About 2000 people turned up at Lawrence Park in Tathra on a warm Sunday at the beginning of Spring to send a strong message about global warming to the Australian community. They, along with 14 RFS trucks formed a giant animated sign spelling out initially “Keep Tathra Cool”, “Reduce CO2” and ultimateley “Climate Action Now” – 34 letters in total.
Tathra is a town like no other, it really understands the threat of climate change and how it can be turned into an opportunity. The town has been at the forefront of solutions to climate change since 2006, when CEFE formed two human signs on the town’s beach with 3000 people that read “Clean Energy For Eternity” and “Imagine”.
Since then, 250 kilowatts of renewable energy had been installed in Tathra, coming from such locations as the solar farm at the sewage treatment plant, the primary school, the football club and many businesses.
Speaking to the media following the sign CEFE President Dr Matthew Nott said it was a “disgrace” and a “dereliction of duty” that Australia did not have a national emissions policy and the sign’s message to “politicians of all colours and stripes” was they needed to come together to develop a strong national policy to reduce emissions.
“Renewable energy is now cheaper than coal-fired electricity, so why do we focus on coal as a form of energy? It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Dr Nott said.
Nick Graham-Higgs, the founder of environmental consultancy NGH Environmental, who spent March 18 fighting to save his home and neighbouring properties when a bushfire hit the town participated in the sign.
“We are lucky that no lives were lost that day, but it took several months to recover from the emotional trauma as well as the smoke inhalation,” Mr Graham-Higgs said.
“Everyone is extremely uneasy about the coming summer, as a hot day and strong breeze could set off the nightmare for us once again.
“The clean energy solutions required for climate action are already technically feasible, affordable and available today.
“Making the switch away from fossil fuels is just a matter of political will.” .
David Gallan, President of the Far South Coast branch of the National Parks Association and member of the RFS, who sustained severe damage to his solar-powered home in the bushfire.
“In addition to renewable energy, protecting forests is also one of the cheapest and most effective ways to cut emissions and reduce bushfire risk,” he said.
“Our leaders must act in the best interests of all Australians and support climate solutions such as renewable energy and forest protection.”
Clean Energy for Eternity was born in Tathra in 2006 when 2000 assembled in the beach to make the human sign you see on our banner at the top of this page. Up until Sunday’s devastating fires the news out of Tathra has always been good – a tight knit supportive community acutely aware of the risks of climate change and working together for a low carbon future, as epitomised in CEFE’s slogan 50/50 by 2020, proudly displayed on the water tower as you enter town. The latest in a long list of initiatives undertaken by Clean Energy for Eternity was to have been a ‘Hub in the Pub’ talk on the Science of climate change by CEFE founder and President Dr Matthew Nott that was to have taken place on Tuesday 20/3 when the catastrophic fires upturned everyone’s lives. From all of us in the wider CEFE community our hearts go out to those who have their homes and now have to start the process of rebuilding their lives. At least no lives were lost. Tathra will recover, and what we need now is to IMAGINE that future. We are relieved that the Tathra Community Solar Farm has emerged unscathed.