Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change

Meet the team: Ellen

September 27, 2010 at 6:56 pm morelandclimategroup Leave a comment

Every month we get to know a different CAMer, putting them through their paces with our 20 Questions.

This month we find-out about one of CAM’s creators, organiser extraordinaire and late night R’n’B listener – Ellen.

1 Likes
Train travel, dancing around the lounge room, carbohydrates and the novel I’m reading at the moment – A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.

2 Dislikes
The fermented products that my boyfriend makes me eat cause their good for me.

3 What do you do?

• For money: a variety of jobs – researcher, conference organiser, composter, refugee advocate.
• For love: climate campaigning with Climate Action Moreland and Friends of the Earth (and most of the things I do for money too…)

4 What do you like about Moreland?
The density of lemon trees per square kilometre.

5 What do you do in Climate Action Moreland?
I organise events, like our candidate’s forum coming up on 28th October, and activities like the doorknocking (next one October 17). I use every opportunity to shamelessly promote them! I’m also active in State and National based networks and link Climate Action Moreland to what other groups are doing.

6 What’s your biggest fear about Climate Change?
That we force the Earth’s climate to change so quickly that it can’t recover and permanently loses the capacity to support all life, forever. It’s called the Venus Syndrome and NASA’s climate scientist James Hansen talks about it in his latest book, Storms of My Grandchildren.

7 What action would you like to see happen on Climate Change?
A genuine transformation of domestic energy production, and reining in Australia’s huge and expanding export coal industry.

8 Funniest CAM story?
Arguing with the Citizens Electoral Council outside a climate debate we organised at Coburg Town Hall. They were  handing out corks for people to put up their bums to stop the methane from farts. The CEC are climate deniers (amongst other not so nice things). They said it was their right to do it! I didn’t see it as that funny at the time though.

9 What have you done to live a more sustainable life?
Share housing, water catching, not buying very much stuff, sharing my life between paid and unpaid work.

10 What do you like about CAM?
Our unashamedly political focus.

11 If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?
Employ an organiser for Climate Action Moreland so we can do all those things that we always gesticulate wildly about and put up on the whiteboard at our planning sessions but don’t have the time or resources to do.

12 If you were the leader of the world what’s the first thing you’d do?
Hand my power back to the people.

13 What song would you like played at your funeral?
Dress Sexy at My Funeral by Smog

14 Which dead person would you most like to have a drink with?
American author and activist James Baldwin

15 If a movie was made of your life who would you like to play you?
Courtney Love

16 Red or Blue?
Is that like the difference between the ALP and Liberal?

17 What keeps you awake at night?
Young people in the next door car park playing bad R’n’B on their car stereos, and thoughts of people in immigration detention.

18 What’s are you reading at the moment?
In addition to A Fine Balance, the Lomborg Deception by Howard Friel about Swedish economist and sometimes climate sceptic Bjorn Lomborg.

19 Where is your favourite place to eat.
Tiba’s and Rezah Afghan Kebab, both on Sydney Road, both within walking distance of my house.

20 What’s your favourite drink?
At the moment: Shiraz.

Entry filed under: 20 Questions. Tags: Brunswick.