The Sustainable Hour no 333The school strikers are calling again. This Friday, 25 September, is a global school strike – and a national day of action protesting our government’s destructive obsession with gas. In Geelong, the strike will take place in The Tunnel – on zoom – and Facebook.

Joining us in The Tunnel and Stairway to Hiatus on 23 September 2020, we have five guests:

Geelong Sustainability President Vicki Perrett tells us how this year’s Sustainable House Day will be held online and gives us an overview of the types of houses and gardens that will be on display for those two days. Details of Sustainable House Day 2020 can be found here: Geelong Sustainability SHD2020.

Vicki then welcomes three people whose homes will be on virtual display over the Sustainable House Day weekend: Ryan Thompson who has retrofitted a heritage 1940’s house, and partners Jenny Knox and Malcolm Fisher who have recently moved into their newly built house.

Vicki leaves us with the strong impression that although this year’s Sustainable House Day has to be online, there’ll still be something for everyone.

Monique Connell is standing for Windermere Ward as part of the Put Climate First ticket at the upcoming City of Greater Geelong elections. We hear from Monique why she decided to stand and what issues are a priority for her if she is elected. Here’s a video excerpt of the interview.

James Whelen, the founder of The Change Agency, tells us about their community organising fellowships, applications for which close at the end of October. There are part and full scholarships available because of the very generous support of close a number of philanthropic foundations.

In his Global Round Up this week, Colin Mockett takes in the ongoing Californian wildfires and Russian arctic diesel-spill clean-up, while featuring European president Ursula von der Leyen’s first State of the Union address. This outlined her plans for Europe to recover from the pandemic recession with an ambitious plan to invest 20 per cent of its $3 trillion budget in eco-aligned recovery projects that would see Europe become the first climate-neutral continent by mid-century. Europe’s new target is to cut its CO2 emissions by 2030 by at least 55 per cent from 1990 levels, lifting the target from 40 per cent.

Colin’s report finishes with New Zealand’s world-first legislation requiring its financial sector to report on climate risks alongside financial date.

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