The Climate Camp in Newcastle (10-15 July) will bring together climate activists from around Australia.
It will be held at a pivotal time for the climate campaign. Ross Garnaut will deliver the next interim climate report in June and the Rudd government is set to announce some elements of the National Emissions Trading Scheme in July.
There is also a growing recognition that far more decisive government action is needed.
The Rudd government broke with the climate denial of the Howard years by endorsing the Kyoto protocol, but their response since then has been timid.
Newcastle has been chosen to highlight the general government and corporateaddiction to coal-fired power generation.
The Climate Camp is a great step toward building a climate movement willing to face up to the need to force state and federal governments and corporations to commit to substantial investment in renewable energy.
The Walk Against Warming marches involving tens of thousands have been ignored. The Climate Camp is being built around taking direct action, to “prevent the expansion of fossil fuel industries that are endangering life on earth.”
“Writing letters, lobbying and changing out light bulbs is not working,” says the Climate Camp web site, “We need to take direct action ourselves