We'll be heading to Melbourne on Saturday for a peaceful gathering, to show our country that we support a carbon tax to help combat climate change. There's a lot of scare mongering going on, focusing on how much everything is going to cost with a carbon tax, yet if people change their ways, they may actually save some money, whilst polluting less = the main aim of a carbon tax.
This is from GetUp!, the organisers of the event:
The fear campaign against a price on pollution has become so absurd that talkback radio hosts are claiming that a price on pollution means the end of our economy and life as we know it. Independent MPs are even receiving death threats.
Now, these same radio hosts have joined with climate deniers and far-right politicians to organise anti-climate action rallies as part of Tony Abbott's so called "people's revolt". They start on Saturday outside Julia Gillard's electorate office in Melbourne. We must make sure that on the other side of town, our movement comes together to present the positive, mainstream views that hard-line 'shock jocks' prefer to ignore.
If we're successful, the media won't be able report on the anti-carbon price rallies without also reporting that more people turned out to express support for a price on pollution. Can you join us? Where: Treasury Place, Melbourne.
When: This Saturday (March 12) at 11am
RSVP: https://www.getup.org.au/campaign/ClickHereToRSVP
Right wing shock jock Chris Smith said last week on MTR radio: "I'll do my best on a daily basis to spread the word". We don't have a radio network to promote our rally, but
GetUp members have proved before that, when it counts, we're willing to publicly show how much we care about clean energy & climate action. Click here to RSVP I was in Canberra last week and almost every politician and journalist I met with talked to me about the anti-climate action rallies. They're spooked.
I assured them that the campaign for climate action was just as strong -- and now, we need to demonstrate this. That's why it's so important we
join together for a few hours this Saturday March 12 -- not to have a louder, angrier rally, but to show the difference in both size and tone. While they're shouting their angry slogans and misinformation, on the other side of Melbourne we'll hold a positive, family-friendly gathering to stand up for our vision for clean energy and preserving a safe climate for our kids.
With your help, we'll prove there are more of us than there are of them and in doing so we'll make a powerful statement. See you this Saturday.
Simon Sheikh
National Director
for the GetUp team
P.S. We're counting on more then just your presence. We counting on your creativity (as you make a clever homemade banner if you can)
and your persuasiveness (as you charm your friends into joining you).
RSVP here
Evie's first rally
Clever placards
Me
What a buzz to be one of 7,000 odd people coming together to show support for a price on carbon. This was a counter rally to an anti-carbon tax protest held outside our prime minister's office in her electorate. They only drew a crowd of 400. We caught the train to Melbourne with my mum & dad and our girls, caught a tram to Treasury Gardens where the rally was held, then ate our packed lunch of homemade bread in the gardens afterward. Pretty low carbon I think :)
