Geelong’s future is in renewables – not risky gas - a podcast by Anthony Gleeson, Jackie Matthews, Colin Mockett, Mik Aidt

“The fight against climate change will only succeed if everyone comes together to promote more ambition, more cooperation and more credibility.”~ Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General







The Sustainable Hour no 382







[01:11] We start The Sustainable Hour on 27 September 2021 with an impassioned speech to the world leaders by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. In this he lays out the litany of injustices and inequalities facing the world as the latest round of global climate negotiations in Glasgow rapidly approaches.







[05:21] Mik Aidt then sheets the blame home to the world’s largest banks who have funded fossil fuel projects to the tune of trillions of dollars since the so-called Paris Agreement six years ago. He rightly questions the legality of allowing this.







[13:57] Our first guest is Sal Fisher who is co-ordinating the Geelong Renewables Not Gas campaign. Having been raised on a farm, Sal grew up with an awareness of the importance of a stable climate for our food system. She practiced as a dietician across three states and then studied horticulture before arriving in Geelong, where she has moved onto climate activism and now leads the Geelong Renewables Not Gas campaign. Sal is acutely aware that strong action on climate is crucial right now for ensuring a safe world for humanity into the future.







When Viva Energy’s multi-million-dollar plan to build a gas import hub in Geelong was floated initially, it came across as a fait accompli. However Sal gathered a group of other concerned citizens and a community campaign was born. In listening to Sal today, we learn the latest news from the campaign, plus what is planned to let Geelong and district people know just how Viva’s proposed floating gas hub is going to impact negatively on our city and district.







One thing different about this campaign is that it is working with acknowledged independent experts to devise a job-rich plan to take us into the post-carbon world which is going to be necessary if we are to navigate our way through the climate emergency we face. When commenting on the future gas shortage myth, Sal directs us to a Facebook page called My Efficient Electric Home run by Tim Forcey.







An important online forum coming up called “Residents At Risk”, will be held on Wednesday 13 October 2021 from 6pm to 8pm. To register for this, go to: Residents at Risk: Community Forum on Viva’s Gas Import Terminal.







[23:38] One of the speakers at this forum is our next guest, Garth Norman. Garth lives in North Shore in Geelong and is very concerned about the safety implications of having such a potentially dangerous facility so close to where people live and recreate. What makes Garth interesting to listen to is that he has worked in the oil and gas industry for over 20 years. Four of these have been working on LNG projects all over the world.He clearly articulates these concerns, and we recommend that people listen to them as part o...

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