It’s Getting Hot In Here

Earlier this (election) year, a new Federal Environment Minister was appointed in the Australian Government, former Parliamentary Secretary, Malcolm Turnbull. Last week, movie-goers from the new Minister’s electorate were the first to see a new advertisement in cinemas of young Australians demanding immediate and decisive action on climate change, adding to pressure for the new Minister to deliver on climate change and for the Australian government to ratify Kyoto.
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Launched on the recent World Kyoto Day, the advertisement was created by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition as part of a new national campaign run by young people. The ad is part of the wider “Rescue our Future” campaign aimed at educating and inspiring young people who want to be active in their schools, universities and communities. The 30-second ad features 7 young people speaking out about global warming, the looming global climate crisis, and how it threatens their future.

“It’s hard to believe that we keep on polluting our planet like this,” 15 year old Sunshine Coast student Taylor tells film-goers.

The Youth Climate Coalition is a non-partisan coalition of youth organisations mobilising young people to demand immediate and meaningful action on climate change by government and private sector leaders. The ad was created at a youth summit in November along with a “Youth Declaration on Climate” demanding change such as

· Mandatory sustainable environment and climate change education
· An end to fossil fuel subsidies
· A just transition to renewable energy
· For Australia to welcome climate refugees from the Pacific and the region.

World Kyoto Day also saw the launch of the “Youth Declaration on Climate” with groups of young people in 20 Australian cities delivering it to their local MPs’ electorate offices and distributing them via leaflets in shopping malls.

The cinema advertisement and the Youth Declaration on Climate are viewable on www.youthclimatecoalition.org