University of Sydney Law School declares climate emergency

Accepting the warnings delivered by climate scientists about the dangerous state of the earth's climate, the Board of The University of Sydney Law School has voted unanimously to declare a climate emergency.

The declaration highlights the important role that legal scholars and legal institutions have to play in addressing and adapting to the climate emergency.

The motion was moved by Professor Rosemary Lyster, Professor of Climate and Environmental Law and Co-Director of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law (ACCEL), and seconded by Professor Tim Stephens an Australian Research Council Future Fellow who has a particular research focus on international environmental law.

“In passing this motion, the members of Sydney Law School recognise that as legal academics we have a moral duty to stand up, speak out and express our concern, from a justice perspective, for all of the people, ecosystems and species across the world facing an existential threat,” Professor Lyster said.

Read the story from The University of Sydney - “University of Sydney Law School declares climate emergency.”

Heat on council to tackle climate emergency

Climate campaigners have renewed calls for Greater Shepparton City Council to declare a climate emergency, with an appeal to people to support a regular monthly meeting in the Maude St Mall tomorrow.

Join in: Beneath the Wisteria group members Rob McLean
and John Pettigrew urge people to attend tomorrow’s meeting
 in Shepparton’s Maude St Mall.

Beneath the Wisteria meeting organiser Robert McLean said tomorrow’s meeting would discuss ways in which the group could advance its call to Shepparton councillors to address what it says is an ‘‘unfolding climate crisis’’.‘‘We need as many people as possible learning about this and being prepared to take action on this critical problem,’’ Mr McLean said.

Earlier this month, climate response campaigners John Pettigrew, Terry Court and Mr McLean called on the council to show leadership and declare a climate emergency.

In response to a News article about the call, City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe said the council was already delivering solar installations, discussing ways to reduce energy usage, and working with the Goulburn Broken Greenhouse Alliance on how to reduce carbon emissions.

Mr McLean said he had not received any response from councillors to his call to declare a climate emergency.

‘‘The problem is too big and too complex for them,’’ he said.

In a long list of ideas about what the council could do to address climate change, Mr McLean suggested: give all council staff official approval to talk openly about the climate crisis; engage residents and council staff in intensive information programs; introduce planning changes to encourage more urban housing; reverse the city’s rating structure to make rates lower in urban centres and increasing in cost as property moves further out from the centre; stringent energy criteria on all new buildings; more emphasis on intratown public transport; create more green spaces to provide cool retreats on days of extreme heat, and; create viable alternatives to traditional power systems during successive days of plus-50°C heat.

‘‘We should be planning for and working towards creating a city ready to survive and thrive in conditions quite unlike anything we have ever seen or understand,’’ Mr McLean said.

● Tomorrow’s hour-long Beneath The Wisteria meeting starts at 11 am at the north end of Shepparton’s Maude St Mall.

Story by John Lewis from The Shepparton News - “Heat on council to tackle climate emergency."

Sydney declares a climate emergency – what does that mean in practice?

Late on Monday night, the City of Sydney became the first state capital in Australia to officially declare a climate emergency. With climate change considered a threat to human life, Sydney councillors unanimously supported a motion put forward by Lord Mayor Clover Moore to mobilise city resources to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the impact of future change.

Sydney has become Australia’s first major city to declare a climate emergency. 

The decision sees Sydney join a variety of local and national governments around the world, in a movement that is increasingly gaining momentum. In total, some 658 local governments around the world have made the same declaration, with the UK and Canada committing their national governments to the global movement in just the past two months.

An official declaration of climate emergency puts a government on a “wartime mobilisation” that places climate change at the centre of policy and planning decisions.

Read the story from The Conversation by the Professor of Earth Science and Climate Change, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, UNSW, Chris Turney - “Sydney declares a climate emergency – what does that mean in practice?”

New York City officials declare climate emergency

The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to declare a climate emergency, becoming the largest city in the country to commit to combat climate change.

New York City declares a climate emergency.

The legislation passed Wednesday includes a laundry list of impacts from climate change, concluding by calling for "an immediate emergency mobilization to restore a safe climate."

The resolution itself is largely symbolic, codifying an acknowledgment of the local costs of climate change and a commitment to tackle the crisis.

More than 650 municipalities in 15 countries have declared climate emergencies, including 17 in the U.S. such as San Francisco, Calif., and Hoboken, N.J., according to The Climate Mobilization, an 

Read the story from The Hill by Chris Mills Rodrigo - “New York City officials declare climate emergency."

Global climate action movement Extinction Rebellion to protest in Cambridge

Members of a global climate action movement will take to the streets of Cambridge this weekend to call on local authorities to declare a climate emergency.

A city showing the effect of Climate Change. 

The Cambridge arm of Extinction Rebellion will lay down in two "die-ins" at the Grafton Centre and Grand Arcade on Saturday (December 15) to protest local inaction on climate change and air pollution.

This will be followed by a go-slow road walk to Shire Hall where a tree will be planted. Traffic disruption is likely, say organisers.

Read the story by Gemma Gardner from the Cambridge Independent - “Global climate action movement Extinction Rebellion to protest in Cambridge.”