Maitland environmentalists are about to launch an assault on climate change in one of Australia’s biggest climate events.
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Concerned residents will meet at Maitland Park on Sunday for the National Day of Climate Action.
“This is an opportunity for us to say that we think climate change is important and we really need to act quickly on it,” Lorn resident Susan Caves said.
“None of this is political, it’s a science, it’s logical and it’s rational.
“We (Australia) can be a leader in this area and although we are a relatively small population we have a good opportunity to make some big changes that will help the whole global community to tackle the problem.”
As part of the event, people will be encouraged to wear red, orange and yellow and carry signs calling for climate action.
“I’ve been interested in climate science for a long time and it’s something I think is really important,” Ms Caves said. “Even now we’re beginning to see the effects and these will only accelerate if we don’t do anything about it. We’re getting more extreme weather events, more bushfire danger, extreme heat, storms and typhoons.”
Ms Caves said Australia’s ability to produce food was also at risk.
“Food will become more expensive because it will be more difficult to actually produce food here.
Australia is one country that stands to lose a lot in climate change,” she said.
Ms Caves also hopes Sunday’s event will open a dialogue about climate change throughout the Hunter Valley.
“Climate change is a difficult thing in the Hunter Valley to talk about,” she said. “So many people rely on the coal industry for their living and the coal industry has given the Hunter Valley a lot.
“People tend to see action on climate change as a direct attack on the resources sector, which it’s not, but we need to reduce the emissions.”
The National Day of Climate Action will be held at Maitland Park between 11am and 1pm.