AYCC will be joining Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott in this year's election race.

Today the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) launched a national youth-run election campaign in response to Prime Minister Gillard’s announcement that Labor will not reconsider a carbon-trading scheme until at least 2013.

‘We have 53,000 members, who are disappointed that Gillard hasn’t put climate action seriously back on the agenda. Given community backlash after Kevin Rudd shelved the emissions trading scheme, this is a pretty dangerous move’, said AYCC National Director Amanda McKenzie. ‘Our election campaign will mobilise thousands young people to speak to both voters and politicians about the need for stronger climate action.’

In response to Gillard’s announcement yesterday, the AYCC today revealed plans for a nonpartisan campaign driven exclusively by young Australians – the first of its kind in a Federal election. The campaign will bring together hundreds of young people this August for Power Shift 2010, a series of youth summits in key marginal seats. Power Shift will train these young people to do grassroots campaigning throughout August, including doorknocking, meeting their politicians, and holding forums in their schools to talk to their parents about why they should vote for parties committed to taking strong action on climate change.

It also includes a new concept: ‘digital doorknocking’ sessions where young people talk to their friends through SMS and social networking about why they should vote for climate action.
‘Generation Y will make up 20% of the electorate in this year’s Federal Election, they’re also some of the most connected people, able to influence their friends and peers,’ said AYCC General Manager Ellen Sandell. ‘Our campaign will utlise young peoples social connections to influence voters and politicians to take stronger action on climate change, which remains the defining issue of our generation.’

In addition to grassroots campaigning, the AYCC will be working to ensure young people are enrolled to vote – sending mass emails and text messages to their 53,000 young members and physically enrolling people at university campuses across the nation.

‘One in two 18-year olds are not on the electoral roll, but we know from polling that young people are the demographic most concerned about climate change. We are ensuring that young people are correctly enrolled to vote so that they can have their voice heard on the most important issue of our generation,’ said Ms Sandell. ‘In marginal seats which hang on a few hundred or few thousand votes, this could make all the difference to ensure that candidates with strong climate policies are elected.’

The Power Shift summits will be held in Adelaide, Canberra and Geelong on the first three weekends in August. Politicians will attend each Power Shift to defend their climate policies to the hundreds of young people in attendance. Other speakers confirmed include comedian and Good News Week presenter Claire Hooper, IPCC scientist David Karoly, Dan Adams, organiser of the Make Poverty History concerts, and John Thwaites, former Deputy Premier of Victoria.

– If you want to be involved in our election campaign, make sure you’re registered for Power Shift 2010.

At the AYCC we believe in positive political engagement – both holding politicians accountable and encouraging them when they do the right thing. Read our letter below from AYCC National Director Amanda McKenzie to Penny Wong congratulating her on passing the enhanced Renewable Energy Target and Building Energy Efficiency legislation.

June 28, 2010

Dear Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water,

We congratulate you on the passage of the enhanced Renewable Energy Target and Building Energy Efficiency legislation through the Parliament.

We agree with you when you say that these pieces of legislation are important milestones for our country as we move to a clean energy future and we support you in taking these measures. We believe that the passage of this legislation shows your government’s commitment to restructuring the Australian economy towards a low carbon future

It shows that your government has recognised the depth of community support for strong action on climate change and has responded with positive policy change. We congratulate you on this.

We believe the steps taken to split the legislation in two to provide for both large and small scale renewable energy uptake will have positive impacts on infrastructure investment and investor certainty. The AYCC supports the amended RET legislation as a positive step that will enhance the uptake of renewable energy in Australia, and begin our transition to a clean energy economy.

We also believe that by allowing no cap on the uptake of SRES credits, the legislation will provide positive incentives for individuals and communities who need to feel that their uptake of small scale renewable energy will provide a positive (reductive) contribution to Australia’s overall emissions profile. We commend this aspect of the legislation.

AYCC also welcomes the passage the Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Bill as an effective means of ensuring energy efficiency information is provided to the property market. We agree with your statement that a better informed market will drive sustainable choices in offices and the commercial building sector.

The AYCC recognises that the provision for including a Solar Credits Multiplier may dampen the impact of small scale uptake of renewable energy. We do not support this aspect of the legislation. We believe that the multiplying effect on the credits will act to undermine the integrity of the 20% target. We would support a biannual review to address any dampening effects further to the 2012 review provided for in the legislation.

The AYCC supports strong renewable energy targets and increased government investment in renewable energy infrastructure to support our transition to the clean energy economy. We believe that an enhanced renewable energy sector will provide our economy with green jobs for the future, and allow an easier pathway to achieving cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Congratulations again on the passage of the legislation.

Yours Sincerely,

Amanda McKenzie

National Director – the AYCC

I can’t say I make a habit out of attending events promoting climate change skeptism, but there I was, learning about why I really shouldn’t be concerned about climate change. The take home messages were simple: the temperature record is unreliable, the effect of CO2 diminishes in higher concentrations, CO2 is plant food, and after all, it’s the sun anyway. Or in other words, there’s no warming, there can’t be any warming, the warming that isn’t and can’t happen is a good thing, and the warming that isn’t happening is happening because of the sun. Confused? You’re not alone.

If you haven’t heard about the current climate skeptics tour of Australia, then you could probably be forgiven – it seems that the tour has not had quite the impact that the organisers (the Climate Skeptics Party) would have hoped for. It all sounds promising: featuring prominent skeptic and retired television weatherman Anthony Watts (author of WattsUpWithThat.com) plus a range of Australian skeptics and pseudo-scientists, the tour will reach 19 towns in a series of events across the country. Morgan Goodwin reported last week how little media attention the tour has attracted, and unfortunately for Watts, it seems that he doesn’t have the same degree of celebrity appeal that Christopher Monckton enjoyed in his Australian visit last year.

Along with other members of UQ Climate for Change, I went along to the event in Brisbane to find out what it’s really like at a climate skeptics event. It wasn’t really what I expected – attendance was low, and there was ample opportunity to talk to other attendees and discuss points of disagreement in what was an overall friendly and low-key affair. Yes, the presentations by Watts, David Archibald and Bob Carter left a bit to be desired in terms of accuracy, detail, or dare I say facts, but I was glad to have the opportunity to listen to the talks, and to ask questions (my iPhone app definitely came in handy!).

You can read more details about the event here; but I feel like I learnt some important lessons from this experience. Although not without its difficulties, direct engagement with climate skeptics has to occur if we want to move the public discussion beyond is or is it not happening, and towards getting on with the work that is needed to reach a safe climate. And by engaging, I don’t mean having an argument (however tempting it might be in cases where misleading tactics are used), or necessarily waving placards and protesting when climate skeptic tours roll into town – but simply asking questions and talking with those who have different opinions. Young people have good reason to be frustrated by the public confusion that climate skeptics such as Watts insist on generating, but do have an important role to play in countering their effects.

The impact of the youth voice in the climate debate is apparently not something that has escaped the attention of some skeptics, who are now developing programs specifically targeted at young people who more “readily believe” the climate science. In his recent visit to Australia, 350.org founder Bill McKibben recently praised the Australian youth climate movement in Australia, saying that “it’s high time the rest of us got in line behind their leadership”. It might seem easier to think that climate skeptics will simply fade away over time, and we would be better off getting on with the job of working on projects with our local communities, and calling for action at the national and international level. The fact is that all of these things are all important- which is why a large, motivated and active youth climate movement is needed to make the impact necessary to generate the changes that we want to see, and also why it is such an exciting thing to be a part of.

UQ Climate for Change is a small, but dedicated group of students and staff at the University of Queensland who are involved in climate advocacy and awareness projects at UQ, and our members are often involved more broadly through campaigns at state & national levels. As part of the AYCC’s Climate Reality Week this year, we were very grateful to have John Cook from Skeptical Science give a presentation on the reality of climate change, followed by a panel discussion including experts in climate science and environmental law. We also encourage the UQ community to share their own climate reality through banner writing, climate facts sheets and of course, lots of cake (our carbon footprint recipe is a speciality!).

As well as participating in events such as AYCC’s Youth Decide and the 350.org global day of action, a core interest for UQCfC to raise awareness within the UQ community not only about climate change, but more broadly about sustainability. We believe that our Universities, as centres of learning, research and critical thought, have a responsibility to demonstrate leadership in environmental management and in research and education for sustainability. We successfully campaigned for UQ to sign the Tallories Declaration – a ten point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy into all aspects of the universities teaching, research, operations and outreach. Our aim is for UQ to have a systemic and co-ordinated ‘Sustainability Plan’ that outlines how to implement these actions. As part of our ongoing work, we recently we made a submission to the first part of the drafting process for a sustainability plan, which focussed on how to integrate sustainability into teaching and learning at UQ.

Climate change and sustainability are issues that affect everyone, no matter what your background, interests or career path – which is why it’s important for everyone to become motivated to act collectively and in their own lives, and to learn about the changes that are needed to reach a safer climate. If you’re not already involved with the AYCC’s activities, or part of a climate action group in your school, university or local community, then now is the time to take part. Everybody has a role to play, no matter how big or small – because the changes that can be made by working collectively with each other are a force to be reckoned with.

Written by Megan Evans from University of Queensland Climate for Change.

Listen up: This week our lobby team took the youth climate message to Canberra.

I have a confession to make. It’s not something I’m proud of, and in all my time at the AYCC I’ve never come across someone with the same problem. But I’m ready to admit it – I’ve always been terrified by the concept of the ‘personal narrative.’

The ‘personal narrative’ is something that most people involved in climate action will come across at some stage or another. Developed by the Obama campaign, the personal narrative is a way of communicating our individual stories and tying them to the issues we are passionate about. Starting with your own journey, it’s a way to engage with everyone from politicians to school students.

That’s the theory, anyway. In my case, however, putting it into practice was nothing short of agonising. I don’t have an amazing turning point that catapulted me into climate action. I haven’t worked for five years as a coal industry lobbyist, had a revelation involving a sunset and the fresh mountain air, or ended up onstage with Bono. I just care about social justice, was frightened by the impact climate change could have on the issues I cared about, and joined the AYCC. Simple. Boring.

So it was with more than a little trepidation that I landed in Canberra on Sunday to prepare for the Climate Advocacy Day. My nerves, however, had nothing to do with the horde of politicians I would be meeting the following day in my first experience lobbying. A flick through the notes for the Sunday training confirmed my fears – there would be no getting out of the dreaded personal narrative.

After half a day practicing with our team members – each group consisting of one AYCC member, one from the Union Climate Connectors, and a representative for The Climate Project – it was time to head to Parliament House and meet with some politicians.

We arrived at Parliament House early yesterday morning. I’d only been once before, a few years ago, as a tourist. I’d watched a few minutes of question time, and the only clear memory I had was of watching backbenchers in their seats writing Christmas cards, presumably to members of their electorates, as their part leaders battled it out.

My team had a mixed bag of meetings lined up. We knew from our research that some would be sympathetic, some less so, and some downright hostile – or, as one Senator put it to us, ‘a bit prickly.’ The toughest one, a climate sceptic from Western Australia, was up first, so we gathered in a corner and conducted a practice meeting, minus the politician.

The time came for the meeting, and we began the trek through the labyrinthine corridors of Parliament House. On the way we noticed Therese Rein – or, to put it more accurately, she noticed us noticing her. She smiled and said hello. Phillip Ruddock opened a door for us, unfortunately literally rather than metaphorically.

We were ushered into the Senator’s office and she shook our hands, before sitting and, in a tone that could be interpreted as either cold or businesslike, said, ‘Well, off you go then.’

Off we went. I was starting, and had no choice but to launch straight into my story of self. I just wanted to get through it, and then get into the policy we were there to present as quickly as possible.

But as I was telling my story, I was surprised to see her look up from the page in front of her and engage with what I was saying. I won’t pretend that my story transformed her outlook on the issue – but what it did do was open our meeting up into a real discussion.

Once we shared our stories, our politician jumped straight in with her own. Being from a farming community, she told us, made her uncomfortable being told by non-farmers like us what was best for the land. It is the farmers, after all, who are quietly adapting to changes as they occur. What she wanted, in other words, was for us to acknowledge her own story – and it was through our personal narratives that this was able to occur.

We didn’t change her mind about specific policy points, but that was never a realistic option. What we did do, was break down some of the communication barriers between our community as climate activists and hers. Once we made it clear that we had no hostility toward farmers whatsoever – quite the opposite – she visibly relaxed. She even apologised at the end for being a bit ‘rough with us’ at the beginning. It was a small step in the right direction, and it is through many small steps such as these that we can change individuals, communities, and, ultimately, politics.

So, after all the torment that my ‘story of self’ has caused me, I now find myself an unlikely advocate of the personal narrative. It not only conveys our journeys, but invites others to reflect on and communicate their own. If we wish to empower and inspire change, then I can’t think of anything that could be more important.

- Lucy Manne is a student and the AYCC’s Volunteer Media Liason

Delegates are accosted by a bumbling LULUCF accountant (Hannah from the UKYCC), who was searching (not very hard) for hidden carbon emissions.

Working with the YOUNGOs (youth NGOs) was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. While it involved five-hour meetings and many late nights, we achieved a lot, and it was well worth it.

Firstly, we put our energy into Article 6, which is all about climate change education through a program called the New Delhi work program. Part of the program includes valuable regional workshops about climate change in all corners of the globe. Those for Europe (in Sweden), the Asia Pacific (in Indonesia), and Latin America & the Caribbean (in the Dominican Republic) have already been held. However, the workshops for Africa and the small island states were in doubt as funding wasn’t secure. These are the people who will be hardest hit by climate change, and it looked like they would miss out on a key education program. At its heart, Article 6 is about young people, so we immediately made it a high priority.

We met with delegates from the EU and the US, and we staged an intervention in one of the plenaries (watch it here). We made our voices heard, and it was effective. Funding was increased. We also got the parties to accept ’stakeholder engagement’ in the review process, on both an international and national level. In short, they have to ask us what we think about it – and listen!

The YOUNGOs also got to have a personal meeting with the Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, his new successor Christiana Figueres, and Mexican Ambassador Carlos García de Alba. In a small room with only about 20 of us, we really got to raise our concerns – and we got some really honest feedback about the best way to make ourselves heard.

Over the weekend, I began to get emails from young people asking ‘What are you doing about LULUCF?’ … LULU-What?

LULUCF stands for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry. Basically, it’s about how greenhouse gas emissions are affected by the way we use our land.

Some developed countries like Australia are determined to keep some loopholes in the legislation. Loggin’-lovin’ nations like us, New Zealand, Sweden, and Slovenia want things like ‘an emissions baseline from 2020′ and ‘voluntary accounting’…basically, if you translate that into plain English it means ‘make whatever targets we want’ and ‘do whatever we want’, respectively.

We held a variety of actions, all centred around LULUCF loopholes. One morning, as delegates strolled along the path towards the Maritim hotel, they were accosted by a bumbling LULUCF accountant (none other than Hannah from the UKYCC), who was searching (not very hard) for hidden carbon emissions. Then, later, we again met delegates during their lunch break, and asked them to see if they could get their carbon emissions (handily in the form of plastic balls) through the LULUCF Loophole! Luckily, there was a young person on the other side of the loophole preventing any from getting through.

Unfortunately, the changes to the LULUCF legislation were less than positive – but we’re not giving up the fight! We’ll continue in Bonn 3 and in Cancun, where COP16 will be held.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia, along with Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, blocked a request from developing countries for a technical review of the science of 1.5 degrees. The review would have looked at the impacts of that temperature rise and what would need to be done to mitigate climate change to that level. It wasn’t even legislation – just information!
We let the delegates know what we thought with a silent action as they left the negotiating room.

The talks ended on Friday with the delegates arguing about what language to speak, and whether or not to have a break to watch South Africa vs Mexico, rather than discussing climate change. While this was funny at first, I soon realised that these are the people that are deciding my future.

Nonetheless, there is a change of mood in the air. With the Gulf states’ actions, many developed countries, including the US, seem to be siding with the small island states. Although there’s a lot of scepticism about Cancun, there’s a bit of hope springing up that something concrete can be achieved there.

What Christiana Figueres said to us really resonated – the biggest impact we have, comes well before the negotiations. Young people have the greatest voice in their own countries, and it’s up to us to make our politicians lead the way in Cancun. UNFCCC talks might seem exciting, but in reality, the most important work is the work we do at home. Writing to our politicians. Educating our fellow students and young people. Voting. And of course, the beauty of the modern day is, you can make a difference – no matter where in the world you are!
So, in the lead-up to Cancun, let’s get to work. We can still get a fair, ambitious and binding deal – and we must!

– Hilary Bowman is a member of the AYCC

Photos: SustainUS

Climate activist (and now AYCC staffer) Emily Lawrence knows exactly how that feels. She attended Power Shift 2009 in Sydney, and looking back, sees it as a turning point.

“It was just incredibly inspiring and exciting to connect with so may people and feel like I was part of a movement that was bigger than me and my community,” she said.

Did those connections last?

“Definitely. The bus on the way home was absolutely buzzing with excitement, ideas and intoxicating energy. I met people there that I went on to team up with and organise a big cycling event called Pedal Back to 350.”

For AYCC General Manager Ellen Sandell Power Shift 2010 is all about safeguarding her generation’s future in a time of muddy, uninspiring politics.

“At the moment, neither party has a strong policy on climate change and for me that’s really scary,” she said.

“The good news is that young people are ready to take the lead and get to work on climate change, and this event will give them skills and show them how.”

Ms Sandell says the AYCC has a positive, achievable vision for Australia’s future which is based on ambitious, smart investment in renewable energy.

They are preparing to think big and get loud on behalf of their members and young voters who are concerned about climate change during the upcoming Federal election.

To find out more information on joining Power Shift head to the info page.

–  Claire Snyder

Not according to the Federal opposition. In the media last week, Liberal Senator Brett Mason labeled the emphasis on these three areas in the new National Curriculum as ‘ideological sentimentality’ and political correctness. These suggestive, but essentially hollow accusations warrant examination.

The term ‘politically correct’ is conveniently vague, and is being bandied about by some of our politicians more and more. Above all, it is meant to dismiss ideas and policies as unnecessary. Unnecessary is not a word that normally springs to mind when thinking about sustainability education.

Climate change is a challenge of epic proportions, but it is also an enormous opportunity. With the right skills, knowledge and passion, our generation can lead a transition to a society that is more just and sustainable than ever before. We can be the generation that sees Australia realise its economic, political, and social potential.

But to do this we need support from our schooling system. Every Australian student has the right to an education that imparts the skills they need to understand challenges and opportunities shaping their present, and future, lives. That’s why late last year the AYCC launched a campaign to ensure sustainability was embedded in the Rudd government’s new National Curriculum.

Early this year, the AYCC had a big win in the curriculum campaign. After presenting them with the signatures and messages of thousands of AYCC members and supporters, the board responsible for the new curriculum agreed to incorporate sustainability, along with Asian and indigenous perspectives, in all subject areas. There is still more work to be done, but it is an exciting start.

As an organisation run by people currently in school or recently graduated, the AYCC understands better than anyone that the integration of sustainability in our education system is absolutely essential. Unfortunately the Federal opposition seems to be, to use the politically correct term, ‘argument-challenged.’

– Lucy Manne is an Arts student and AYCC media volunteer