Tuggeranong Wood Smoke on-line survey

Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury has joined the “Run for a Safe Climate” team as they leave Stromlo Observatory and head into the Canberra.

“It’s a great honour to be able to join this dedicated group of people who work on our frontline emergency services and who have already come face to face with the impacts of climate change right across our country,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“I hope the Rudd Government is listening when later today, this group of fire-fighters, paramedics, military and emergency service workers will take their message to Federal Parliament House.”

“These are the people who will be put most in harms way as the impacts of climate change – increased floods, bushfires and storms – across our country become more and more frequent.”

“The 5-25% targets being proposed by the ALP Government are not enough to return us to a safe climate. Mr Rudd’s low targets will lock in climate failure – we need at least a 40% by 2020 target to get the planet on the path to safe climate.”

The Run for a Safe Climate started in Cooktown and will cover 6000 kilometres from Melbourne, via Adelaide, highlighting some of Australia’s natural icons that are at risk of devastating climate change and also visiting the sites of some great climate solutions important for a clean energy future.

Rebiya Kadeer is the best-known advocate for the rights of the Uighur people of western China.

She is also the subject of the film The 10 Conditions of Love, premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival. She is visiting Australia for the premiere and to raise awareness of the Uighur people’s issues with MPs and senators in Canberra.

In 2000, Human Rights Watch awarded Ms Kadeer its highest human rights award and Norway’s Rafto Foundation honored her with the Rafto Award. She is popularly known among the Uighur people as “Mother of the Uighur nation”.

Location: National Press Club of Australia and streamed live via the ABC News website from 12:30pm.
Date: 2009-08-11

Start Time: 11:45
End Time: 13:30

A presentation by Dr Maarten Stapper – hosted by Meredith Hunter MLA.

How can our food be healthier? How can we get biodiversity back into our landscapes? How can Lake Burley Griffin become cleaner? To regenerate soils we have to look at how farm practices affect the ecosystem. We can step away from technological solutions, and use natural sciences to feed us and protect our environment. Science, business, legislation, consumers – who is in charge? Come along to the presentation and question Dr Stapper about possible solutions.

Dr Stapper began a career in science and agriculture forty years ago, has international experiences on four continents and is a former senior scientist with CSIRO. He is an expert across a wide spectrum of agricultural areas including wheat agronomy, participatory research, agricultural information technology and biological farming systems.

When: 12pm, Tuesday 11 August

Where: Reception Room, ACT Legislative Assembly

Ring 6205 0106 or email Hunter@parliament.act.gov.au to RSVP for this event. Check out the promotional flyer here