Fossil Fools Day rally - April 1

Fossil Fools Day - A national day of action against climate change on April 1, 2008

The latest research on climate change shows that the effects of
climate change are speeding up, with real dangers of self-perpetuating
or "runaway" global warming. At the same time, however, global carbon
emissions are rising at higher rates than ever before. Australia
continues to hold the position of the highest greenhouse gas emitting
country per capita and the world's biggest exporter of coal.

The message is clear - the world can't wait. For far too long fossil
fuel industries and other dirty industries have been dangerously
fooling around with the planet and our future. This is a proposal for
a national day of student action against the fossil fools (in industry
and parliament) who are pushing the earth towards climate chaos.

The movement for action on climate change has made a lot of ground in
the past two years. We forced climate skeptics to acknowledge the
problem and helped to get rid of the Howard government for its
inaction on climate change. While the Rudd government's decision to
ratify Kyoto represents a victory for the movement our job is far from
over.

The reality is that if Australia does not move immediately to break
its dependence on fossil fuels no meaningful emission reduction
targets will be met. We have to demand that state and federal
governments stop the expansion of the coal industry, reverse the
approval of the pulp mill in Tasmania, keep electricity generation in
public hands and shift the billions of dollars of government funds
currently spent each year to subsidise the fossil fuel industries into
renewable energy industries.

As students and young people we have an important role to play in
propelling the climate action movement forward and forcing the
government to take the necessary action. We have to break the
bi-partisan consensus on mythical "clean coal" technology and uranium
mining. We have to end to wars for oil. And we want to see investment
into our universities for renewable, not fossil fuel and nuclear
technologies.

Students Against the Pulp Mill and Tasmanians Against the Pulp Mill are supporting this rally. Details for a rally in Hobart and Launceston are being planned at the moment. We will post them when they are confirmed. If you are interested in helping out with these rallies then email stopthemill@gmail.com