Sunday 2nd December – Manly Beach North Steyne
Australia’s largest human sign a fitting message in launching Life Saving Energy.
Over 500 stakes in the sand helped form 16 letters with the participation of five church groups, four schools, three surf clubs, two businesses and ultimately one word – Life Saving Energy.
The national launch of Life Saving Energy attracted almost 5,000 people to Sydney’s recently voted cleanest beach, North Steyne, on Sunday 2 December. The show of strength by local communities concerned with climate change was a message to the nation and the world that we need to mitigate now and that with rising sea levels, our national icons, the 305 surf clubs that lie at risk on Australia’s coastline, are at the sharp end of that change.
“It is communities that are driving a change in the way that we think about energy,” said Clean Energy For Eternity’s Dr Matthew Nott.
A hot and often exhausting day saw Matthew and a number of guest speakers talk passionately about the significance of our surf clubs to the broader community, our cultural heritage, and the threats they will suffer in the long term if no action is taken to mitigate climate change.
“Surf clubs are on the front line when it comes to climate change. It’s not simply a matter of moving a club house further inland. It’s not about determining how surf clubs will adapt to rising sea levels.
“It’s about surf clubs installing green renewable technologies and leading the way for the rest of the community to follow. It’s Life Saving Energy being a huge driver of change at a community level. This makes the efforts of Clean Energy For Eternity more powerful now that the Labor government has ratified the Kyoto protocol while stipulating a 60% renewable energy target by 2050 for Australia.”
Speakers at the national launch of Life Saving Energy, an event devoted to Ocean Care Day, included Manly Mayor Dr Peter Macdonald, Manly Council’s General Manager, Henry Wong, and head of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) for the Northern beaches, Gordon Laing, and Bernadette Connole from the Climate Change Institute.
Dr Macdonald has been an inspiration to the local community with his proposal to fund and fit all three surf clubs on Manly beach with renewable energies. The former doctor of patients and now self proclaimed doctor of the environment saw the alignment of Clean Energy For Australia with Australia’s surf clubs as a major step to uniting all communities throughout Australia in acting against climate change.
He said that Life Saving Energy was a deliberate campaign to have all surf clubs in Australia operating on green technology. To support this he referred to North Steyne Surf Club, in celebrating its centenary this year, recently installing rain water tanks and solar panels to become energy efficient.
SLSA’s Gordon Laing believes that the leadership shown by CEFE is vital in tackling climate change. “Our clubs are being inspired to think globally and act locally with the installation of energy efficient products.
“This campaign is about raising community awareness and educating our members and the rest of the community about energy efficient and sustainable practices. “It’s also about reducing our carbon footprint while creating a business opportunity out of climate change allowing us to redirect our funds into our core business which is saving lives.” As part of the Ocean Care Day Festival, the human sign become Australia’s largest community sign organised over the past two months by the Manly chapter of Clean Energy For Eternity.
On the Saturday prior to the event CEFE’s Manly Chapter convenor, Ron Krueger and CEFE Bega’s Derek Povel were hot on the mobiles talking to the press with over dozen radio spots during the day preceded by mentions in local media. Video footage taken from a helicopter which eventually arrived to the delight of hundreds of screaming nippers, will be incorporated into a forthcoming documentary. A vox populus, ably executed by 12 year environmental activist Ellis Cooper and incorporating comments from local church leaders, politicians and school principals, will be support the documentary.
According to Ron Krueger, the last two months’ organisation was a remarkable journey in not only logistics and coordination, but also understanding the community’s concerns about climate change.
“I’ve met some very passionate individuals who, in their own right, are creating a groundswell of activity around climate change. There are, for example, some very contemporary thinking leaders of churches who are focusing their sermons on our community’s moral duty to act against climate change.
“You have to be impressed when several congregations get pulled from their morning services to attend Australia’s largest human sign! Ron and his team from Manly Council and the North Steyne surf club attracted a number of individuals to assist including over a dozen local artists – including four young men with a disability from Manly’s Bear Cottage – who helped create magnificent pieces of art to assist the public in identifying their letters on the day.
“There’s been a flood of emails and responses from people on the street that have ignited greater interest in climate change. However, we need to do more than just stir people’s emotions; we need to have individuals, families, and communities throughout Australia taking immediate steps to avert the rising tide of climate change.” There was a fitting end to official proceedings on the day with local aboriginal elder and musician Kevin Duncan, playing the didge and singing an ancient song its lyrics showing the importance of connecting with our land and oceans as a sign of respect and sustainability.
As for emcee Wendy Harmer. There’s no better wit in Australia to inject a lot of good fun and life into proceedings!
Thank you to everyone who supported the day.
Watch the video below
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