Mudgee Guardian article, ANIKA HUME 8 Apr, 2011
A founding member of a major Mid-Western environmental action group fronted a crowd of more than 4000 environmental crusaders in a rally against climate change in Sydney on the weekend.
Co-founder of the Running Stream Water Users Association Nell Schofield led the activists gathering in Belmore Park near Sydney’s Central Station on Saturday after being elected the mistress of ceremonies by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW just the day before.
Ms Schofield stirred rally-goers to call for government action on climate change between speeches from the CEOs of Greenpeace and GetUp and a mum from Roselle who is working for change with her local climate action group.
A number of environmental action groups from across the state and country were present at the non-partisan event, organised by a coalition of community social groups to represent the views of groups like the Australian Youth Climate Coalition which includes more than 58 000 young people.
Ms Schofield said the event was part of a series of short notice, positive-natured rallies produced by GetUp to counteract a string of rallies against the proposed carbon tax in Melbourne and Sydney.
“There are just as many people in support of action on climate change and a shift from prehistoric fossil fuel power generation which destroys resources as there are attending these negative rallies you see on TV,” she said.
“The crowds attending these anti-carbon tax, politically-motivated rallies are older - they aren’t moving with the times and they aren’t thinking about the world they are leaving behind for the next generation.
“Last weekend’s rally was a much more family-friendly, non-political, forward-moving event aimed at striving together for a positive future.”
Ms Schofield said the day featured a great spread of speakers and a great turnout that was kept entertained by a great band, Sunchasers Collective, who operate from a portable solar panel and solar power generator.
“It was hard to get people out to our recent anti-coal seam gas rally because it was raining, but this time we had a great response and a lot more city folk coming out for the rally which was really good to see,” she said.
Ms Schofield, an official presenter for Al Gore’s Climate Change Project, said that as a district “ravaged by coal mining” the Mid-Western region had a very real role to play in shifting people’s perceptions of energy consumption and shifting Australia’s economy to one based on sustainable energy.
“Ninety eight per cent of us take out insurance against the theft of our car when there is just a two per cent chance of it being stolen. Yet there is a 98 per cent chance of catastrophic climate change happening, so not to take out insurance against that probability is morally reprehensible really,” she said.
“Everyone in the coal mining industry has enough smarts in their head to pick up a new skill and learn how to create a wind turbine, a solar panel or a geothermal plant, so it’s time that energy workers shifted their focus to working towards a new sustainable energy world.”
Ms Schofield is currently contending to become an official Environmental Justice Society Environmental Crusader.
Winning would allow Ms Schofield to meet environmental campaigner Erin Brokovich, who launched the society. Voting in the competition finishes today (Friday).
To vote for Ms Schofield, visit environmenalcrusader.com.au/autho r/nell
- correction - http://www.environmentalcrusader.com.au/author/nell/
Co-founder of the Running Stream Water Users Association Nell Schofield led the activists gathering in Belmore Park near Sydney’s Central Station on Saturday after being elected the mistress of ceremonies by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW just the day before.
Ms Schofield stirred rally-goers to call for government action on climate change between speeches from the CEOs of Greenpeace and GetUp and a mum from Roselle who is working for change with her local climate action group.
A number of environmental action groups from across the state and country were present at the non-partisan event, organised by a coalition of community social groups to represent the views of groups like the Australian Youth Climate Coalition which includes more than 58 000 young people.
Ms Schofield said the event was part of a series of short notice, positive-natured rallies produced by GetUp to counteract a string of rallies against the proposed carbon tax in Melbourne and Sydney.
“There are just as many people in support of action on climate change and a shift from prehistoric fossil fuel power generation which destroys resources as there are attending these negative rallies you see on TV,” she said.
“The crowds attending these anti-carbon tax, politically-motivated rallies are older - they aren’t moving with the times and they aren’t thinking about the world they are leaving behind for the next generation.
“Last weekend’s rally was a much more family-friendly, non-political, forward-moving event aimed at striving together for a positive future.”
Ms Schofield said the day featured a great spread of speakers and a great turnout that was kept entertained by a great band, Sunchasers Collective, who operate from a portable solar panel and solar power generator.
“It was hard to get people out to our recent anti-coal seam gas rally because it was raining, but this time we had a great response and a lot more city folk coming out for the rally which was really good to see,” she said.
Ms Schofield, an official presenter for Al Gore’s Climate Change Project, said that as a district “ravaged by coal mining” the Mid-Western region had a very real role to play in shifting people’s perceptions of energy consumption and shifting Australia’s economy to one based on sustainable energy.
“Ninety eight per cent of us take out insurance against the theft of our car when there is just a two per cent chance of it being stolen. Yet there is a 98 per cent chance of catastrophic climate change happening, so not to take out insurance against that probability is morally reprehensible really,” she said.
“Everyone in the coal mining industry has enough smarts in their head to pick up a new skill and learn how to create a wind turbine, a solar panel or a geothermal plant, so it’s time that energy workers shifted their focus to working towards a new sustainable energy world.”
Ms Schofield is currently contending to become an official Environmental Justice Society Environmental Crusader.
Winning would allow Ms Schofield to meet environmental campaigner Erin Brokovich, who launched the society. Voting in the competition finishes today (Friday).
To vote for Ms Schofield, visit
- correction - http://www.environmentalcrusader.com.au/author/nell/
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