Climate Change Australia Hastings (CCAH) will hold a silent vigil in Port Macquarie on Saturday, June 30 to campaign for an end to Australia’s reliance on coal.
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The vigil is part of a national day of events all around Australia and has a call to action to end to new coal mines and coal power.
The event will be held between 10am and 11am at the corner of Horton and Clarence Streets, Port Macquarie, at the entrance of the Town Square.
CCAH president Kerri-ann Jones said her group considered a silent vigil to be in keeping with the seriousness of the problem as climate change impacts worsen around the world, driven mainly by burning coal.
“With coral reefs dying, heat records smashed, the biggest storms and droughts in history, ice caps melting and island communities fighting for survival, we are facing a climate emergency,” Ms Jones said.
“Ending coal mining and coal power is a matter of urgency. Fossil fuel companies continue to dig up coal and spew CO2 into the atmosphere, supported by state and federal governments. The fossil fuel industry still has plans to produce far more CO2 than is considered safe,” she said.
“All the carbon in proven coal, oil and gas reserves is four times the amount scientists tell us we can pour into the atmosphere by mid-century and still have any hope of avoiding dangerous climate change.”
The 2018 Lowy Poll found that 84 per cent of Australians are in favour of renewable energy rather than coal.
“Bring your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues - we need as many people as possible to send a message to our politicians. No singing or chanting, we'll simply be bearing witness to the need for no new coal,” Ms Jones said.
Attendees are encouraged to wear red or black, bring sun protection and water.