Original story at ABC News
Organisers say 60,000 people attended rallies across the country today calling for stronger action on climate change.
Protesters gather during the National Day of Climate Action rally in Brisbane. The rallies were held in capital cities and more than 130 towns and regional centres. Photo: Kate Donnelly, AAP
The National Day of Climate Action was organised by activist groups including GetUp, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and the Australian Conservation Foundation.
GetUp says 30,000 people gathered for the Melbourne event while 10,000 defied the rain to rally in Sydney.
The rallies were held in capital cities and more than 130 towns and regional centres.
National director of GetUp Sam Mclean says the rallies prove Australians believe climate change is a serious issue.
“From remote country towns to the big cities, Australians have come to their own conclusions after our hottest year on record. And they want action,” he said.
At the Sydney event, Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek was among the speakers.
She criticised the Coalition for not sending a senior Government representative to this week’s climate talks in Warsaw.
“Was a trading emissions scheme working? Yes. Electricity from old brown sources of energy down, renewable up by 30 per cent in the first year of its operation,” she told the crowd.
“Australia can’t go backwards in the face of global action.”
‘Politicians should listen to people around the country’
At Melbourne’s Treasury Place, campaigners donned board shorts, bikinis and sunscreen to highlight their cause, calling on politicians to act on climate change.
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s Tony Mohr said it was time politicians started listening.
“Australians want to make sure that we continue to reduce emissions,” Mr Mohr said.
“So politicians should listen to people around the country today – don’t repeal the laws that we’ve got, and actually increase them, make them stronger, make them reduce pollution further.”
The Climate Council’s Tim Flannery also spoke at the Melbourne rally and called on the public to further embrace renewable energy.
“The simple truth is this, that we cannot leave a matter as important as climate change to the fickleness and whim of Australia’s politicians,” he said.
At the Adelaide rally in Elder Park, chief executive of the Conservation Council, Tim Kelly, said recent events did not bode well for cutting carbon emissions.
“One of the most disturbing things has been the moves to wind back the carbon price, to abandon the clean energy finance corporation, to cut funding to the Australian renewable energy agency, and getting rid of the climate change authority,” Mr Kelly said.
“We’re really heading in the wrong direction to tackle climate change.”
More than 500 people in Darwin marched from the Rapid Creek bridge to the Nightcliff pool in support of the event.
Chanting “Aim higher, we want climate action” and holding placards that read “Climate science is not a croc”, the group demanded the Federal Government change its policy on climate change.
Stuart Blanch from the Northern Territory Environment Centre says a price on carbon is the best way to address climate change.
“We think they need to listen to the many people in big business who want a carbon price,” Mr Blanch said.
The campaign has been strong on social media, with hundreds of people sharing photos and videos on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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