10,000 March In Sydney To Demand A Clean Energy Future

Time2Choose rally, Sydney, New South Wales

Thousands marched on NSW Parliament and through the streets of Sydney on Saturday to put all politicians on notice that it’s time to choose clean energy over coal.

The #Time2Choose action was coordinated by groups including 350 Australia, The Wilderness Society, Nature Conservation Council and Lock The Gate.

“NSW is at a crossroads. One path leads to clean air, clean water and clean energy. The other path leads us deeper into the damage of coal and gas mining,” said the organisers.

While the use of renewable energy technologies such as solar power is on the increase in the state, decisions will be made over the next twelve months in relation to allowing more of the state’s land be used for destructive coal and gas mining.

One of those projects involves 850 CSG (Coal Seam Gas) wells in the Narrabri region, which would put a crucial recharge aquifer for the Great Artesian Basin at risk of contamination and pressure loss. More than 22,000 objections to the project have been lodged. Another proposed project is a “super pit” in the Hunter Valley, which would see 250 hectares of a nationally critically endangered forest type cleared.

The march was held one year to the day of the next New South Wales state election, which will occur on Saturday, 23 March 2019.

“We want the state government and the opposition to know that over the next year we are not going to stop talking about climate change, about coal and gas,” stated Neha Madhok from 350.org Australia. ” We want to repower NSW, we want a renewable energy-powered NSW.”

Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said the transition from coal and gas to wind energy, solar power and energy storage would attract $25 billion of investment, see approximately 2,500 wind turbines constructed and more than 42 million solar panels installed across the state.

“It’s a big job, but making the NSW electricity system 100% renewable is 100% doable. The only thing missing is strong political leadership,” said Ms. Smolski.

Nannas Getting Into Mischief Again

Many groups were represented in the march, among them the Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) again displayed their iron fist hidden in a soft, fluffy yellow glove. Approximately 100 Nannas attended, from loops (groups) scattered throughout the state.

Knitting Nannas - Sydney March

Knitting Nannas via Facebook

When the Nannas were outside Channel 7’s studios, the station’s security became edgy and threatened to call the police. The Nannas encouraged Channel 7’s security to do so, requesting “that lovely young officer with the lovely smile” be sent to deal with them.

About Michael Bloch

Michael caught the solar power bug after purchasing components to cobble together a small off-grid PV system in 2008. He's been reporting on Australian and international solar energy news ever since.

Comments

  1. Bret Busby says

    So, Channel 7 does not like LOLs (Little Old Ladies), and is afraid of them?

    Perhaps, Channel 7 has been watching too much of the Goodies (or was it Monty Python), and the news report about about Hell’s Grannies.

    It must be terrifying, enountering aged pensioners with walking frames, with friendliness and politeness. And, friendiiness and politeness are threats to national security, and, especially to the Ministry of Homeland Stuff. And, friendliness and politeness are certainly not consistent with the prescribed Australian values that are required by the feral government.

    And, it was one of the eastern states, where, to go together to buy ice cream, in groups of three or more people, was a defined terrorist offence, leading to the anti-terrorist squad being called in, heavily armed, and the terrorists being arrested and charged, for the extremely serious offence of trying to buy ice cream.

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