the climate reality project australia - 5 years on climate change
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For 5 years Climate Presenters in the Asia Pacific have been at the forefront of change in their communities, businesses and networks. Here is a summation of the major public events that have shaped the issue over those five years; and shares the many formative personal experiences they have had.TRANSCRIPT
THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT TIMELINE 2006-2011
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Australian Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, stakes his leadership on an emissions trading scheme.
NOVEMBER
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announces his decision to shelve the government’s emissions trading scheme, a decision that leads to a terminal decline in his approval ratings.
APRIL
The Climate Project is established in China, with a training session in Beijing.
MAY
Presenters from the Asia Pacific region attend the Our Choice training in Nashville, USA.
AUGUST The scale of the flooding of the Indus delta jolts Pakistanis into a sudden realisation of the climate crisis.
AUGUST
The Cancun Climate talks produce the ‘Cancun Agreement’, an international deal to set up a $100 billion ‘Green Climate Fund’ and to keep warming to below 2°C.
DECEMBER
Catastrophic flooding in Northern Australia covers an area larger than France and Germany combined.
FEBRUARY
A stronger call from Pacific Islands Countries at the Human Rights Council to examine the basic human rights around the impact of sea level rise on small island states.
MAY
45,000 Australians rally to ‘Say Yes’ to a price on carbon.
JUNE
The Climate Project becomes The Climate Reality Project.
SEPTEMBER
The House of Representatives pass the Clean Energy Future bills, a major step towards a carbon price in Australia.
OCTOBER
2010 2011
Zabardast Khan delivers a presentation to the religious leaders of Quetta city, who declare that the scientific revelations are perfectly in line with the teachings of Quran.
JUNE
Jenik Andreas is invited by the Environmental Agency of Malang Regency in East Java to present about climate change in front of representatives of a tobacco factory, it was the first time they had been given a clear explanation of the climate crisis.
JULY
The Climate Change Presentation Series in Baguio City draws an estimated 3760 participants.
JULY
Merewalesi Nailatikau presents at the UNICEF New Zealand Youth Congress to a group of young activists. The audience is inspired by the slide of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, and the knowledge that the average age of scientists and engineers who put him there was 26 years old. They are encouraged to accept the challenge to do something about climate change.
AUGUST
Azizah Nasution presents at an inter-religion dialog in Medan, north Sumatera, teaching her audience about the environment while helping to bring together religious communities.
SEPTEMBER
Rebecca Phyland runs the first Connector training session in Israel.
MAY
Malcolm Turnbull no longer Leader of the Opposition, losing the leadership by one vote to Tony Abbott.
DECEMBER
Jo McCubbin debates climate sceptics on ABC Radio, leading to agreement that we need to change our way of life to have a sustainable future.
DECEMBER
Lisa Kendal gives a personal perspective on the need for climate action at the ‘Famous Last Words’ event in Ballarat.
NOVEMBER
The Copenhagen climate talks - the largest international climate change conference in history. Delegate governments call for global warming to be capped at 2°C, but there is a disappointing lack of concrete proposals.
DECEMBER
For the first time in living memory, the desert city ofLeh flash flooded by a cloudburst.
AUGUST
Election of the first Green MP to Australia’s Lower House.
SEPTEMBER
President Tong of Kiribati calls for a stop to ‘business as usual’ and for ‘action’ to address the climate change crisis.
DECEMBER
Four Degrees or More - Australia in a Hot World’ conference is held in Melbourne.
JULY
Palau’s government announces that it is seeking legal advice as to the liability of polluting states for the loss and suffering in small island nations.
SEPTEMBER
In India, the Climate Reality presentation has now been delivered to approximately 6000 people.
OCTOBER
Marita Manly and Krishneil Narayan help organise the Pacific Climate Leadership Workshop in Suva.
JUNE Scott Shomer gives the ‘science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) conference’ keynote address at the University of Queensland. Following his talk on sustainability and how kids have a huge role to play, the Queensland Board of Education decided to add sustainability to the 7th grade curriculum.
JUNE
Michael Doherty vists his local Federal MP. Although the MP is a Liberal Party member, he makes it clear that he personally favoured an emissions trading scheme.
JULY
Norman Pater gets fifteen business leaders from Western Australia together to raise awareness about The Climate Project.
MAY Seema Naidu coordinates an event at the 11th Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Climate Change is the central issue, and she stresses the link between human rights, gender and climate change.
MAY
Prue Robertson generates positive conversations in Frankston City through ‘Creative Conversations on Climate Change’ which bring together 70 engaged community members to share concerns and ideas about where to go next.
MAY
Bhavesh Swami gives a presentation to a ‘Residence Welfare Society’ in Gurgaon, teaching them to reduce their carbon footprint by spending more time in communal activities
FEBRUARY
After the Asia-Pacific Summit in Jakarta, Ahmad Dhiaulhaq presents to ten Indonesian schools in less than a month.
JANUARY
Charles Julien presents to a school in China. The children are very curious, and open to all explanations.
JUNE
Sam Coffey gives a talk to a young leaders group from south-western Sydney, speaking about the power of events and public relations in influencing public opinion.
AUGUST
At the very moment when Sindh province was flooded, affecting more than 5 million people, Asif Iqbal presents live to the world as part of the 24 Hours of Reality.
SEPTEMBER
Nia Pulungan assists with Vibewire Youth Inc. and the Wise Up Rise Up project, producing articles about climate change that are relatable for a youth audience.
SEPTEMBER
Rodne Galicha is asked to present during the World Teacher’s Day celebration in front of his former high school teachers. He thanks them for teaching him the basic sciences, and they are proud that, although on an isolated island, they are able to make a difference.
OCTOBER
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The Climate Project (TCP) is established in Nashville, Tennessee.
SEPTEMBER
The Climate Project (TCP) Australia is born when Al Gore trains 84 Presenters in Sydney, Australia.
NOVEMBER The first TCP Presentation is given in Australia, on a plane flight back from the Sydney training.
NOVEMBER
The first TCP Presentation is given in Australia, on a plane flight back from the Sydney training.
NOVEMBER
Black Saturday - On a 47°C day in Melbourne, heat and bushfires lead to loss of more than 200 lives.
FEBRUARY
Telling the Truth screens across Australia on World Environment Day to an audience of more than 150,000 viewers.
JUNE
Our Choice is published in the lead-up to Copenhagen.
NOVEMBER
Randall Pearce tours New Zealand to present to ANZ bank staff in Auckland and Wellington. He works with a New Zealand-based climate scientist to ‘Kiwi-ise’ the slide show, telling a very different climate story.
NOVEMBER
Climate Project Presenter Alex Kanaar champions the first Green Game - the Waratah’s play using 100% Green Power at the Sydney Football Stadium.
MARCH
Alvin Wong presents to children at a Cambodian orphanage. Despite being one of the most marginalised groups in one of the world’s poorest countries, they are keen to make a difference.
JANUARY
Jane Crouch gives five presentations to large groups of new Australians. They are willing to learn, and share this knowledge with their families.
JULY
Ken Bezant presents to Year 6 Students at Kingsway Christian College, and debates living on the moon. When that is discounted for practical reasons they look to Mars.
AUGUST TCP Presenter Felix Riebl gives a presentation to an audience of 700 at WOMADelaide, Australia.
MARCH
2006 2007 2008 2009
An Inconvenient Truth premiers at the Sundance Film Festival.
JANUARY
Very heavy rains of short duration, leading to flash floods across desert regions. Hundreds lose their lives in the Rajasthan floods.
AUGUST
The Stern Report released - establishing the economic imperative to act on climate change.
OCTOBER
An Antarctic iceberg, a fragment from a crumbling ice shelf, drifts past New Zealand.
NOVEMBER
During a climate change presentation delivered by Melbourne based presenter Ben Wheaton, PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia announces it plans to be carbon neutral by July 2008.
SEPTEMBER
First Australian version of Al Gore’s climate presentation was given by Matthew Gray and Anna Keenan to seven members of the Brisbane City Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee.
NOVEMBER
170 Australian Presenters are trained by Al Gore at The Arts Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
SEPTEMBER
In his first act as Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd signs Australia up to the Kyoto Protocol and is welcomed at the UNFCCC meeting in Bali.
DECEMBER
The Climate Project launches in India with a training session in New Delhi.
MARCH
Heavy flooding in Indonesia.
JULY
Severe storms and flooding in Fiji destroys more than 2000 homes, displaces thousands & causes in excess of FJD$80 million of damage - a tremendous cost to government, communities and families.
JANUARY
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to raise awareness and understanding of man-made climate change.
DECEMBER
National Greenhouse & Energy Reporting legislation introduced in Australia - forcing businesses to account for their carbon emissions.
JULY
TCP Australia documentary Telling the Truth premiers in Sydney, hosted by Cate Blanchett.
OCTOBER
Ross Hamilton puts the climate change ‘elephant in the room’ on the table in confidence (closed environment) with key decision makers of large corporations. He debunks many myths and helps articulate a pathway forward for the resources industry.
MAY
Anna Swarbrick speaks with an international audience at Design Science Lab in Philadelphia, and uses the knowledge she gains to bring ideas to a presentation for the United Nation in New York.
JUNE
Aditya Pundir presents to community leaders about the impact climate change will have on India, and how they can help educate their neighbours on ways to mitigate it.
SEPTEMBER
Imogen Jubb discusses clean energy solutions with local MPs.
SEPTEMBER
Karin Geiselhart presents to a full house at the Canberra Institute of Technology, sowing the seeds for a productive alliance.
APRIL
Anonymously hacked emails from a climate science research institute spur ‘Climategate’ controversy.
NOVEMBER
The Asia Pacific Summit in Melbourne, Australia sees the training of 300 additional Presenters from 21 countries.
JULY
Four major typhoons in four weeks effect most of the Philippines. This expedites climate change legislation in the country.
SEPTEMBER
The Climate Project launches in Indonesia.
JULY
The 24 Hours of Reality presentations roll out around the world, they are watched by more than 8 million people.
SEPTEMBER
The Climate Project 2011 - Asia Pacific Summit in Jakarta trains 300 Presenters from 16 countries.
JANUARY The Government announces its $24.5 billion, Clean Energy package.
JUNE
Heavy downpours and floods in the Sindh province make the public question whether this is the ‘new normal’.
SEPTEMBER
Massive flooding in Pakistan submerges one-fifth of the country, affecting 20 million people.
JULY
BHP Billiton head Maris Kloppers declares his support for a price on carbon, reigniting the carbon pricing debate in Australia.
SEPTEMBER
90,000 Australians ‘Walk Against Warming’.
DECEMBER
2000-3000 negative campaigners attend the Anti-Carbon Tax Rally in Canberra.
MARCH
Kiribati President Anote Tong admits to considering models of a floating island for his country’s future.
SEPTEMBER
The Australian Federal election brings a Labour government to power - promising action on climate change.
NOVEMBER
The Australian Government releases details of a proposed emissions trading scheme - the CPRS.
JULY
72% of Australians support the Government’s proposed emissions trading scheme.
OCTOBER
TCP Australia announces that Presenters have spoken to 1 in 100 Australians.
The Climate Project launches in Canada, with a training session in Montreal.
APRIL
The Climate Project launches in Mexico, with a training session in Mexico City.
SEPTEMBER
A feeling of hope creates momentum in the lead up to the Copenhagen climate talks.
July
Jo Tenner attends the Copenhagen climate summit.
DECEMBER
Dian Anggraini presents to a group of people with Parkinson’s disease and their families. They say that it is the first time anyone has taken the time to explain climate change to them properly, and it has motivated them.
MAY
The Hungry Tide launches at the Sydney Film Festival, highlighting the plight of the country of Kiribati.
JUNE
Ruci-Mafi Botei presents to her village in Nakawaga, Fiji. After her presentation, the clan plants fifty sandalwood seedlings in a ceremony involving local children and indigenous Fijian traditions.
JULY
Alex White helps lead Labor’s community climate campaign as National Secretary of Labor Environment Action Network.
MARCH