#5: Vote

Challenge Time: Ongoing
Effectiveness: IMMEASURABLE
Question:  Low Hanging Fruit for no more energy bills!?  Great Opportunities for jobs and economic security!?!?!?
Result: Win/Win

Save Your Money!
The No Spend Trend

This is a trend that started catching on around 2017 with finance guru Michelle McGagh’s book about spending less and living more,

It’s a push back against consumerism, with terms like ‘No Spend Year’, ‘No Spend January’, ‘Low Spend Month’ and ‘Loud Budgeting’ racking up millions of hits on TikTok

In the words of Fashion Journal’s Izzy Wight, ‘considering the economic crisis is concurrent with the climate emergency, now is the time to choose thoughtful investments over instant gratification.’ - wise words Izzy!

Slow Fashion Is So Hot, It’s Cool For The Planet

Spending less is good for your finances, though is consumerism really that bad for the planet?  Let’s take fashion for one example.  Fashion icons like Vivienne Westwood have been preaching “Buy less, choose well, make it last” to combat fashion’s impact on the climate crisis for years.

That’s because fashion's carbon footprint is about 10% of global emissions - almost as much as meat and dairy.  Fashion’s footprint is also surging which means fashion is ‘way off track’ and missing 1.5ºC targets (and that’s not to mention disastrous effects fashion has on water and the pollutants it contributes to the environment).

No wonder then that artists from Kevin Parker to Billie Eilish and many others have been speaking up and promoting slow fashion initiatives.

Most clothes don’t even get worn!

Australians have a track record of spending more on clothes than anywhere else.  

That’s about 56 items each year weighing almost 15kg, though most clothes are never worn and most (about 10kgs) ends up in landfill annually… which means most of the carbon emissions (and money) used to fill our wardrobes, was for nothing - grim!

Same probably goes for lots of our other consumer items!

The Diderot Effect

This is probably to do with The Diderot Effect; a phenomenon that occurs when acquiring a new possession leads to a spiral of consumption that results in the acquisition of even more possessions.

Sounds like an absolute trap!

What else could you do with your hard earned money?

Here’s a few tips from the experts to help you avoid buying *new* things you don’t need…

Tactics I Used To Get Through My ‘No Buy Year’ - Nina Karnikowski
Ten Top Tips For Buying Nothing New
A Beginner's Guide to Mending Your Clothing
Garage Sale Trail
The surprising climate benefits of sharing your stuff
Sell, swap, repurpose or donate your trash to be another person’s treasure.
Marie Kondo - Does It Spark Joy

Mother Nature (and your bank account) will thank you.

Keep It SIMPLE

Potential Energy found that saying ‘Save Florida’ was x5 more effective than saying ‘let’s get to net zero’.  Saving Florida (from sinking) is a much easier concept to grasp and get behind than ‘Net Zero’.

So rather than saying ‘Net Zero’, what else can we save?

(sidenote, Gene Simmons is very pro-climate action - keep up the good work Gene)

Save Farming!

Farmers have suffered a 23% negative financial impact from climate inaction between 2001-2020 - ouch!

Income from renewables can help get them through floods and droughts, and their are some great opportunities for farmers if government can support them fast enough (more below).

They put our food on our plate, so who doesn’t want to help farmers.  We can get behind that!

Save Local Communities!

We all want to feel a part of a community.  Saul Griffiths and the Electrify Team have calculated that their community of 11,000 people could potentially save $20 million if they swap all their fossil fuel appliances and cars for electric alternatives.  What could the community do with all that cash?  It’s much better than being shipped off to big polluters overseas.  We can all get behind that!

Petrol = Pollution

Potential Energy also found that everyday people also have a much better understanding of words like ‘pollution’ rather than ‘climate change’.  Air pollution alone is the largest environmental risk to public health, so it’s no wonder we all want to stop pollution.  With that in mind…

Make the message ACCOUNTABLE

To do this, we need to put the consequential word next to the product, ie…

Gas Pollution
Gas Tax Dodgers/Freeloaders/Thiefs
Toxic Gas
Expensive Gas
Unhealthy Gas
Asthma causing Gas

Here’s a great use of ‘fossil fuel pollution’ on CNN

What other words can you put next to Gas/Petrol/Fossil Fuels?

Cheap Renewables = Jobs

You can do the same for renewable energy too…

Clean Renewables
Cheap Renewables
Quiet Renewables
Green Renewables
Renewable Jobs

Make the message HUMAN

People are social beings who respond to group norms.  80% of Australians have experienced an extreme climate event, so there’s a good chance this might be you or someone you know.
No wonder it’s been the #1 election issue.  The Australia Institute have a tonne of stats and facts to back this up.  If you want climate action, you’re in the MAJORITY!

Keep it LOCAL

While saving polar bears is extremely admirable, people are more likely to act if they are in more immediate danger.  Since the Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20, there have been 11 declared insurance catastrophes, so insurance is going through the roof.  If there’s a chance to do something about saving local homes, would you take it?

Share your EXPERIENCE

The Human Brain Privileges Experience Over Analysis.  Yep.  In other words, stats are awesome, but experiences can hit harder.  So share your experiences.  Here’s a draft sentence to try

Focus on the SOLUTIONS and the WINS

All of the challenges in the ‘I Do What I Can’ Carbon Challenge come with great personal benefits, though there are some cracking benefits for your home, community and the whole nation of Australia if we can electrify the country fast enough.  Most people want these in the long term (which is probably why you see so many seniors at climate rallies),

Here’s some EASY solutions you can share…

Low-Hanging Fruit - Free Electricity

Solar is now the cheapest energy in history!

About ¼ of Australian households have solar and don’t have to worry about electricity bills!  AEMO anticipates this could reach 90% of households by 2035.  Economies of scale have made Australian solar the cheapest in the world, and a revised budget could accelerate cheap/free electricity for all Australian families.

NO MORE ELECTRICITY BILLS!!!

Could be EASY DONE!

Low-Hanging Fruit -
Stationary Energy

Would you like FREE HEATING/COOLING, HOT WATER and COOKING!?

Government could subsidise your next purchases in these areas to be electric. Then you wouldn’t pay gas bills either…

You could save a lot of dosh.  In fact, the Australian median household could save ~$5,451 on home energy… What would you spend $5,451 on?  

NO MORE ENERGY BILLS!!!

Could be EASY DONE!

Low-Hanging Fruit - Transport

FREE FUEL FOR YOUR VEHICLES

As Bob Katter says… ‘If Greens leader Adam Bandt and I can agree that we need to do something for fuel and energy security, then it would be nice if the major parties can act’

All the deets of course are in our Travel Challenge…

NO MORE PETROL EXPENSES!!!

Could be EASY DONE!

Low-Hanging Fruit - Fugitive Emissions

About 10% of Australia’s emissions are from fugitive emissions and they’ve nearly doubled since 2015!

Most fugitive emissions can be reduced at low cost as demonstrated by WA - which has mandated technology to do so - without losing competitive edge.

Could be EASY DONE!

Great Opportunities - 700% Renewable SUPERPOWER

Australia could generate 700% Renewable energy and sell a bunch overseas to help other countries offset their emissions.

Plans are in place to export Australian renewables to Singapore, though this network could stretch FROM INDIA TO NEW ZEALAND if we beat the market - first in best dressed as they say!

This could help “future-proof” Australia from economic shocks around the world.

Easy.  Could be a BOOM!

Great Opportunities - Green Steel and Minerals

Apparently about 50% of Tesla ingredients start in Aus - wild!
Australia has loads of vanadium, lithium, cobalt, copper, silicon and sand which will all be in high demand during the global energy transition.

Australia is blessed with both renewable energy and minerals, so could refine ‘green steel’ in Australia, rather than sending it overseas like we currently do.  If Australia could capture just 10% of global steel production, it would EASILY offset fossil fuel pollution job losses.

Australia could even become a Green Exports SUPERPOWER with $333 Billion (!) exports per annum if it wins this race.

Easy.  Could be a BOOM!

Great Opportunities -
Low-cost Sequestration

Farmers have suffered 23% negative financial impact of climate inaction between 2001-2020 - ouch!

More than half of Australia’s landmass is managed by farmers, and arid and semi-arid rangelands that are hard to farm make up about 70% of land.  Farmers could be given credits for planting high CO₂ sequestering trees like mulga and mallee eucalypts, which thrive in these areas.

Easy.  Could be a BOOM!

Great Opportunities -
Biomass

Bagasse from sugar processing in Qld, feedstocks from land not suitable for food, and algae grown in coastal locations, can all be used for fuel in sectors where renewable electricity technology is still being developed (such as aviation, fertilisers, explosives and even Formula 1).  Australia has biofuel resources in spades…

”Australia, more than any other country, has prospects for low-cost production and harvesting of biomass from land that is not suitable for food production” according to Ross Garnaut.

Easy.  Could be a BOOM!

Share your ACTIONS

Use this space to add more details about your site, a customer quote, or to talk about important news.

CRAZY!  One or two years worth of Fossil Fuel Subsidies redirected to homes could make…
ALL HOMES NET ZERO!

Yep. You read that right! This would pay to electrify everyones homes - that’s solar, batteries, cars, heaters, ovens etc - which would mean FREE ENERGY for every home in Australia!

It would only take one year’s (maybe two) worth of redirecting fossil fuel subsides according to Dr Saul Griffiths.

Ask your local federal candidate if they’re going to make this happen!

THIS REALLY COULD BE EASILY DONE!

WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY!

Environment #1 Issue

Australia has the most to lose (coral bleachings, fires, floods etc - as well as 880k jobs and -$3.4 trillion), and most to gain (ie. a Renewables Superpower and the energy security that comes with it, aaand 250k jobs and $680 billion).

Furthermore, 83% Aus want coal phased out, four out of five Australians want EVs, and even things like energy security, health benefits and financial benefits are getting more attention. Interestingly, Environment was the #1 concern for 29% of voters in the 2022 election, making it the #1 issue then as well. So, if such a convincing majority of Australians want change, why isn’t it happening?

Dog Days: Why is Australia is plummeting further behind?

The Golden Years of effective public policy during Hawke/Keating/Howard are nearly twenty years ago - imagine LNP trying to pass gun laws or the GST now!  We’re now in The Great Australian Complacency according to foremost economist Ross Garnaut (who also coined ‘Dog Days’).

The economy is becoming more and more basic (un-complex) and dropping further behind. Barriers to reform appear to be increases in career politicians, vested interests, and pork barrelling in parliament - sound familiar?

Why is Australia losing friends?

Close friends and allies are getting the sh*ts with Australian policy and ‘Brand Australia’ is slipping.

How is this happening? If the environment and the economy are so important to Australia, why is Australia losing friends and why is the Australian government dragging Australia further behind?

Why are we losing jobs overseas?

Despite a UNSW team inventing the world’s now most prolific PV solar panel, failure by the government to support the industry saw Australia lose most of its solar panel manufacturing industry to China in the early 2000s.

Despite enormous potential of green steal in Australia, we’re already losing green steel jobs to the UAE.

Why is this happening?

Fossil Fuels & Dictatorships, Dammit!

Let’s get that quote from old mate Yuval Noah Hariri again…

'The curse of oil: oil is a source of riches but it’s also very often a support for dictatorships, because to enjoy the benefits of oil, you don’t need to share it with your citizens, you don’t need an open society, you don’t need education, you just need to drill. So we see in many places that oil and gas are the basis for dictatorships’

Lobbying & Climate Wars

We’ve all witnessed the Climate Wars. Again, why is this keep happening?

Big Deal suggests maybe Australia’s billion-dollar political lobbying industry has something to do with it? Money talks! (and sometimes waffles… what is going on with Trump, Russia invading Ukraine and Windmills!?!?!?)

Australian Media Bias

If you’re only getting your news from limited outlets, you may not be getting the full picture… best to check your sources and get a variety of them if you can!

Lots of the media is funded by ads which may compromise their reporting, check out the influence a media spend can have here - yikes!

More on the titles and reach of Australian media via the ABC.

Dirty Tricks, Misleading and Lies - Spicy But True!

26% of voters were undecided leading into the final week of the 2019 federal election, and 11% undecided on the election day!

Some candidates align themselves with non-for profits, use images without authorisation, and even dropped the name of one’s party and used the colours of opponents.  Even Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) coloured political party signs have appeared on election day in the past!

It’s also worth noting political campaigns in Australia are allowed to ‘lie’ more than the commercial sector, so be sure to double double check your sources!!!

DW’s documentary ‘Greed’ highlights some people will do anything to get/hold onto power, and even become less perceptive to risk and punishment, which may lead to breaking laws and conventions.

The AEC has a ‘Stop, Check, Consider' campaign to help you with your decision making.

*full disclosure, the Liberal party deliberately misleading voters at the 2019 election as per above has convinced me to support Dr Monique Ryan in Kooyong!

Dirty Tricks, Misleading and Lies - Spicy But True!

26% of voters were undecided leading into the final week of the 2019 federal election, and 11% undecided on the election day!

Some candidates align themselves with non-for profits, use of images without authorisation, and even dropped the name of one’s party and used the colours of opponents.  Even Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) coloured political party signs have appeared on election day in the past!

It’s also worth noting political campaigns in Australia are allowed to ‘lie’ more than the commercial sector, so be sure to double double check your sources!!!

DW’s documentary ‘Greed’ highlights some people will do anything to get/hold onto power, and even become less perceptive to risk and punishment, which may lead to breaking laws and conventions.

The AEC has a ‘Stop, Check, Consider' campaign to help you with your decision making.

*full disclosure, the Liberal party deliberately misleading voters at the 2019 election as per above has convinced me to support Dr Monique Ryan in Kooyong!

System 1 & 2 Brains

Nobel Prize Winner Daniel Kahneman has a theory that we all have two brains - a ‘System 1’ brain which is automatic (to handle fight or flight type situations) and a deliberate (rational) ‘System 2’ brain.

Some people even say that System 1, because it’s so irrational, is to blame for the economies woes! Another example is that while car crash fatalities are more likely than plane crash fatalities, people might be more scared of planes because excessive media coverage warps their views (and rationality).

In a politically campaigning sense, this can mean that some ideas that are of benefit in a ‘policy’ sense, can be used as political footballs in a ‘politics’ sense.

An example is when Scott Morrison dropped the Liberal National Party’s long-standing electric vehicle policy to the possibly politically advantageous ‘War On The Weekend’ scare campaign, ahead of the 2019 election. It change from a logical, long-standing policy that was System 2 brain friendly, to a scare campaign aimed to freak out our System 1 brains!

Emotional Click(/vote)-bait!
(System 2 Trickery)

Marketing tricks in commercial campaigns like ‘bliss moments’, ‘heightened emotional responses’ and ‘dopamine hits’ generally stir emotions to get the greatest response, and it’s no different in political campaigns.

Expect to see lots of fear-mongering/scare tactic/stirring the pot campaigns in the lead-up to elections! Loads more election marketing tricks on Gruen Nation and The Guardian.

Vote for policies and ideas, not parties!

Ok, huge quote, it’s actually pretty true though. Definitely recommend watching the whole doco series that it’s based on, Adam Curtis’ ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’.

If you can, think about the values and issues that are important to you this election before election day. The ABC’s Vote Compass actually has some solid prompts for some key issues (even if it doesn’t include independents and minor parties) and the Build-Your-Own How-To-Vote Card is pretty handy too!

The BBC actually has a really solid non-partisan article on candidate climate policies if of interest.

Try these at before you cop the barrage of political trickery (if you haven’t already!)

Political parties aren’t football teams - it’s very ok to change who you vote for!

In fact, that’s why, in 1856 for the first time anywhere in the world(!), Victoria introduced the modern secret ballot.  Whoever you vote for is SECRET and it is only rational to vote for the person who best aligns with your values.

HAPPY VOTING!!!

2% of GDP

Only 2% of GDP is needed by each government to put earth back on track to limit warming to 1.5°.  For perspective, Germany used 100% of its GDP in WW2 while the UK used ~40-50%.  Countries around the world used about 15% of GDP to manage COVID-19.

2% IS RELATIVELY NOTHING!

The 3.5% Rule

It only takes 3.5% of a population to create change.  In fact, nonviolent civil resistance can be very successful according to Erica Chenoweth.  Change is very, very achievable!

1.5°C Global Warming

1.5°.  Yes, that’s the point where the IPCC thinks enough environmental systems will be able to cope and adapt, though it’s not without its stresses!  Australia has already warmed 1.4° (much higher than global averages, and on track for 4° warming), so we’re one of the first to see the consequences.  1.5° global average increase is definitely possible though and would be awesome if we could keep limit warming even further!

A Call For Revolution

Orright, getting straight in the deep end here, we’re turning to one of the truly truly Big Dogs - The Dalai Lama.

Every little thing you do has a ripple effect, so why not tap into it?  Embrace it!

Turn climate anxiety into action and excitement.

Building Up (Instead of Tearing Down)

Have you ever told someone they’re a d***head and they’ve agreed?  And then they’ve taken your side of a discussion?  Me neither!  Most people push back and a discussion can turn into a fight.  

Cathy McGowan has a hot tip - take aim at the issue, not the person!  If you’re having climate chats, find common ground, these Five Best Principles are also rock solid.  Sometimes you might need to agree to disagree and that’s fine - refocus your efforts in places where you’re most likely to see change.

Does It Spark Joy?

Yep, it’s a hot tip from Marie!  Given just the fashion industry is guilty of 10% of global emissions (let alone other forms of consumerism!), ist’s a good one to keep in mind before you buy anything!

And if you’ve just Kondo’d your house, Eco-age suggest selling, swapping, repurposing, donating or cloth banking your trash to be another person’s treasure.  

Maybe sell your excesses and invest in solar panels/electric heating/energy independence?

The Invisible Hand

It’s true - ‘the customer is always right’, and business is starting to listen - in a big way!

Maybe ask your local businesses if they’re using renewable energy?

Could your sports club take better advantage of renewable energy grants?  Renewable energy is cheaper and getting cheaper!

Hunting for a new home?  Ask the agent - ‘What is the Green Star Home energy rating?’  Tell them you’ve heard the median Australian household could save $5000 a year on fossil fuel bills by switching to renewables and you want to take advantage!

Maybe try Shop Ethical, Eco-lateral, the Sustainable Living Australia fb or the like?  Just like political parties, there’s no need to be loyal to brands that are rubbishing the planet.

Purpose, Principles, Profit - in that order!

Is the world better off with your business in it?

Another Big Dog, Sanda Ojiamba, has been plugging the idea of ‘Purpose, Principles, Profit’.  Essentially, a business's purpose should include looking after the planet, its principles should be informed by this, and its profits will flow from there.

Ask your current workmates or in your next job interview where they think your work fits with this.

If kids are taking on the Australian government and huge German companies like Siemens(!), you can bring up these topics with your colleagues and employers!

Maybe even try your luck at Shareholder Activism?  PS what are these tips from PwC and Deloitte?

Government Consultation

It sounds crazy, but governments do (/should!) have consultation processes… well at least the good ones do (Percy Allan AM’s submission to Australian Parliament House has some interesting notes on this!).  Consultations for local/state/federal government don’t come around all that often, so you need to speak up when they do!

You can always drop your local council/state or federal member a line to let them know your thoughts too!  Again, the good local representatives should take your thoughts on board!

2% GDP + 3.5% Rule = 1.5°C

Ok, that looks funny in a maths sense, though philosophically it’s about right!

Paris Agreement chief architect Christiana Figueres maybe puts it best when she says sometimes there’s a place for an orchestra with a conductor leading at the front, and sometimes we need to go JAZZ, with everyone going rogue doing their own thing.  

Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.

Aaand always keep going!  IT’S TIME FOR JAZZ BABY!