Climate in the Pub
Climate Change Balmain-Rozelle is possibly best known for its bi-monthly Climate in the Pub. We have a guest speaker or two for the chosen topic. Subscribe to our Event Calendar, Newsletter or watch out for our Climate in the Pub posters in the area. For the full authentic experience ask us to let you help put the posters up! On the evening
We meet on the second Tuesday every even month.
As COVID-19 restrictions vary, we may meet live in the Pub! - or via Zoom!,
Live meetings in the pub: join us from 6.30 for a 7pm start at the Merton Hotel in Rozelle. Come in good time for a drink and a chat beforehand (or maybe a meal), listen to the experts, ask questions and share your views. Dependent on Covid-19 restrictions, you will need to register in good time to be sure of getting a place.
Zoom meetings: register to obtain the Zoom link. The meeting will start at 7.00pm
Meanwhile, don't miss our Climate in the Pub - Meetups, on the second Wednesday of odd months.
Next meeting: Tues 12 October at 7pm
Richie Merzian is the inaugural Climate & Energy Program Director at The Australia Institute. He is a former Australian Government representative to the UN climate change conference and worked at the Department of Climate Change and the Department of Foreign Affairs for almost a decade on both domestic and international climate and energy agendas.
From Canberra to Glasgow - Richie Merzian
Australia's emissions put it in the top 10 per cent of countries and that excludes Australia’s bronze medal as the third largest exporter of fossil fuels. Australia’s oversized carbon footprint contrasts to its modest climate targets. Yet in November the UK will host the next climate conference and along with the US, EU, Japan, Canada and New Zealand has stepped up its efforts and called on Australia to do the same. The big question - will Australia push back or join in?
Don't miss this - register in good time!
RECENT MEETINGS
Greening human transport before 2050 Dr David Mills (Tuesday 10 August)
Dr David Mills OAM, was formerly a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, where he led research and development in a number of solar thermal technologies, and was the co-founder and Chairman of Ausra Inc., which built a novel solar thermal electricity plant in California. More recently he has turned his attention to EVs, having bought one of the first three Teslas to be imported into Australia.
David Mills surveyed the history and future of Green (mostly electric) transport, from early (c1910) electric cars to futuristic commuter aircraft powered by ducted electric fans.
Modern humans need transport.
At this time, we use Fossil-fuelled Cars, Trucks, Trains, Boats and Planes.
They are all deeply destructive.
We are on the cusp of switching to Electric Vehicles, a move which is deeply disruptive.
How did we get where we are, and what might rational transport look like as we approach 2050?
Tuesday 8 June 6.30 for 7pm
The Merton Hotel, Rozelle
Amanda Tattersall: Building a Powerful Climate Movement
How do we build powerful movements for social and climate change?
Telling stories from across the world and based on first-hand experience in Sydney, Amanda will share cutting edge thinking about what it takes to build people power. From the organising of the Sydney Alliance to the 2019 Hong Kong Protests, this talk moves across a variety of urban battlegrounds: seeking to identify the core lessons about how to involve people in movements and make them powerful.
Dr Amanda Tattersall co-founded GetUp.org.au and founded the Sydney Alliance, which brought broad-based community organising to Australia. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Sydney University’s Sydney Policy Lab.
This event was fully booked, but also streamed live on Facebook .
If you prefer you can also catch it here on Youtube .
Jonica Newby: Beyond Climate Grief
Tuesday 13 April 2021
Jonica Newby spoke about her latest book Beyond Climate Grief, which includes practical advice from psychological and scientific experts, incredible accounts from everyday heroes and inspiring stories from the climate strike kids, as well as conversations with singer–songwriter Missy Higgins, comedians Charlie Pickering and Craig Reucassel and business leader Mike Cannon-Brookes.
Jonica spoke about a number of emotions, ranging from denial through fear to greed to acceptance and pride. She told how a medical emergency suffered by her partner helped her to understand denial; and then explained that her plans for researching the book were overtaken by the bushfire emergency. She read excerpts from the book where survivors described their harrowing experiences. She explained about acceptance: naming our emotions, changing what we can, and accepting what we can't. And said that ordinary people were heroes, doing what they could, and this was the source of her hope for the future.
We didn't record Jonica's talk: but she spoke about her book at a similar meeting promoted by local bookshop Roaring Stories: that event can be seen here on YouTube.
CLIMATE IN THE PUB (HOME DELIVERY)
During 2020 and early 2021 we held meetings by Zoom - and recorded them.
Meeting the Climate Challenge: Tue 23 February 2021
Brad Smith, Campaigns Director with the NSW Nature Conservation Council explained how NCC's new report Meeting the climate challenge spells out what's needed to reach 100% clean energy by 2030 and to create a safe, liveable climate for people and communities.
Key factors are a lower cost than business-as-usual, and better reliability. The report finds that both are achievable, but the fact that coal is actually going out quicker than anyone expected is among the risks that need to be managed.
Hydrogen & Renewable Energy: Consider the Possibilities Tue 8 Dec
Hydrogen is the earth's commonest element. When it is produced using renewable energy or processes, it can be compressed and stored or converted to ammonia, and shipped to where it's needed, for use when it's needed. When it's burnt, it produces just energy and water vapour. No carbon dioxide. But it requires energy to make it in the first place. Nicky Ison, Energy Transition Manager at WWF, and formerly from the Institute for Sustainable Futures, will explain the role of hydrogen in making the fullest use of renewable energy – and the things to watch for.
How Green is your Money? Tue 13th October
Australian banks, super funds and insurance companies play a major role in propping up polluting industries. How can we use our power as citizens, customers and shareholders to make sure money flows to companies and projects that are not destroying the Earth's capacity to sustain life?
Pablo Brait has dedicated his life over the past decade to speeding up the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. working on community campaigns in Victoria, NSW and Queensland against inappropriate coal and coal seam gas developments and in favour of renewable energy. Currently he is a campaigner with Market Forces, a group that pressures financial institutions to shift money away from fossil fuels .
The session was hosted by ABC Radio's Finance reporter Sue Lannin.
Solar Gridlock? Tue 11th August
The grid wasn't designed for input from millions of domestic solar panels. What needs to change so it can take advantage of this source of electricity?
Guest speaker Hugh Saddler is the author of a book on Australian energy policy, Energy in Australia and over 50 scientific papers, monographs and articles on energy technology and environmental policy. He is recognised as one of Australia's leading experts in this field. Hugh's talk showed the contribution of the various methods of electricity generation in Australia, both at present and in the options modelled in AEMO's latest Integrated System Plan. The graphs shown in this video may be viewed here.
Dual Crises: Covid-19 & Climate Change, Wed 10 June
Dan Gocher from the Australian Centre for Corporate Responsibility was a first for Climate in the Pub (Home Delivery). More than thirty people had Climate in the Pub delivered to their homes on Zoom. Dan's talk, complete with slides, went without a hitch and was very well received.
Past meetings
Since April 2020, meetings have been online, and video recordings can be seen above.
Posters for all our meetings are displayed below.
Reports on our earlier meetings (back to 2015) are here.
December 2020
CITP-Dec2020-posterA4.pdfFebruary 2021
CITP-Feb2021-posterA4.pdfApril 2021
CITP-Apr2021-posterA4.pdfJune 2021
CITP-JUn2021-posterA4.pdfApril 2020 (cancelled)
CITP-Apr2020-posterA4.pdfJune 2020
CITP-Jun2020-posterA4.pdfAugust 2020
CITP-Aug2020-posterA4.pdfOctober 2020
CITP-Oct2020-posterA4.pdfCITP-Aug2019-flyerA4 V2.pdfCITP-Oct2019-posterA4.pdfCITP-Dec2019-posterA4.pdfCITP-Feb2020-posterA4.pdfCITP-Dec2018-flyerxA4.pdfCITP-Feb2019-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Apr2019-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Jun2019-flyerA4-v1.docxCITP-Apr2018-flyerA4.pdfCITP-JUn2018-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Aug2018-flyerA4.docxCITP-Oct2018-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Aug2017-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Oct2017-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Dec2017-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Feb2018-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Dec2016-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Feb2017-flyerA4-rev2.pdfCITP-Apr2017-flyer-A4.pdfCITP-Jun2017-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Apr2016-flyer5.pdfCITP-Jun2016-flyerA4-PDF.pdfCITP-Aug2016-flyerA4.pdfCITP-Oct2016-flyerA4.pdf
CITP-Aug2015-flyersA4.pdfCITP-Oct2015-flyerA4scan.pdfCITP-Feb2016-flyerA4.pdf