Voices For Nature

However, it's not just electricity generation that matters. Other sectors also have an important role to play in reducing emissions. This includes the built environment. Buildings are responsible for half of Australia's emissions. Emissions from buildings come from energy use, gas use and emissions from the manufacture of building materials (what's called embodied carbon). The quality of buildings and developments also determines how comfortable and healthy they are for people and how much they cost to run. Building all new developments and homes to withstand a hotter future is a crucial part of adapting to climate change. Proposed earlier this year, the Design and Place SEPP is an opportunity for the government to improve planning rules to achieve net zero emissions and make our urban environment's better more sustainable places to live. Once the draft SEPP comes out for consultation later this month, we'll be in touch about how to make your voice heard, so we can help get a strong Design and Place SEPP over the line - so make sure to listen to understand the issue.

When fighting for nature in parliament, how does the upper house differ from the lower? In our final crossbench episode of Inside the Bear Pit we chat to Cate Faehrmann of the Greens and independent Justin Field about their experiences in Upper House. Both Cate and Justin are close to our hearts as previous staff members of Nature Conservation council and we are very excited to have them here on the podcast. In this mini-series of the Voices for Nature Podcast, we have been speaking to politicians from across the political spectrum about their views surrounding nature, how environmental policy is formulated, how to effectively influence decision-makers, and the environmental politics of the current parliament.

How much do our views on nature differ between the terrace houses of inner Sydney and the big sky country of the Riverina? We talk with two crossbench MPs, Alex Greenwich representing inner Sydney, and Helen Dalton of the Shooters, Fishers & Farmers Party, representing Murray, a geographically giant electorate that takes in the south-west quarter of NSW. In this new mini-series of the Voices for Nature Podcast, we have been speaking to politicians from across the political spectrum about their views surrounding nature, how environmental policy is formulated, how to effectively influence decision-makers, and the environmental politics of the current parliament.

The latest scientific reports on climate change have spurred the United Nations to formally call for a rapid phase out of coal. Meanwhile, the NSW Government is conducting a consultation to issue new coal exploration licenses. The area it's looking at near Rylstone is calculated to contain 910 million tonnes of coal. Yet, over the last decade we've seen a string of new coal mines rejected by the planning system, or withdrawing after sustained community opposition. Caroona, Shenhua, Bylong, Rocky Hill, Angus Place, Hume Coal, have all been stopped. Casting a shadow on this good news is the approval of massive expansions to existing coal mines that have quietly been approved. In this episode we talk to activists and campaigners who are on the ground fighting for the Rylstone area and look at what's really happening with coal in NSW.

It's been over seven years since Tony Abbott abolished Australia's carbon price. Now the international community has indicated it will not tolerate Australia being a laggard on climate action and is set to implement carbon tariffs on imports to stop their own climate policies being undermined. With the next United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow this November, many nations are ratcheting up their ambition. Yet, the Australian government continues obstinate resistance despite broad public support for action on climate change.

Kosciuszko National Park is under threat from plans to let development rip! A new proposal, being pushed by Deputy Premier John Barilaro, would see thousands of new beds on the mountain, gas heated ‘thermal pools' and helicopter transport to resorts in Kosciuszko National Park. The primary purpose of Kosciuszko National Park is to protect the unique and fragile alpine ecosystem, but proposed changes to the Plan of Management would allow huge development with a massive impact on the environment. To unpack this further we spoke to Gary Dunnett from the National Parks Association, author and academic Deirdre Slattery, and former Environment Minister Bob Debus. If you want to have your say on this 'Major plan', head to: https://npansw.org.au/2021/07/26/submission-guide-for-the-snowy-mountains-special-activation-precinct-and-the-amendment-to-the-kosciuszko-national-park-plan-of-management/ Also, if you have the means and you want to support the NPA or the Colong Foundation their links are below. NPA: https://npansw.org.au/npa/donate/ Colong Foundation: https://www.colongwilderness.org.au/donate

We're back in lockdown so we decided to give some of our friends a call and keep up the conservation conversation! Today we caught up with Bruce Maynard to discuss the concerning pesticide pollution he's seen from over spraying that is causing damages and disease to surrounding crops and vegetation. Bruce is the owner and developer of one of the most inspirational regenerative farms in Australia. Bruce has become well known for the invention and development of a number of innovations in Agriculture including: No Kill Cropping, Stress Free Stockmanship and Self Herding (with Dr Dean Revell).

This week on the Voices for Nature Podcast we speak to ecologist Phil Sparks and Xavier Martin Vice President of NSW Farmers on the current mouse plague that is running through western NSW.  In what locals are calling the worst mouse plague in living memory, millions of mice are infesting western NSW and eating away the futures of many residents. The plague is also responsible for major ecological damage as the ecosystem is thrown out of balance. But is bulk poison the answer? What ecological impacts will various poisons have? What can we do to help out our farmers?

Transport is the biggest cause of climate change after coal power in NSW, with nearly 20% of our emissions coming from this sector. Overseas, they're dealing with the transport issue by implementing policies, tax cuts and incentives to get more electric vehicles on the road, but here in Australia – we're asleep at the wheel.

Last summer, as the smoke clouded the sun for weeks on end, fire management and science came, once again, to the foreground. This week, in a prelude to our 2021 Bushfire Conference, we have teamed up with three leading fire professionals to answer your #BurningQuestions regarding Bushfires, Bushfire management, and the science of Hazard Reduction Burning.

During summer last year, Penrith was the hottest place on earth. Among the asphalt and the concrete, the sun's heat was amplified with the mercury soaring to almost 50 degrees in several locations. The concrete jungle of western Sydney has been sweltering thanks to the urban heat island effect. Urban heat islands occur when artificial surfaces absorb and radiate heat, such as pavements and buildings. Urban heat islands will only be made worse with more hot days caused by climate change. However, there is a lot we can do to mitigate heat islands. Live in Parramatta, we took a deep dive into our sizzling city and what we can do to cool it down. We spoke to Thuy Nguyen and Ian Epondulan of the Voices for Power Campaign, and Stephanie Cunio from the United Workers Union.

Last year anti-koala legislation was defeated by a one vote in the NSW Upper House. The crucial vote was Liberal MLC The Hon. Catherine Cusack, who crossed the floor to vote against her own government's bill, and lost her position as a parliamentary secretary as a result. Catherine explains why she decided to cross the floor to save koalas, opens up about the personal repercussions of this act, and how she thinks politics needs to change to better serve the community and environment. The Hon. Catherine Cusack MLC Catherine Cusack was first elected to the NSW Legislative Council in 2003. She has served as Shadow Minister Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, and has served as a parliamentary secretary in recent Liberal Governments. Ms Cusack was removed as Parliamentary Secretary in November 2020 after she crossed the floor on the controversial Local Land Services Amendment Bill 2020. She received wide support for her strong stance, from across the globe and forced her own government back to the drawing board to better protect the habitat of Koalas.

What is ‘floodplain harvesting'? How does it impact on rivers? Is the NSW Government about to repeat the tragic mistake of over-allocating water on our dry continent? Hear from two experts who have been tracking the growth of private dams by satellite and have an urgent warning about impending tragedy for our rivers and wetlands. This week we are in Broken Hill to talk to two water experts, Maryanne Slattery a former Director of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and Bill Johnson, who has worked for 30 years in water management and policy for the NSW and Commonwealth Governments, about the impact of the floodplain harvesting and its impending legalisation

The Pilliga is the largest temperate forest we have left in the state, yet the government wants to carve up precious habitat and risk poisoning groundwater for a coal seam gas field. Hear from the community on the ground fighting to protect the Pilliga Forest from 850 coal seam gas wells.  We talk with Jane Judd from Friends of the Pilliga and Coonabarabran Residents Against Gas and ecologist David Paull about Santos' plans to carve up the environment for coal seam gas.

What is it like to watch the river you love slowly die through mismanagement, corruption and climate change? NCC Chief Executive Chris Gambian and NCC Organising Director Jacqui Mumford chat with two graziers from the Australian Floodplain Association, Stuart Le Lievre and Justin McClure who rely on the Murray-Darling system to keep their farms healthy and productive. River flows have reduced significantly over the past 40 years. We need to amplify the voices of people in the far west to ensure the NSW Government does the right thing for people and the environment. Listen to the voices of the people who watched the river run dry.

Welcome to the Voices for Nature Podcast — Cocktails, Controversy and Conservation. In this show, Chris Gambian and Jacqui Mumford talk to some great guests about some of the best stories of our movement. Expect to be inspired, challenged and hopefully, entertained. Why cocktails? Well, this was supposed to be drinks after work in our new offices in Chippendale in Sydney. A few people, a good chat, a nice drink. But then COVID hit, and drinks after work became, well, life threatening. We've been the voice for nature for 65 years and now you can hear that voice from the convenience of your headphones. Hit the subscribe button now and make sure you tell your friends by sharing this trailer across this wide brown land!

Nature Conservation Council of NSW Chief Executive, Chris Gambian and Organising Director, Jacqui Mumford were joined by Dr. Rebecca Huntley, one of Australia's foremost researchers on social trends for the first instalment of Cocktails, Controversy and Conservation: How to talk about climate change. In this podcast, we discuss how to talk about climate change in a way that makes a difference.

Hear directly from people along the Murray-Darling Basin on their experiences fighting for clean drinking water and a healthy river system. Your panelists are: * Rob McBride, Farmer at Tolarno Station (near Pooncarie and Menindee) * Derek Hardman, CEO Barkandji Native Title Group Aboriginal Corporation (BNTGAC) * Jane MacAllister, Wentworth Shire Councillor and NCC Community Organiser for the River * Chris Gambian, Chief Executive, Nature Conservation Council of NSW * Jacqui Mumford, Organising Director, Nature Conservation Council of NSW

In this podcast, we speak with Dr Meredith Burgmann, author of Green Bans, Red Unions, and close friend of the late Jack Mundey. Hear from a firsthand account of a unique period in the history of this continent, when the conservation movement, communities and workers came together to fight greed and over-development.

What are the best ways to get your MP's attention and turn them from blocker to backer? In this podcast, we are joined by a panel of MPs with insights into how to lobby for positive change. Our panelists are: * Jo Haylen MP, ALP, Member for Summer Hill * Mark Coure MP, LIB, Member for Oatley * Alex Greenwich, IND, Member for Sydney

We keep talking about a transition to 100% renewable energy, but do we have the technology and investment to make it happen or are the sceptics right? Hear directly from a panel of experts - their views might surprise you. Our panelists are: - Simon Holmes à Court, is senior advisor to the Climate and Energy College at Melbourne University and sits on the board of the Smart Energy Council - Dr David Osmond, Senior Wind Engineer at Windlab, a leader in advanced wind engineering services - Dylan McConnell, Research Fellow at the Australian-German Climate & Energy College

To see change, we need to expand the communities we organise in. How can we reach new communities and build our people-powered movement? How does racial justice connect to the environmental movement? Joining us in this podcast is a panel of activists across the social and environmental justice movements: - Taylor Clarke, Gundungurra woman and a member of the Give a Dam campaign - Thuy Nguyen, Organiser for the Sydney Alliance - Tim Lo Surdo, Founder and Director of Democracy in Colour - Asha Ramsan, Executive Officer of Sydney Community Forum

The recent bushfire crisis motivated many of us to take different types of action, but what was it like for rescuers on the ground? In this podcast, we hear from wildlife carer and arborist Kai Wild. In response to the bushfire season, Kai volunteered his tree-climbing skills for a koala rescue operation on Kangaroo Island to support wildlife in crisis. Hear about Kai's experience at the frontline in the campaign to save a species.

What is the Uluru Statement and why should we care? For this week's online conversation, we will be joined by Zenadth Kes man, Thomas Mayor. Thomas became a campaigner and signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. In this podcast, we hear about his journey to bring together First Nations voices across the continent for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The Narrabri gas project announcement does not mean we back down from our fight to protect our communities and the environment. Our fight won't stop until we create a sustainable future for our state. Hear from these experts about why the government's plan for massive subsidies to gas companies is a disaster for land, water and climate, and what's next for the Narrabri coal seam gas project that was just approved. For this podcast, we will hear from Lock The Gate Coordinator George Woods and Energy Finance Analyst at IEEFA, Bruce Robertson.

Australia's response to the global pandemic has been coordinated and effective, but as we emerge from the crisis, how can we apply the lessons of 2020 to respond to climate change and ensure Australia becomes a renewable energy superpower? With our very special guests Peter Garrett, former Federal Environment Minister, and Tanya Plibersek, Federal Shadow Minister for Education and Training, we talk about climate change, renewables and how we can learn from our communities coming together after COVID-19 to fight for our futures and the environment.