Media release – Australian Youth Climate Coalition, 23 October 2023
Young People Across the Country are Rallying for People vs. Polluters!
DATE and TIME: the 24th of October, at 4.30pm.
LOCATION: Parliament Lawns, 1 Salamanca Pl, Hobart TAS 7000
Young Tasmanians will be coming together with the Tasmanian community to form a colourful and staunch action, calling upon Tasmanian Energy Minister Nick Duigan, to listen to young Tasmanians about energy. The event is part of a bigger National Week of Action across the country and key speakers will be calling for big fracking companies to pay for their pollution! Young people will be having conversations with community members about climate justice and making fossil fuel companies pay, figuratively and literally. There will be chants and speakers available for interviews.
On Tuesday the 24th of October, at 4.30pm, community members will be gathering at Parliament Lawns to call on the Tasmanian Energy Minister, Nick Duigan, to raise his voice and stand by the people, not polluters.
This will be one of many actions being held across the country, where we will be asking Energy Minister, Nick Duigan, to speak up in the upcoming Energy Council Ministerial meeting in November 2023, to place responsibility of offsetting scope 2 and 3 emissions from fracking in the Beetaloo on the gas companies responsible for fracking projects by amending existing NT petroleum laws and regulations, in order to make offsetting conditions on EMPs mandatory.
“Young people today are growing up faced with more climate disasters, extreme weather and an uncertain future. Yet even as we experience the escalating impacts of climate damage, fossil fuel companies are pushing to expand dangerous gas projects across the continent, putting their corporate profits ahead of a clean future for all of us,” – said Kai Harrison, Australian Youth Climate Coalition volunteer.
Instead of bailing out the gas companies, we want to see public money spent on helping our communities through climate impacts such as bushfires and floods.
“Gas fracking is a dirty industry, polluting water, air, and land, putting health and climate at risk. Our Energy Minister Nick Duigan represents Tasmanians and it’s time he decides whether he wants to stand with dirty fracking corporations or the people he represents!” – said Jack Cavanagh, Australian Youth Climate Coalition volunteer.
According to expert modelling, fracking in the Beetaloo could produce more than 1.4 billion tonnes of CO2 over the project’s first 20 years, equivalent to 2.5 times Australia’s total annual emissions.[1] The actions will be asking Energy Ministers across the country to support people not polluters by speaking up at the upcoming Energy Council Ministerial meeting to have fracking companies pay for all offsets. It’s clear that the majority of Australians don’t want public money handed to fracking companies who will damage our land, water and climate.
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[1] Reputex, 2021, “Analysis of Beetaloo Gas Basin Emissions and Carbon Costs”, available online
