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Political Action in Newcastle

By: Greening Newcastle

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With the upcoming federal election and political inaction on climate change looming above our heads, there is no better time than now to have your say and get involved in national issues online and also in your local community. Joining national organisations like GetUp, Australian Conservation Foundation, WWF, Planet Ark, Greening Australia, Wilderness Society and Greenpeace is a great place to start and keep your finger on the pulse in terms of what is happening politically and socially in Australia. These organisations have real political punch and if you lend your support to them, your increasing the power of that punch.
Aside from getting involved politically, it is also important as an individual to live green and sustainably. There are many ways to achieve this. At the home you can choose green cleaning products, minimise use of air conditioners, turn appliances off at the switch (general rule: if an appliance light is on, it is using energy, even if on standby). You can also recycle waste and buy recycled or second-hand products (a guide to ethical shopping can assist you with this, one example is from www.ethical.org.au). You can go even further at home by increasing insulation, choosing solar or similar hot water systems, installing solar panels on your roof, setting up grey water recycling to water your garden and/or flush the toilet. And don't forget the government supports these green decisions with financial support/rebates. Other ways to live green is to minimise car use by riding or walking when possible and choosing a smaller car or a hybrid car and winding down the window some days instead of using the air conditioning all the time.
Newcastle has a long way to go before it is a green and sustainable city/town. Newcastle has a long history of coal mining so it is only natural for there to be resistance to a change towards renewable energy, but change is occurring and it is healthy for change to continue to occur. Newcastle could actually be doing a lot more to move faster towards a sustainable city but individuals need to stand up for this change and also support local organisations in acheiving this. Some examples of the local organisations that need our support are Climate Action Newcastle, who are very active on the push for action and education on climate change. Trees in Newcastle is another community run organisation providing native plants for Novacastrians and also undertaking restoration projects to make newcastle green. There are of course many other local organisations, and if you are one of them, you can email your details to contact@greeningnewcastle.info for free advertisement of your organisation.
Apart from local organisations, it is also essential to stay in touch with what your local council is doing. Join Newcastle Voice and complete any surveys that are sent out to you, this is a direct way to influence local council decisions. Go to council meetings on Tuesday nights at 6pm in the Town Hall, you can check the agendas on the website beforehand to see if any issues being raised are of interest to you. There are many important decisions made in these council meetings and only a handful of the public are interested enough to attend the meetings. Also keep an eye out for when the Local Environment Plan (LEP) is up for public display as this is the time when rezoning occurs and beautiful tree-covered land can be changed from conservation status to a status that allows clearing and development. There are often Newcastle Council initiatives on display for public comment and now is the time to find out and have your say on the future of Newcastle.
Don't live your life without becoming involved to some extent on a local and national scale. The issues of climate change, sustainable living and preserving our natural ecosystems need to be dealt with now for our own good and for future generations. Remember the saying - "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men (and women) do nothing" Edmund Burke

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This article written by written by Greening Newcastle - Addressing topics such as sustainable living in Newcastle and living green in Newcastle

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