Viviana Bernal
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Act
It’s commonly recognised that the cure to any climate grief is action! And what better than building your community through thoughtful, strategic action - together?!
Whether it's donning one of our cool T-shirts, signing and sharing a petition, taking a Walk for Climate, joining a local group, hosting a climate action now sign, or letterboxing key areas, we’ve got a menu of action oriented tools for you to unite behind.
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Write
Are you a bit of a wordsmith? Or have you got a burning climate issue you need to get off your chest? Would you like to challenge yourself to use your words to reach new audiences, to change hearts and minds in your community, to remove blocks to climate action?
Writing about your concerns, and sharing your thoughts this way, is both powerful and empowering - for you and your readers.
We’ve got two easy to follow routes for you to use the written word to take impactful climate action.
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Climate Conversations
AnswerOne of the most important things you can do about climate change is to talk about it.
We know the majority of Australians are concerned about climate change, but this doesn’t always translate into action. People trust their peers, family members and loved ones more than they trust experts, scientists and environmental organisations.
You are more likely to open people’s minds. Conversations, particularly those based on shared values, lead to greater awareness and concern; and help lead people to action on climate.
This webinar provides some great tips to give you the confidence to start a discussion and get you started. You can help your community normalise conversations about climate change, and what climate action means.
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Become a media spokesperson
AnswerAre you interested in amplifying your voice in the community, by becoming a media spokesperson? As a parent or grandparent, you are a trusted messenger, invested with the duty to keep your children and grandchildren safe into the future.
We will support you to have an opinion piece published in your local newspaper, and provide ongoing opportunities to reach new audiences.
- Sign up to become a media spokesperson by emailing [email protected]
And we already have a parents spokesperson online training resource for you to follow along, in bite sized chunks! The total training takes about 5 hours, but you can dip in and out as you like.
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Speak
Have you got the gift of the gab, or would you like to? Now is the time to harness your personal super powers - by either building on what you are already good at, or challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone and create new superpowers!
Speaking out about climate change and climate action is a great way to create the positive change you want to see in the world! Let’s all raise up our voices and help manifest a better future for our kids!
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Nathalie Swainston | Board - Non-Executive Director
Nathalie Swainston is a mother of two young boys and a long-term climate campaigner with a focus on creating pathways to climate action for those who may not have traditionally found a place for themselves in the climate movement. She currently works as a Director with Nous Group, an Australian-founded, international Management Consulting firm and brings 20 years’ experience from a mix of strategy, marketing, campaigning, engagement and service design roles in the NFP and private sector. Prior to joining Nous, Nat was Head of Digital and Community for The Climate Council, and was one of the lead organisers of the 2015 Sydney People’s Climate March (which remains one of the best and most transformative experiences of her life to date). It was during that time she met her now husband, with whom she lives in the NSW Southern Highlands along with their two boys.
Growing up in a part of Sydney not known for strong climate advocacy stoked Nat's passion and commitment for helping all community members, regardless of politics or degree of engagement, understand the benefits that exist for us all in climate action. She is passionate about ensuring the messaging around climate action reaches beyond the climate movement - and she regularly volunteers her time to support community groups and individuals to do the same.
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Viviana Bernal published Talking with kids about climate change in Resources 2019-11-19 16:00:19 +1100
How to talk to kids of different ages to engage them on climate change and environmental issues
As a climate concerned parent I often wondered how to talk about climate change with my kids.
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has produced some useful leaflets about talking to kids about the environment (and climate). Self-regulation, adaptability and civic engagement are three aspects among many that we can help them develop to deal better in a climate-changing world. The APS suggest that for pre-school aged children focusing on caring for nature is a great way to fuel their sense of motivation for protecting their world in positive ways as they get older, that will help them engage on climate later, when they are ready.
The APS offer further suggestions for engaging primary and secondary students, being led by their questions and interest, making acting to protect the climate an everyday activity that we might share with our primary school aged children e.g. suggesting that we walk to school rather than take the car, so we can use less fossil fuel to help reduce pollution and its impact on the climate.
As we have seen in the #schoolstrike4climate movement led by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg that resulted in massive strikes by Australian school students in November 2019, many secondary students know more about climate than their parents. Asking our secondary school students what they already know, and even researching climate change together is a good approach for this age group.
For all age groups, a solutions focus, and talking about the many people working hard to protect the climate is an approach that is likely to engage kids and empower them to feel like they can make a difference.
The work of David Sobel offers what could be a good framework for considering when and how to present climate science (and climate advocacy), and generally supports the recommendations of the APS. Neighbourhood maps drawn by children aged 4-15 were used to draw out ways in which they engaged with their environment. The children, from diverse countries including USA, UK and the Caribbean, all imagined themselves in ”close, knowable worlds.”
The presentation of potentially scary information on climate change and its likely impacts may not be appropriate for children 11 and under. However parents and teachers can use their own judgement and the lead of the children’s curiosity to guide what they present.
Summary of child development stages and suggested topics to foster a sense of connection with and care of the environment and nature, and, when appropriate, climate change:
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OPEN LETTER TO THE PM - PROTECT OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE
OPEN LETTER FOR WORLD CHILDREN’S DAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2019
Dear Prime Minister Scott Morrison,
As a father and as the leader responsible for the futures of 6 million Australian children, we write to you on United Nations World Children’s Day asking you to protect the future health and safety of our children from climate breakdown.
20th November is the day of the declaration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Australia is a signatory. It commits signatories to protect the right of all children to health, protection and safety.
Australian children are already being affected badly by climate change. Climate change is contributing to longer and more ferocious bushfire seasons,
Xwhich are destroying children’s homes and their families’ livelihoods.Many parts of Australia are suffering through the worst drought in history.
XMany children are suffering as their family farms and rural towns become unviable and families are forced to move away.Heat waves are becoming longer, hotter and more frequent in Australia.
XBabies and children struggle with heat more than adults.XBoth the direct and flow-on effects of climate change affect children’s psychological wellbeing.
XWith children and teenagers facing an inhospitable world if we continue on business as usual towards a 3oC temperature rise, they are becoming more and more anxious and depressed. Many children are starting to feel that their future has no hope. The mental health crisis will greatly worsen if they are not given hope by seeing urgent action to tackle the climate crisis.In Australia and globally children are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of climate breakdown - children suffer about 90% of the disease burden from climate change.
XClimate disruption is causing more asthma, allergies and diseases that disproportionately affect children
Xand this will only increase unless we act urgently to curb greenhouse pollution and drawdown the excess carbon in the atmosphere.A future of over 2°C warming would be a dire world for our children.
Global warming is already damaging global agricultural production and food security. It is predicted that there will be 25 million additional malnourished children by 2050 due to climate disruption.
XIt is also predicted that there will be 200 million environmental refugees by 2050 if we do not stop climate breakdown.
XXThis will cause immense suffering to millions of children who are forced from their homes when climate damage renders them uninhabitable.To protect our children’s right to a safe and healthy life Australia needs to act now to cut our greenhouse emissions consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C. Scientists tell us we must act now to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate breakdown.
XMany of the solutions to the climate crisis already exist,
Xincluding using clean, renewable energy like solar and wind, protecting our biodiverse forests, upholding Indigenous land rights and allowing no new fossil fuel projects.We need to accelerate these actions in order to provide jobs and protect our food, water and homes for our kids.
Together we demand immediate emergency-scale action from the Australian Government to safeguard the future for our children, by committing to all new policies being consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, as advised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
X.SIGNED BY:
- Suzie Brown, Heidi Edmonds and Marie Carvolth, Directors, Australian Parents for Climate Action
- Professor Ann Sanson, Honorary Professor in Child Development, University of Melbourne
- Dr. Karen Kiang, Paediatrician
- Lyn Morgain, Chief Executive, Oxfam Australia
- Fiona Armstrong, Executive Director, Climate and Health Alliance
- Susanne Legena, CEO, Plan International Australia
- Steve Biddulph AM, Parent Educator and Psychologist
- Annie Butler, Federal Secretary, Australian Nurses & Midwives Federation
- Dr Eugenie Kayak and Professor Kingsley Faulkner, Co-Chairs, Doctors for the Environment Australia
- Carol Ride, Convenor, Psychology for a Safe Climate
- Kelly O’Shannassy, Executive Director, Australian Conservation Foundation
- Alexandra Fuller and Ray Yoshida, National Directors, Australian Youth Climate Coalition
- School Strike 4 Climate Australia
- Cam Walker, Campaigns Co-ordinator, Friends of the Earth Australia
- Cinnamon Evans, Chief Executive, CERES Environment Centre
- Julie-Ann Richards, Executive Director, Climate Action Network Australia
- Louise Matthiesson, Director, Queensland Conservation Council
- Rod Mitchell, National Chair, Citizens Climate Lobby
- Knitting Nannas Against Gas
- Damon Gameau, Director and Actor, Creator of the 2040 film
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