium extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed on the Victorian family farm within hours of harvest by Mount Zero Olives.
• Premium sea salt crackers, handmade in the Adelaide Hills by Baylies Epicurean Delights.
• Organic freeze-dried strawberries lusciously coated in organic, fair-trade milk chocolate by Melbourne’s Organic Times
• Triple choc roasted almonds coated in organic fair-trade couverture milk, dark & white chocolate, by family-run business Green Grove Organics in Junee, regional NSW.
• Signature blend of sustainably grown organic mixed olives dressed in native Australian pepperberry and rosemary marinade, by Victoria's family-run Mount Zero Olives.

It's a really nice and positive way to kick off conversations about climate action with your friends, family, and colleagues....and it's absolutely delicious.