For a better world

"There is no point going to school if we have no future"

I joined about 3000 young people and their supporters at the School Strike for Climate rally in Perth on Friday.  The kids have a message for us: they are afraid there will be not much of the good earth left for them when they grow up. Human induced climate change, carbon pollution that we won't let go of, will rid the world of habitable areas and destroy the biosphere.

I am proud of them, and worried with them. My own sign said "My grandchildren need a living world". There were many such signs from the adult supporters in the crowd. 

This, of course, is why we have chosen to live as simply as we can.

• We have one car, and even then use public transport whenever we can. 

• We make our own power with solar cells on the roof, but are still connected to the grid and waiting until we can afford storage batteries for our solar power. In summer we export more than we use.

• We grow some of our own food.

• We make most of our food from scratch, which saves a lot of transport costs.

• We buy local food and support local manufacturers where possible.

• We buy a lot of our clothing and other goods from op shops and seek second hand goods before new ones where they are available. 

• We try to reduce our consumption, particularly of the plastics in which our earth is drowning.

• We limit our air travel and buy carbon offsets when we do fly.

• I have been doing some volunteering with 350.org about divesting from climate change -asking our local government to consider doing this.

Some of the crowd on Friday

While we were at the rally, news started to filter through about the terrible events in Christchurch. An Australian with hate for people of difference has killed a huge number of people in two mosques in that peaceful city. It now appears many of the dead were people who had made their homes there after fleeing persecution in their home countries.

This is devastating. I have worked with refugees for decades. I have watched my community turn harder against people who were just looking for somewhere safe to live. We have tortured people in offshore camps. I have, sadly, argued with friends and family members over the years about this 'topic' as if being kind to those in need was somehow optional. 

If you want to read more about Australia's attitudes and how we came to this point you might read this article from the Guardian: 

Australians are asking how did we get here? Well, Islamophobia is practically enshrined as public policy

On Saturday morning we were at Wesley Uniting in Perth with members of the Muslim community of Perth holding a quiet vigil in memory of those who died. 

We pledged to stand together against hate. 

Now is the time to reach out to each other in common humanity. 

Nothing else will create a better world.