By Dr Brian Hoepper
When the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its stark ‘Code Red for Humanity’ report, the Peregian Beach Community Association certainly took note.
The association heard the urgent conversations among national leaders and everyday citizens around the globe.
PBCA invited the local community to explore the climate change issue at a special ‘Code Red for Peregian Beach’ event at the Peregian Beach Community House on Sunday 19 September.
The response was enthusiastic. Attendees were encouraged to BYO favourite snacks and drinks. Adding to the convivial atmosphere was Synco, a band of young musicians whose ‘songs that changed the world’ were interspersed with the presentations.
The Sunday afternoon gathering took a novel approach. Having secured internationally-renowned climate scientist Professor Ian Lowe as a speaker, PBCA paired him with two young women keen to talk about their generation’s perspective on this pressing issue.
Jenna Riddiford, a senior student and environmental leader at St Teresa’s College, spoke first. Jenna shared a personal story of her gradual awakening to the issue and her evolving commitment to climate change action. With admirable frankness, she described a rocky path of enthusiasm, growing disillusion and re-energised involvement. For the overwhelmingly adult audience, Jenna offered a valuable insight into her generation’s hopes and fears about an uncertain future.
Jenna was followed by another environmental leader at St Teresa’s, Madeleine Cleland. Building her talk around evocative images, Madeleine explored the idea and practice of minimalism – living better with less. She highlighted not only the environmental impacts of our modern lifestyle but also its links to social justice. Madeleine’s vivid examples raised uncomfortable questions about some familiar aspects of everyday life, particularly clothing, transportation and food. But she went further, quoting leading thinkers who believe living better with less can be good for one’s sense of self and emotional well-being.
Professor Ian Lowe, a long-time friend of PBCA, took the theme of Code Red to an urgent and challenging level. As one of thousands of scientific signatories to the latest IPCC report, he drew on key research to chart the historical origins, current state and likely future of the world’s environmental crisis.
Ian left no doubt that business as usual was an untenable position, and that reducing emissions and decarbonising the economy were essential if human society was to avoid dramatic upheaval. His stark message … ‘we must act now!’.
Among the attentive audience were Noosa MP Sandy Bolton and Councillors Frank Wilkie and Brian Stockwell. The speeches by Jenna, Madeleine and Ian sparked an animated question and answer session.
PBCA hopes that, in the months ahead, the discussion will continue well beyond the walls of the community house.
The event was livestreamed to a wider audience on the PBCA Facebook page, where video of the speeches can still be seen.
