Meet the team – Merryn
Every month we’ll be getting to know a new CAMer and putting them through their paces with our 20 Questions.
This month we ask CAMs MasterChef, whale warrior and ring arounder – Merryn, the hard questions.
1 Likes
Sunlight; desert landscapes; the kind of travelling where you get somewhere new everyday; hiking; Kikkoman organic soy sauce; vegan ice cream; fair trade chocolate; HBO TV series; animals in the wild; activists and civil society campaigners.
2 Dislikes
Things that are cheap because someone has being exploited to make them. Companies that pay people to do horrible things. Consumption that doesn’t take into account the consequences on others. And also, when a TV series gets axed halfway through the season.
3 What do you do?
I’m a pediatric doctor, working in a Children’s Emergency Department. Over the last two summers I was ship’s doctor on the Sea Shepherd ship the Steve Irwin in Antarctica, looking after people protecting whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. (more…)
Add comment July 20, 2010
How not to conduct an interview
As a part of working with CAM I’ve needed to find some new skills. A few of those skills are:
- keeping your banner from drooping in the middle when at a protest march.
- writing to politicians, demanding action on the greatest moral challenge of our time, without swearing.
- knocking on a complete stranger’s door and asking them to help close a power station.
But the most recent skill that I’ve acquired, in order to bring you all the best local climate news, is how to conduct an interview. And my first interview ever was with long-serving member for Brunswick Carlo Carli.
First rule of journalism, be prepared
After playing email tag for a couple of weeks it was proving difficult to find a mutual alignment of our diaries. Thinking I’d have better luck arranging a date and time using the powers of speech rather than type, I decided to ring Carlo’s office.
I was expecting Carlo either not be there or to be unavailable to take a call. So was somewhat surprised when I got straight through. Carlo kindly suggested that we do the interview over the phone. Diary at the ready I was also surprised when Carlo suggested we just do it now. “Yes, thanks – that’ll be great” was my reply – but in my head I was thinking What – now! C**p, I’m completely unprepared. (more…)
Add comment July 20, 2010
Morelanders protest government stance on dirty power giant
Members of a local community group will protest on Sydney Road on Saturday as part of an ongoing campaign to replace Australia’s dirtiest power station at Hazelwood in the La Trobe valley. Community groups around the country are mobilising to call for the closing of Hazelwood, and Climate Action Moreland has played a crucial role in putting pressure on State and Federal politicians. (more…)
Add comment July 16, 2010
Brumby can’t see the world’s biggest polluter through the smokestacks!
The problem is Hazelwood but Brumby can’t see the solution
Our campaign to close the Hazelwood power station is working. How else would you explain the Brumby government, four months out from the State election, leaking to the Age that they are contemplating closing one quarter of Hazelwood? But … one quarter? That’s only half of half the job!
The announcement is big news and shows that all our efforts are really making a difference. It shows that grassroots campaigning, like door knocking and holding community stalls, is really successful. (more…)
Add comment July 11, 2010
“Replace Hazelwood” says local Federal MP to Parliament
Local Federal MP Kelvin Thompson has called on the Federal Parliament to support replacing Australia’s dirtiest power station. “Australians are hungry for action to tackle carbon emissions” stated Thompson, who acknowledged that he has been contacted by many of his constituents urging “strong, effective, urgent action” to reduce emissions.
Kelvin Thomson
Thompson championed Environment Victoria’s report: Fast-tracking Victoria’s clean energy future to replace Hazelwood power station, which outlines a plan for transitioning to other energy sources by 2013. He noted that “replacing Hazelwood will not only cut Victoria’s carbon emissions by over 10 per cent; it will free up 27 billion litres of water each year”. (more…)
Add comment July 10, 2010
Meet the team – June
Every month we’ll be getting to know a new CAMer and putting them through their paces with our 20 Questions.
And in the month of June, who better to meet than Jane!
1. Likes
Russian doorstop novels, leatherman multi-tools, cooking with spices, bushwalking, Melbourne, sleeping in.
2. Dislikes
The pressure to own the latest cool gadget, amusement park rides that spin you around, chokos, those people who come to your door trying to get you to change electricity providers.
3. What do you do?
Right now I’m finishing off some studies, being a parent to two small children, and starting up a small business. Yes, I’m way too busy.
4. What’s your background?
I grew up in Sydney, moved around a fair bit including stints in Cairns and the Blue Mts, fell in love with Melbourne and wouldn’t live anywhere else. My work background is mainly in communications, though I’ve worked in a variety of fields. (more…)
Add comment June 16, 2010
Hazelwood power station – A brief history
Everything you wanted to know about Hazelwood, but was afraid to ask.
THE EARLY YEARS
47 years of pollution.
1949 – The State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV) begins developing the brown coal reserves at Morewell, also known as the ‘Morwell Project’.
1959 – Hazelwood Power Station is approved. It’s planned to consist of six 200 MW generating units, giving a total generating capacity of 1,200 MW.
1963 – Growing demand for electricity forces the SECV to review this capacity.
1964 – Hazelwood begins its commission.
1965 – Approval of two additional units is granted.
1971 – After twelve years Hazelwood is finally fully functional producing 1,600 megawatts of base load electricity. (more…)
Add comment June 15, 2010
Climate Action Moreland goes national
It was late January when Climate Action Moreland decided that this year we were going to embrace the Hazelwood campaign, and push ourselves into an activity that we’d never tried before – doorknocking house to house. In this double election year, we knew this was the time to take our message out there, to the streets and the people of Brunswick (watch the video here).
Climate Action Moreland members at the Hazelwood protest Sept 2009
And not only has our campaign been successful in Brunswick, but it’s now spread throughout Melbourne and Australia. Inspired by the depth of community support for our campaign in Brunswick, climate action groups around the country are using our doorknocking techniques in their local areas, groups like Climate Action Newtown and Parramatta Climate Action Now in Sydney, as well as our neighbours Darebin Climate Action Now, Yarra Climate Action Now, and Inner West Climate Change Community. (more…)
Add comment June 15, 2010
Send your MP back to school!
Climate Action Moreland is partnering with some great presenters, running a workshop this Sunday to re-educate our elected representatives. We want every MP to know what we’ve known for years. That it is possible to have 100% renewable electricity and you can do it by 2020.
This training session has been developed to provide the skills we’ll need to effectively meet with and re-educate our politicians. They’ll be guest speakers from Beyond Zero Emissions, the Climate Action Centre and Environment Victoria.
If you’ve ever been so mad at the stupid things your politicians do that you wanted to take action, but wasn’t quite sure how to go about it – then this is for you. And with two elections this year your influence will never be stronger. (more…)
Add comment June 15, 2010
Meet the team – May
Every month we’ll be getting to know a new CAMer and putting them through their paces with our 20 Questions.
This month we meet our resident designer Wayne.
1 Likes
Politics (I know – I’m strange), films, movies, art, most sport – especially AFL (come on Port), Brandkarma.com, cappuccino, brunch, Yorkshire puddings, NGOs, bush-walking, camping, Yoga, oh and my bike.
2 Dislikes
Right wing conservative media commentators, vested interests, Collingwood football club, people who are rude, really hot days (anything over 40), most politicians and tv commercials.
3 What do you do?
I’m a Graphic Designer and Community Campaigner
4 When was the last time you gave to charity?
Last month – my nephew has cancer and we’re trying to raise money for his treatment http://www.ashleysfund.blogspot.com/
Continue Reading Add comment May 11, 2010
