Beyond politics – a Jewish call for serious climate actionTogether with many other Australians, Jewish people are responding to a dreadful national disaster by contributing money and support to people who have lost loved family members, homes and other property and to volunteers fighting fires or rescuing injured wildlife. (1)This is what Australians do at […]
David Rothfield is President of the Bayside Climate Change Action Group (BCCAG) and an AJDS committee member.It’s nearly thirty years since climate change first came on to our political agenda. In 1990, the Coalition under Andrew Peacock pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% within 10 years if they won office. Officially, Australia’s emissions have […]
Rabbi Jonathon Keren-Black is the rabbi at Leo Baeck centre. He established JECO (the Jewish Ecological Coalition) and was instrumental in establishing GreenFaith Australia. About a month ago, Rabbis across Melbourne were invited to meet with Scott Morrison, who I note is still described as ‘Our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison’, in case you might think […]
With the Victorian State election just days away, we might pause to ask what is at stake when we go to vote. The Liberal opposition is attempting to make an issue of law and order. They use racist innuendo to amplify their point and create fear in the community. But at the same time, they are avoiding […]
Animal rights NGO, Animals Australia, along with three Israeli animal protection groups – Anonymous for Animal Rights, Let the Animals Live, and Israel Against Live Shipments – have launched a campaign to end live exports. The trade is objectionable to most Australians, due to the horrific conditions sheep and cattle are subjected to on the long […]
In November of 2015, the Victorian government implemented its Forest Industry Taskforce, following Daniel’s election promise. The taskforce, funded by the Victorian government, brings together various interest groups representing unions and environment groups to develop policy recommendations for the future of Victoria’s forests. The Taskforce will seek broad community support to address key challenges facing […]
By Pablo Brait. (Originally published in The Well, July 27, 2016) If your neighbour asks to borrow something from you that you know he will use to commit a crime, would you lend him what he needs? Or say your neighbour asks to borrow paints and paintbrushes from you in order to make racist placards […]
By Timetraveller (pseud.) As populations of the Middle East become more urbanised and adopt Western-style living standards, the demands on the area’s water resources will become more immediate and desperate. Of 33 countries worldwide predicted to suffer severe water shortages by 2040 due to changing populations and life-styles, as well as the effects of climate […]
By David Rothfield. It hardly got media coverage but, yes, they said it. Those gathered for the U.S. Democratic Party Convention last July declared that they could not to wait for others “…to lead the world in combating the climate emergency” (my emphasis). The closing declaration of the Convention went on to say that “… […]
By Bonnie Gelman. ‘Fracking’ is an abbreviation of a process of coal seam gas extraction called ‘hydraulic fracturing’. Gas extracted in this way is known as ‘unconventional gas’. Fracking involves pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into rock at high pressure. The rock fractures and gas (or oil) is forced out. There are […]