Day of Action this Friday 27th March and Transition Towns Newcastle 28th March

1. National Day of Action on Climate Change Friday 27^th March

The CPRS in it’s current form (5-15% targets, free permits and compensation to big polluters, a ‘floor’ that prevents further cuts, etc) cannot be permitted to become law, it will help lock in more than 550 ppm C02 and send the earth beyond climate tipping points of no return.

see http://stepitupaustralia.wordpress.com/ (& the countless other excellent websites out there) for some excellent commentaries of the major failings of the proposed CPRS as well as ideas for Fridays actions.

The time is now for peaceful, direct action to show our leaders that Australians demand real action on climate change in the lead up to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen. The day of action is happening at MPs’ and Senators’ offices all over the country, and it relies on people like you turning up to make it happen!

This Friday, you have two options in our local area (& it’s the Newcastle Show holiday so no school!):

1) Greg Combet, Federal Labor MP for Charlton and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, march and rally from 8.15 am in Cardiff, or

2) Sharon Grierson, Federal Labor MP for Newcastle, rally from 10am in Newcastle

1) Greg Combet

March down on footpath from Cardiff station at 8.15am (Express Newcastle train arrives 8.12am, stops Newcastle, Hamilton, Broadmeadow & Cardiff only) along Main Road to Greg’s office at 342 Main Road Cardiff, near rail bridge.

The rally will be held outside the building from approximately 8.30am, with maximum visual exposure to passing peak hour traffic and passenger trains – bring your banners and climate emergency themed gear!!

2) Sharon Grierson

Rally at her office at 427 Hunter Street, Newcastle from 10am. Contact Simon Cunich (simon.cunich at gmail.com) for more information.

Please spread the word about these rallies, and we hope to see you there! See attached the pollution permits to be delivered to each of these MPs – print them out, get your family, friends and colleagues to fill them out and bring them along to deliver to the MP in question.

2. Transition Town Newcastle Official Launch Saturday 28^th March, 5pm

- From William Vorobioff, Transition Towns Newcastle. Newsletter Attached –

Hello Everyone,

We have chosen Earth Hour on March 28th to launch Transition Town Newcastle and we're hoping you can come.

The Transition Initiative is a world-wide Movement responding to the twin pressures of Global Warming and Peak Oil in an inclusive and integrated way.

For our children and for our planet, it makes sense to create a world that uses less oil-based energy.

We can’t wait for governments to legislate the change. We need to start now, breathing life into our own communities – building resilient, sustainable ways of living together.

Transition Towns are springing up all over the world, connecting people and integrating ideas. While the initiative recognises the crisis the world is facing, it relies on a creative, inspiring vision to bring about powerful change.

All it needs is people to make it happen: all kinds of people with all kinds of ideas and skills. It’s working magically in other towns and communities just like ours.

We’re passionate to bring it to Newcastle so come along and join us for the journey.

The evening will commence at Hamilton Baptist Church in Lindsay Street at 5pm with a presentation and interactive discussion. We'll be presenting information about Transition Town Newcastle and the need to move to a less oil dependent lifestyle, but more importantly we'd like to hear from you. What's happening in your community and what are the possibilities? How can we all work together to create a more connected and resilient community?

While the adults are busy sharing ideas, the children will be learning to be Earth Ticklers in a drama workshop about caring for the planet. (Places are limited so please regster for a place). At around 7 o'clock we'll all move across the road to Gregson Park for a BYO picnic, after which the Earth Ticklers will perform along with a puppet show and a lantern parade led by a pied piper. During Earth Hour we'll see our world in a whole new light as a vision of a future sustainable Newcastle unfolds and a band of wandering minstrels sings us through the dark.

This is a great opportunity to meet with like-minded souls to find out what else is happening in our communities, to chill out and enjoy some music in a relaxed space.

In the meantime, we are attaching our newsletter which will tell you what we've been up to and what we're planning as well as some flyers that you can hopefully share with friends. We'd be grateful if you could circulate this invitation to anyone you feel would be interested. Our fledgling website www.transitionnewcastle.org.au is up and running - and ready for your comments and input - particularly on the different "flower petals" or areas of action.

We're looking forward to seeing you on March 28th.

From all of us at Transition Town Newcastle

Sincerely,

Climate Action Newcastle