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4c. #Decarbonize: #Decolonize – AUSTRALIA FINAL REPORT
1. Connect issues of power (colonization) to climate issues, using examples from what you learned throughout the project.
According to the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, the concept of colonization is based on the concept of the subjugation of one people to another. Colonialism involves political and economic control over a dependent territory through the transfer of population to a new territory, where the arrivals lived as permanent settlers while maintaining political allegiance to their country of origin.
Kohn, Margaret and Reddy, Kavita, "Colonialism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2017/entries/colonialism/
A better term to apply to the connection between colonization and climate issues is imperialism. Imperialism, like colonialism, also involves political and economic control over a dependent territory but considers a broader range of actions such as settlement, sovereignty, or indirect mechanisms of control.
It could be argued that colonization was, and is, motivated by greed and is justified as a “right to commerce” which in the past included trade, missionary work and exploration. Rich, powerful countries and multinational companies worldwide, have been exploiting the small, mostly island, nations of the Pacific and the Indigenous peoples for many years.
There is no way for a country to return to a pristine pre-colonial time. Therefore to decolonize, by reversing colonization, may not be possible or desirable but it is important for the colonized and the colonizers to acknowledge the impact, however painful it may be, as history cannot, and should not, be rewritten or whitewashed. The key to decolonization is a conscious act of cultural revitalization. There needs to be a focus on the cultures dismantled during colonialism - the recognition of the value of traditional knowledge, values and lifestyles. The colonizers and the colonized need to live under a new cultural understanding in solidarity with those living within their traditional cultural ways.
Chris Kortright, Colonization and Identity, https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/chris-kortright-colonization-and-identity
We also need to acknowledge that colonization, or imperialism, still exists in the form of big business and multinational corporations exploiting nations, peoples and environments for profit.
A better approach to decolonize would be to listen to the wishes of the people and countries, who today, suffer from the effects of past colonisation or the present interests of big business and developed nations. It means listening to the Indigenous peoples of the world, explore their knowledge of the environment and listen to their solutions to climate change – even if we do not like their solutions.
Developed nations, governments of developed and developing nations and multinational corporations have a moral obligation to address the impacts of climate change. The colonizers must respond as a matter of ‘global justice’.
Examples of the connection of power (colonization) to climate issues include:
A. Former Colonies of the Pacific face the Reality of Climate Change: The Pacific is the world`s largest ocean with a surface area of 175 million sq. km and constitutes for 40% of the planet`s waters. It makes up the world`s largest storage of thermal energy for exchange with atmosphere. The interaction between atmosphere and ocean is most extreme and influences the climate not only regionally but planet-wide. The ocean is the most important factor controlling the environment and life. Any change in oceanic conditions and climatic changes are important for environment and life, not only to the nations of the Pacific but the entire planet. These former colonies are at the forefront of the war on climate change and thus showing the developed world the way.
The Pacific region has experienced devastating cyclones, storm surges, coral bleaching, and irregular rainfall patterns. Sea level rise threatens low-lying islands, where salt water infiltrates drinking water wells and kills staple food crops, as well as damaging property.
Low lying nations in the Central Pacific are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. Most of these islands are coral atolls, or ring-shaped reef islands that lie only a few meters above sea level. Some communities in Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Marshall Islands are surrounded by water at high tides.
Sea level rise in combination with human-made changes to the shoreline has increased coastal erosion. Whether the islands disappear or not, local communities face difficult living conditions at high tides.
B.Access to Climate Finance: Australia has responsibility to support the needs of our Pacific neighbours through greater access to climate finance. It is a matter of ‘global justice’ as Australia, as a major contributor to emissions, a major exporter of coal and home to numerous multinational corporations, has a duty to assist those nations of the pacific who are the most vulnerable to climate change, and have the least resources to respond. Australia provision of funding to climate funding has included A$70 million in 2014–2015, A$60 million in 2015–2016 and A$20 million in 2016–2017. Australia has to contribute significantly more.
A high proportion of Pacific island people live in rural and remote areas and rely on subsistence farming and fishing. They are strongly affected by shifting rainfall patterns, as well as the impact of a warming and acidifying ocean on marine life. As a wealthy industrialised nation, Australia has a responsibility to support the needs of our Pacific neighbours through greater collaboration and collective action based on their needs and plans of action and not dedicated by the powerful nations. Climate finance should not be controlled or distributed by the wealthy industrialised nation nor should Multinational Corporation’s benefit financially from any of the solutions. Climate finance should be spent locally to address the climate action needs of the Pacific Island nations while generating income and prosperity for the country.
C.Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs): At the Paris Agreement, countries made pledges to cut emissions based on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). This includes a commitment to more ambitious commitments every five years including responses to loss and damage – one of the biggest concerns for Pacific island countries.
Various Pacific Island nations, most at threat of climate change, have set and committed to ambitious INDCs targets:
- Palau: A 30% reduction in energy consumption by 2020; 20% contribution of renewable energy to the energy mix by 2020.
- Samoa: To reach 100% renewable electricity generation by the year 2017.
- Tuvalu: Committed to get 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.
- Tonga: 50% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020.
- Solomon Islands: Committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12% below 2015 level by 2025 and 30% below 2015 level by 2030.
- Niue: Niue’s aspiration to meet 80% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2025.
- Marshall Islands: Plans to reduce emissions from: the electricity generation sector by 55% in 2025, and 66% in 2030; transportation (including domestic shipping) by 16% in 2025 and 27% in 2030; waste by 20% by 2030; and 15% from other sectors (cooking and lighting) by 2030.
- Kiribati: Aims to reduce its emissions by 61.8% by 2030.
- (Source: Pacific Climate Change Portal, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) - https://www.pacificclimatechange.net/
- The former colonized nations have set bold and ambitious targets. Why have many of the former colonial powers and industrialised nations, such as Australia, attempted to reduce their targets and commitments. The former colonized nations now lead the way on climate change action.
D.The Rise of New Colonialism – the Multinationals: In relation to mining, more than half of ASX listed Australian mining companies operate overseas and an estimated 105 ASX listed companies and mining exploration in the Pacific region, only outdone by mining in Africa (206 companies) and Australia itself (662 companies). Examples of these resource extractions can be found in the small islands of Banaba, Nauru, Timor Leste (also known as East Timor) and Christmas Island.
More than half of ASX listed Australian mining companies operate overseas and have extracted more than $2 trillion in five years.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2016-08-10/global-mining-trade-map-for-australia/7715426
Phosphate, mainly found in the form of guano, phosphorus and nitrogen rich bird excretion, is a valuable fertiliser. It is strategically important in food production and, like petroleum, is a resource of fierce international competition. Some predictions indicate that, with the current rate of consumption, the known global reserves of phosphate may be used up by the year 2060. Phosphate is found in abundance in the Pacific Islands and since the early 20th century Australia has sought supplies of phosphate in the Pacific Islands, conducting extensive mining on Banaba, Nauru and Christmas Island under the administration of the British Phosphate Commission. These islands have suffered environmental devastation and their indigenous people have experienced grave cultural and social dislocation, due to the Australian phosphate mining, showing the calamitous effects of rich nations exploiting the countries and Indigenous peoples of the Pacific. By providing more fertilizers to farmers in some of the world’s poorest nations and reducing nitrogen and phosphorus losses to the environment in developed and rapidly developing ones, we could reduce some of the risks of a changing climate.
Australia has also been exploiting resources in the form of oil from East Timor. In 1989, Australia and Indonesia signed the Timor Gap Treaty when East Timor was still under Indonesian occupation, leaving East Timor with no permanent maritime border and resulting in Indonesia and Australia sharing the wealth, in what was known as the Timor Gap. When East Timor gained independence and the Timor Sea Treaty was signed in 2002, no permanent maritime border was negotiated. East Timor argued the border should sit halfway between it and Australia, placing most of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in their territory and soon began negotiations with Australia. Two years later, a treaty was signed but no permanent border was set, and instead it ruled that revenue from the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field would be split evenly between the two countries, an unfair agreement on Australian’s behalf, as East Timor is much less economically sound. East Timor terminated its 2006 treaty with Australian claiming the treaty was invalid because of allegations that Australia spied on cabinet ministers during negotiations to divide the oil and gas fields, an obvious act of Australian harassment and bullying. This clearly demonstrates the exploitation and victimization of Indigenous people and the countries of the Pacific by rich, powerful countries, including Australia. This also raises the question of whether developing nations should be supported to develop greenhouse gas producing industries, such as oil exploration in Timor Leste, so that the country can generate income to develop.
If Australian mining companies have extracted over $2 trillion in resources, including $25 billion in the Asia Pacific, in the last five years should they contribute more to climate change mitigation in developing nations?
E.The Carmichael Mine – Australia Experiences Colonization from a Developing Nation: 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?
The project is based on the coal extraction of coal from the Carmichael coal mine in North Queensland. Australia can make decisions in relation to how the coal is extracted and then transported from the country. They can specify the most eco-friendly and sustainable methods of both extraction and then transportation to India itself. India in turn, can make environmentally conscious decisions in how the coal is used once in the country and how much coal is removed from the Australian mine.
The Adani mine has sparked controversy amongst the indigenous communities of Australia. Wangan and Jagalingou people are the traditional owners of the land the Carmichael mine is located, these indigenous communities are uncertain regarding the impacts of the Adani mine. Environmental activist believes that air pollution, water pollution, respiratory diseases, excessive water run-off and losing mineral properties of soil are some of the few issues caused by burning or mining black coal. Still considered 50% better than regular coal, black coal is has increased the already existing higher emission of CO2 of Australia. Producing 29% of Australia’s electricity, coal mining is a source of occupation in Queensland. Some Wangan and Jagalingouan people believe it provides more jobs, better education and health for Aboriginal people.
With Australia and India collaborating on the conditions of their new mine they rely on each other and, in the process, strengthen their relationship – it highlights the reinforced power relationship between India (and their company Adani) and Australia.
Both countries benefit from the mining of the Carmichael coal mine, in an economic sense. The mining will create several thousand jobs for both countries, aiding in the positive development of the economies, but the impact of mining coal is going to have a severe impact on the environment.
The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) has highlighted that if the Adani Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin, is so large that annual emissions that will be created when coal from the mine is burned will be approximately three times greater than the emissions from all 22 Pacific island countries and territories put together. PICAN COP23 Project Officer Genevieve Jiva said increasing coal exports abroad, was ‘an attempt to pull the wool over our eyes’. “Time and again, island leaders have explained that climate change is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of our peoples,” said Jiva. “Australia is the largest and wealthiest member of the Pacific Islands Forum. “We need Australia to work with us to tackle the climate crisis we all face.” Australia is not using their power to assist other countries in reducing the effects of climate change.
F.
The Integrated Benefit Package has, however, sparked major conflict on more than one occasion as it has not been reviewed as per agreed by the Australian owned mining company. The local landowners said their Integrated Benefits Package (IBP), which was due to be reviewed in 2012, was now three years behind schedule. The Lihir community have repeatedly expressed their opinions towards the Australian owned mine by placing “taboo” local ginger plants, otherwise known as gorgors, throughout the work site, indicating to the company that there were discussions they wanted to have. They also cited breaches of mine development activities, tendering of Lihirian business to "outside interests" and environmental damage as reasons for their discontent. "We are not asking for something new, our revised agreements are not new, these are agreements Newcrest has not honoured," Nimamar Local Level Government president Ambrose Silul said.
To aid in the reduction of CO2 emissions produced by the mine, Lihir introduced a geothermal power plant that was to be the first project in PNG to be registered for carbon credit trading under the Kyoto Protocol. The plant reduces the Lihir mine’s greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 250,000 tonnes per annum, which equates to approximately four per cent of PNG’s total CO2 emissions.
G.Empathy: A human exodus is under way across the Pacific Islands as global warming unleashes cyclones, floods, storm surges and droughts, a report warns. Thousands of people have already fled island nations such as Tuvalu and Nauru which, because of their poverty and proximity to the sea, represent the “ground zero” of climate change. The report finds that 15 per cent of the population of Tuvalu, an island nation mid-way between Hawaii and Australia, have left in the past decade – that’s about 1,500 people and leaves the population at about 10,800. One 10th of the population of Nauru, 25 miles south of the equator, have abandoned the island over the same period, leaving it with just over 10,000 inhabitants. Fiji, New Zealand and Australia are the most popular destinations. Climate change is already affecting Pacific Islands with dramatic revenue loss across sectors such as agriculture, water resources, forestry, tourism and other industry-related sectors. (Source: GLOBAL WARMING IN THE PACIFIC (article) http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/global-warming-thousands-flee-pacific-islands-on-front-line-of-climate-change-a6757796.html#gallery (Written in Dec, 2015)
To understand what is happening to our Pacific island neighbours we need to have empathy not the colonial attitude of sympathy. The 2016 Boomerang Festival brought together leaders in the fight against climate change to share their experiences. Getano Bann, Torres Strait Islander, talks about connection to country when he talks about climate change. Mr Bann draws on a tradition of telling "life stories" to build empathy, asking people to imagine themselves as an ancestor on an island in the Torres Strait, at the beginning of time. This is your island and you grow old and you have children. Then for thousands and thousands of years your children have told the story of you: our ancestor who's buried here on the island. We don't write our stories. Our stories are the headstones. Our stories are the trees. Our stories are the caves. Your whole sense of spirituality, your whole sense of who you are is connected there. Now imagine that island is sinking under the water and there is nothing you can do about it. Where is your sense of identity? Where is your connect to country? What have you become now?"
Letila Mitchell, from Fiji, believes climate change is not just a risk, it is a reality. "We are no longer talking about climate change; it has already changed," she said. "For Pacific Islanders, we are a lot of small island nations and often our voice tends to get lost in the big world, so we get our message out there by touching people's hearts," "Rako means to share, to learn, to pass knowledge on. So how we do it is we perform and create an emotion from, and touching, the heart.
Impact of climate change on Indigenous communities - ABC North Coast, Catherine Marciniak http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/impact-of-climate-change-on-indigenous-communities/7289604
H.Indigenous People Have the Solution: Indigenous peoples are among the first to face the consequences of climate change due to their close relationship and dependence on the environment. Many indigenous communities face difficulties such as political and economic marginalization, loss of land and resources, human rights violations, discrimination and unemployment - these are further increased by climate change. These are the on-going impacts of colonization.
Indigenous peoples contribute little to greenhouse emissions however they may have the solutions. Indigenous people play a vital role in the ecosystems within their their lands. Indigenous peoples respond to the impacts of climate change in creative ways based on traditional knowledge and technologies to find solutions which can be adopted by other peoples and countries.\
2. What is the role of those in power (i.e. colonizers) in climate action? What are the role of the colonized in climate action? Are these roles fixed? How might we navigate these multiple roles? What does it mean to “decolonize” in support of climate change?
THE COLONIZERS - AUSTRALIA’S ROLE:
- Australia has failed to increase its contribution to international climate finance in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement or in keeping with stronger commitments from other developed nations. Pacific governments understandably remain concerned over the adequacy, predictability and accessibility of funding. The responsibility of Australia to contribute to the climate financing needs of their Pacific island neighbours remains unmet and underfunded. Australia’s annual contribution of around AUD $200 million is poor when compared to commitments from other wealthy developed nations. France, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States have significantly increased their climate finance commitments, while several developing nations, including China, have also begun contributing.
- During the Pacific Islands Forum in August, Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told her regional counterparts the Australian Government is focused on three goals in the Pacific - stronger partnerships for economic growth; stronger partnerships for our security; and to support relationships between our people. Australia did not identify climate change as an issue or acknowledge the theme of the forum which was : “The Blue Pacific: Our Sea of Islands, Our Security through Sustainable Development, Management and Conservation”. Our present Australian government continues to play the role of the ‘colonizer’.
Australia has won the inaugural Pacific Fossil Award for hypocrisy on coal and climate action. The inaugural ‘Pacific Fossil Award’, was given to Australia for repeated efforts to convince Pacific island countries that Australia is serious about tackling climate change, even while making the problem worse by expanding coal exports, and promoting the use of coal abroad. The award is intended to call out countries that are not doing their fair share to move away from fossil fuels and to tackle climate change. It was established by Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN). - Australia should be at the forefront of developing long-term solutions for those at risk of climate-induced displacement and ensure people are able to migrate with dignity.
- Australia must ban all new coal mines and stop exporting coal. Coal should be taxed to reduce its consumption and make it financially unviable to be used as an energy source – taxed in Australia and before export. Australia needs to invest in making green power more reliable – build/install batteries to prevent power outages when green energy cannot be guaranteed. Australia must explore other energy sources including nuclear.
THE COLONIZERS ROLE: The colonizers and developing nations have a significant role to play:
- REDD+ believes that those in power (governments of industrialised countries) must reduce their carbon dioxide productions and stop deforestation by making a tree more valuable to be left standing, rather than be cut down. As they are the ones who are emitting the most carbon and contributing most to deforestation, they must play a major role in reversing the consequences. It is imperative that they play this role to the best of their ability as indigenous peoples often have the answer but find that it is quite difficult to present their ideas and solutions, as they are often minority groups and are heavily ignored.
- Developing nations need to recognise the legal status and rights of climate change refugees. New Zealand could become the world's first country to recognise climate change as an official reason to seek asylum. The US Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre predicts 150 to 300 million people will be forced out of their homes due to climate change by 2050. New Zealand is considering a humanitarian visa category for people from the Pacific who are displaced by rising seas stemming from climate change. The visa could be used as a role model, used by activists in European nations like Sweden or Germany to pressure their own governments into creating similar schemes. http://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/A-proposal-in-New-Zealand-could-trigger-the-era-12319496.php
THE COLONIZED: THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA: Rather than becoming ‘victims’ of colonization and climate change the Aboriginal people of Northern Australia have put in place programs to financially benefit while reducing carbon emissions.
Bushfires are the single biggest contributor to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions in northern Australia. Up to a third of northern Australia is burnt each year. Fires release greenhouse gasses by changing the carbon in the levels in the soil and vegetation as well as releasing methane and nitrous oxide (greenhouse gasses) through the burning process. The expected raise in temperature and therefore drought across northern Australia, will increase the likelihood of bushfires.
Prior to European settlement, Aboriginal Australians used land management practices such as lighting small fires in winter to prevent much larger summer fires. This meant that there were less large fires and therefore less carbon released into the atmosphere. Once Australia was colonised by the British, this practice was abolished and Indigenous knowledge was not valued. After many years of battling bush fires the Australian Government finally recognised the importance of traditional methods in reducing bushfires and therefore carbon emissions, and allowed projects such as WALFA to be initiated.
Figure One: Indigenous Communities in Australia
Figure Two: The frequency of fires in Northern Australia
Figure One shows the location of indigenous around Australia, while Figure Two shows the frequency of fires in northern Australia. The maps show hat the traditional land of Aboriginal Australians is greatly affected by fires. Therefore, it is imperative that Indigenous groups have a say in and contribute to fire reduction efforts.
The Western Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (WALFA) project was initiated after requests by traditional land owners in 1996, is led by Indigenous ranger groups and uses traditional fire management practices to reduce large summer fires. By using traditional techniques such as doing small burns in winter, the project reduces the number of large, devastating fires and thus reduces the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by the large uncontrolled fires. In 2006 ConocoPhillips, a multinational energy corporation, initiated a 17-year deal to buy carbon reductions from the WALFA project (through carbon credits), in return for around $1 million per year.
While the majority of the effects of Climate Change on Indigenous people are negative, projects like these provide economic opportunities to Indigenous communities, as well as ways to use their important traditional knowledge to contribute to reducing carbon emissions and therefore climate change.
The Aboriginal Carbon Fund (ABC) in Australia increases Aboriginal engagement in the carbon industry and also deliver good savanna fire management based on traditional Aboriginal practises. The core-benefit framework is based on an Indigenous-to-Indigenous strategy which includes the generation of income, local jobs and the recognition of traditional ecological knowledge to sustainably manage country.
THE COLONIZED: THE PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS: Leadership from Pacific island countries was instrumental in securing strong outcomes in the Paris Agreement, including agreement that we must pursue efforts to limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5°C, a strong focus on national and global actions to adapt to climate impacts, inclusion of a stand-alone article on loss and damage (the impacts of climate change to which it is impossible to adapt), and commitments to ensure increases in the scale and accessibility of climate finance.
Even with much stronger global action to reduce carbon pollution, Pacific communities will face significantly greater impacts over the coming decades. Pacific governments are already subject to large climate-related financial costs from their national budgets.
- The Pacific Island nations are also leading the fight against Australia on coal. Pacific Island countries have labelled Australia a prominent member of the “coalition of the selfish” – a group of industrialised nations that put the welfare of their carbon-polluting industries before the environment, and even the survival of Pacific island countries. In the lead up to negotiations for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, for example, Australia was isolated with Saudi Arabia (and other OPEC members) and Russia as the minority of laggard states.
- At the climate negotiations that followed, the country insisted on special exemptions - subsequently known as “the Australia clause” - that allowed it to meet international commitments even while domestic emissions from burning fossil fuels increased.
- Pacific island governments are familiar with Australia’s repeated attempts to weaken their position at UN climate negotiations. Indeed, at each major milestone in the global talks, Australia has exercised an effective veto power at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) - the region’s premier annual political meeting - to water down positions put forward by its small, impoverished neighbours.
- Australia is the world’s largest coals exporter”. In 2016-2017, Australia export 2.6 million tonnes of coal which will release about 6.2 million tonnes of co2 into atmosphere. Pacific region only contributes 0.03 per cent of all global co2 emissions. Suva Declaration articulates Pacific’s thoughts on fossil fuel production, "[We] express grave concern that the continued increase in the production of fossil fuels, particularly the construction of new coal mines, undermines efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions". As the prime minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sopoaga, said in July: "A dead planet will not provide any jobs". Australia is still not listening.
The 1951 UN Refugee Convention does not recognise victims of climate change and the developed nations have been reluctant to change the convention. The Pacific island of Kiribati launched a "Migration with Dignity" scheme which trains citizens to be highly-skilled workers in demand in New Zealand or elsewhere. Kiribati's program was created on the assumption that large multinational corporations may hold far more lobbying powers to change visa regulations than poor nations affected by climate change. Companies in richer countries like NZ, the US or Germany often face difficulties in recruiting skilled workers for certain tasks, and have pressured governments to relax visa restrictions much more successfully than nations like Tuvalu or Kiribati could have done themselves. This strategy may work for some smaller islands, but not all climate refugees can become highly-skilled workers.
http://www.lmtonline.com/news/article/A-proposal-in-New-Zealand-could-trigger-the-era-12319496.php
ARE THE ROLES FIXED: No. In many ways the roles are now reversed with many of the former colonized and developing nations leading the way on climate change.
There is a need to build productive relationships that allow all parties to find ways to develop, resulting in collaborative development rather than relationships built on power and exploitation.
Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said the Pacific Island nations needed to engage with the world with a unified voice. "By the sheer fact of our geography, such as trends associated with shifts in the centres of global power, this places the Pacific at the centre of contemporary global geopolitics," he said.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DECOLONZIE IN SUPPORT OF CLIMATE CHANGE:
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 of support include:
- REDD+ believes in paying developing nations to not cut down trees. Former colonial powers and multinational corporations should they be paying developing nations to plant trees which specifically create jobs and income for native peoples.
- 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. Former colonial powers and multinational corporations can learn from this approach.
- 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.
- 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.
3.How might we participate in climate action in different contexts?
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
- We can all become aware of where our food and water come from, and associated impacts of production and sourcing. We could consider growing more of our own food, and supporting locally sourced food, rather than depend on imported, processed products.
- 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 Government to revise immigration laws to enable Australia to be at the forefront of developing long-term solutions for those at risk of climate-induced displacement and ensure people are able to migrate with dignity.
- 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.
- Stop deforestation by making a tree more valuable to be left standing
- Australian assistance should prioritise climate-resilient investments in agriculture, fisheries and water that directly assist Pacific communities to access sustainable local sources of food and water.
- Governments, farmers, corporations and individuals should adopt practices that avoid or minimise the use of inappropriate chemicals and fertilisers that are polluting our environment and entering the ocean.
- The Australian government should assist in the comprehensive mapping and documenting of specific communities and locations in Oceania affected by coastal erosion or rising seas.
- Australia needs to play a strong leadership role in both mitigating climate change and supporting countries in the region to adapt to its impacts.
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
- Improving access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF): No Pacific government or national institutions are accredited to access the GCF; they must work through existing accredited entities.
- Setting regional priorities: There is a need to move away from a mixed range of projects spread across nations to a process for developing regional initiatives which involve strong collaboration between national, sub-national and community representatives, and coordination among inter-governmental agencies. It must include non-self-governing territories in the Pacific, who are not full members of multilateral and United Nation (UN) agencies. It is important that one sector (such as renewable energy) is not allowed to dominate the country-driven development agenda of Pacific societies.
- INDCs: Australia and other nations can support Pacific island countries to turn INDCs into financial investment strategies, which in turn will result in action and additional resources to mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Finding a balance between adaptation and mitigation funding: Pacific Island countries are implementing programs to reducing carbon pollution such as renewable energy programs but the priority now needs to be funding for climate change adaptation, develop resilience of communities to the impacts of climate change.
- Communication and Consultation: All nations need to ensure that their people have access to climate change information; that solutions are right for the local context and not enforced by other governments or multinational corporations;, and ensure affected communities have a voice in national adaptation planning for climate change.
- Acknowledging the role of women, the youth and vulnerable: Women, young people and men are affected by climate change in different ways - different risks, vulnerabilities and levels of resilience. Women often bear the larger responsibility for tasks that are made more difficult by climate change while having unequal access to resources and decision-making processes. Women play a critical role in responding to climate due to their skills and knowledge in natural resource management.
- Crucial investment in climate change education, resources and skills are needed to build capacity of the vulnerable and other parties including traditional leaders, business churches, women’s organisations and local communities, especially in outer islands and remote areas.
- Developing New Sources of Funding for Climate Action: Tax on coal imports and exports, financial transaction taxes, levies on international transport emissions and revenue from domestic and international carbon markets could all go towards funding climate action projects for the most vulnerable peoples and nations.
- Phasing out subsidies for coal and fossil fuels: All investment in energy should focus on climate-compatible development.
- Identifying populations at risk: All nations need to, or be assisted, to identify their populations most at risk from sea level rise. At present this information is not available for all nations but is needed to identify options, then develop strategies and solutions with local communities. Greater coordination is needed between local, regional and national governments in all countries.
http://www.caritas.org.nz/resource/2337
QUOTES FROM AUSTRALIAN SURVEY
“I don’t know a lot about climate change so it is not a very important issue for me, but I don’t want to see our natural resources being lost…”
“Some people are struggling from drought, cyclones, storm surge and flooding…unless everyone helps those specific areas more and more people begin to move from these areas…we could lose more supplies and eventually run out.”
“The more I hear about…climate change the more I believe it becomes an important issue to me…I am becoming more aware that this…is making a big impact on Australia and its neighbouring countries.”
“Although responding to climate change is an important issue to me, how humanity works together is a greater issue. Individuals cannot conquer the world’s problems, therefore, we need to gather as many people as we can to find a solution/s.”
