Blogs
4b. Global Virtual Town Hall
AUSTRALIA – Pimlico State High School
1. What does it mean to “decolonize”?
Our definition of decolonize is:
The act of reversing the impact of colonization and assisting those nations, peoples and environments who have been affected by the negative effects of colonization.
Today, colonization still exists in a new form. This colonization is big business and multinational corporations exploiting nations, peoples and environments for profit.
To decolonize means to listen to the wishes of the people and countries, who today, suffer from the effects of past colonisation or the interests of big business.
To decolonize means to listen to Indigenous people, explore their knowledge of the environment and listen to their solutions to climate change – even if we do not like their solutions.
Examples:
- Papua New Guinea is being exploited by a large Australian multinational corporation, Newcrest Mining at the Lihir Gold Mine. This mine has a major impact on the environment including waterways. Profits flow to the Australian company with royalties paid to PNG.
- Morocco’s phosphate mining has resulted in a mine that has displaced the indigenous people of the area. This could be considered colonization within their own country – the powerful dictating to the weak.
- The Indian company Adani is building a coal mine, railway and port in Australia to export coal to India. Adani has received government support and concessions in an effort to create jobs in Australia. Many Australia’s are not happy with this situation due to the effects of coal on the environment and possible impact on the Great Barrier Reef.Other Australians are upset at Australian mining interests being under the control of a foreign owned company. Is Australia experiencing the effects of modern colonisation – big business? Are Australians upset because the owners are an Asian company?
Solutions:
Big business and multinational corporations exploit and manipulate smaller and less developed nations by promises of royalties, quick returns and job creation. Lack of power, wealth and control of their economic development hinders these countries to develop sustainable economies nor have adequate funding for other pressing concerns such as climate change.
Instead of exploiting nations, the richer nations, specifically the traditional colonisers, should focus on maintaining relationships that focus on finding effective solutions faced by these countries. This could include aid in the forms of research, technical advice, technology and funding specific projects that assist these nations in dealing with climate change. The former colonial powers have a moral obligation to assist.
The new colonisers, multinational corporations, must put aside a percentage of their profits from developing nations to:
- Provide funding to assist developing nations to adapt to and put in strategies to cope with the effects of climate change.
- Provide education and training to the peoples of developing nations to assist with economic development and sustainability.
2. What does it mean to “decarbonize”?
Our definition of decarbonize is:
Reducing the effects of climate change through minimising our carbon and other greenhouse emissions. Climate change is real – it does not matter whether it is a natural process or human induced – many nations of the planet are already paying the price.
Examples:
- Palau is an island country located in the western Pacific Ocean. The country contains 586 islands, forming the western chain of the Caroline Islands in Micronesia. Palau is struggling to preserve its way of life and to preserve its biodiversity in the face of warming oceans, changing rainfall patterns and rising seas. The big challenges facing Palau are soil salinity and rising sea levels. Most of Palau’s infrastructure is built upon low lying islands vulnerable to sea level rises while the mountainous areas are covered in dense forest. Ocean acidification is reducing ecosystem biodiversity. Palau is more exposed to unpredictable weather patterns and weather events such as typhoons/cyclones.
Indigenous Palauan’s rely on the sea as their primary food source. They have learnt how to effectively harvest from the sea in a sustainable manner. What can other nations learn from Palau’s methods of harvesting?
The Palauan Government believes that the solution to climate change is maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity.
Palau’s Climate Change Policy/Action Plan 2015 is:
- To create ecosystem resilience to counter ground water salinity and ocean acidification.
- Researching alternative renewable energy sources such as a biogas project based on pig manure.
- Building and improving infrastructure to withstand climate change and natural disasters.
- The question is: What contribution can Palau’s former colonial masters (Spain, Germany, Japan and the USA) make to assist Palau deal with climate change?
- Indigenous Australians, the Aboriginal people, are benefiting through carbon farming by utilizing controlled burns which is offsetting the carbon dioxide produced by business. The Australia government pays the Aboriginal communities carbon credits which they can sell on the open market. Indigenous people can financially benefit from climate change.
- REDD+ - Industrialized countries have agreed to reduce their carbon dioxide production. They have also agreed to slow down, and in some instances stop deforestation. REDD+ main aim is to make a tree more valuable standing than to be cut down. (Can Indigenous people profit from this action?) This allows forests to remain and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thus reducing the effects of climate change.
REDD+ believes in paying developing nations to not cut down trees. Should they be paying developing nations to plant trees which creates jobs and income for native peoples?
- FPIC (Informed Prior and Informed Consent) allows Indigenous people to give their input on climate change issues. It is recognised by the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP)/ It allows Indigenous people to give or refuse their consent to a project that may affect them. They have the power to withdraw from the agreement if they are adversely affected. Is this honoured by all nations in relation to their Indigenous people?
Solutions:
- REDD+ believes in paying developing nations to not cut down trees. Should they be paying developing nations to plant trees which creates jobs and income for native peoples?
- Ban all new coal mines in Australia
- Australia to stop exporting coal
- Tax coal
- Invest in making green power more reliable – build/install batteries to prevent power outages when green energy cannot be guaranteed.
- Explore other energy sources including nuclear.
- Stop allowing multinational companies exploiting the natural resources of the developing world which are a cause of climate change. The environmental cost of those resources should be attributed to the home nation of the multinational corporation.
- The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) aims to reduce a number of environmental and economic justice issues including climate change. Through the protection of sacred forest lands, they contribute to the amount of trees which retain carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. What can non-Indigenous people learn from this approach?
- Reduce greenhouse gases by minimizing the use of polythene, plastic and paper.
- Build productive relationships that allow all parties to find ways to develop, resulting in collaborative development rather than relationships built on power and exploitation.
- Raise awareness of climate change in all nations. Many nations such as Australia have disengaged with the issue due to political and business influences. Some people of developing nations may not be aware of the real climate change issues facing their country and the impact on future generations.
3. The Overlap Between Decolonize and Decarbonize
- The exploitation through traditional colonization or modern colonization, big business, contributes significantly to climate change.
- Many Indigenous peoples have solutions to climate change problems – we need to listen
- Indigenous people can benefit financially through projects addressing the issue of climate change by earning and selling carbon credits. Indigenous people can turn the tables and exploit big business.
- Former colonial powers and multinational corporations that have, or are, exploiting smaller nations and peoples should fund projects that address their issues or problems in relation to climate change. These nations or peoples do not have the resources to adapt to or combat climate change – this is the means by which this can happen.
- There is a need to educate the people about climate change and its effects on all people of earth. Stop the distraction of whether it is natural or human induced – climate change is real and people’s lives and well-being are at risk. Climate change is everyone’s problem.
4. Participation
PERSONAL LEVEL
- Purchase carbon offsets
- Reduce electricity use
- Reduce consumption of non-biodegradable materials
- Reduce consumption – be less of a consumer
- Purchase environmentally friendly foods and products
- Stop food waste
- Use public transport
- Participate in events such as COP22, either in person, who through our representatives.
LOCAL LEVEL
- Pressure Townsville City Council from supporting the Carmichael Coal Mine (Adani)
- Visit primary schools and teach them about climate change issues and this project.
NATIONAL LEVEL
- Pressure the Australian Federal Government to reduce and eventually ban the use of coal to generate electricity.
- Promote alternative energy sources and effective storage to ensure that green energy can reduce traditional power production.
- Strengthen and grow relationships with the Indigenous people of Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, to find solutions and opportunities for our shared problems.
- Ban plastic and polythene.
GLOBAL LEVEL
- Listening to developing countries and Indigenous people’s opinions and ideas to reduce climate change – not assume that the developed nations are the only ones with the answers.
- Raise awareness in the international community about the impact of climate change on the developing nations and Indigenous people of the world. Share the stories of those countries whose well-being and future are threatened by climate change. Recognise that climate change is everyone’s problem and that we need a global response.
