Australian National Botanic Gardens Canberra

‘So, you want to do something about climate change?’

panel and open discussion

Australian National Botanic Gardens , Wednesday 24 October

12-2pm,drinks and nibbles afterwards

Panellists: Marie Jamieson, Principal, Living Futures, Chair; Don Bell, Ngunawal Elder; Barbara Chevalier, Lecturer, Community Studies and Australian Institute of Sustainable Communities, University of Canberra and Community Development Network ACT and Region; Bren Weatherstone, Environmental Educator; Cameron Neil, Facilitator, ACT ACT Otherwise and Fairtrade Activist; Jan Hogan, Contributing artist, Caring for Land Exhibition; and Peter Miller, Home Energy Advice Team. Gold coin donation for Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park, Canberra. Venue: Crosbie Morrison Building.

The ‘So, you want to do something about climate change?’ panel session will begin with five-minute presentations by each of the panellists. Don will speak about the creation of environmental problems by people taking from the earth and not giving anything back. Marie will speak about the importance of expressing and processing our emotional responses to the reality of climate change. Cameron will speak about our carbon and ecological footprints, the personal and organisational possibilities of emissions trading, how useful our climate and carbon targets are, and the consumption revolution we have to have. Peter will talk about energy use in the home, why better insulation is not enough to reduce it. Bren will talk about the potential capacity that our choice in food and other consumables has to influence carbon emission reduction. Barbara will speak about how everyone can make a difference, and how we can take action for sustainability: as individuals and in small groups, as well as through community, social and political activism.

The panelists

Don Bell is a Ngunawal Elder who grew up on Hollywood Mission on the outskirts of Yass. He has been actively involved in improving conditions for the local Aboriginal community, and in preserving the Ngunawal language. Over the last 10 years, Don and Ruth, who also comes from the Yass area, have taken part in a number of land care projects around Canberra.

Barbara Chevalier has taught at the University of Canberra since 1988 in community education and community development. She teaches an undergraduate unit called Sustainable Communities, and a postgraduate unit called Sustainable Futures, which focus on sustainability education, and integrating sustainability issues into community development. She was a founding member of the Community Development Network of the ACT and Region in 2003. She takes a keen interest in and involvement with local sustainability organisations, networks and projects in the ACT. Barbara and her partner are gradually making their home sustainable, with solar heating and cladding. 'Getting off the grid' is a longer term aim.

Marie Jamieson is a facilitator and social work consultant who is offering two workshops on dealing with climate change as part of the ‘Caring for Land’ series. Her special interest is the interrelationship between social and ecological issues. Marie will chair the panel and contribute perspectives from the climate change workshops and on dealing with our emotional responses to the issue.

Peter Miller has worked for the Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) for the past four years helping people use less energy in their homes through better design and practice. At the personal level, his family has explored options such as no-car, car-sharing, turning off the hot water service and various commercial and DIY modifications to reduce their greenhouse emissions. Peter believes that both technological solutions and behaviour change are needed to address the greenhouse problem specifically and the sustainability of our society in general.

Cameron Neill is CEO of the International Young Professionals Foundation, a non-government organisation he founded with four other Australians in 2001. He is also Fairtrade Certification Analyst for Fairtrade Labelling ANZ, the regional body which administers the global fair trade movement in Australia and New Zealand. Cameron is the co-author of a report, Sustainable Consumption: Young Australians as Agents of Change. He is now facilitating a national working group to implement a community capacity building program for youth leadership on sustainability that emerged from the report findings.

Bren Weatherstone works in environmental education and advocacy and is currently completing a Masters in Environmental Education looking at barriers to achieving sustainable consumption in Australia. An outcome of her work (as part of a team) in advocacy for environmental education has been the recent establishment of AUSSI or Sustainable Schools in the ACT. She has a background in arts education with experience in using drama to explore personal, social and environmental issues.

Jan Hogan - see her CV page