As most of you would know, I only send group emails and facebook invitations on special occasions. Perhaps I am organising a surprise party for a friend. Maybe I am overseas, missing you all and wanting to let love ones know that I remain alive and kicking. Maybe one day I will elope to a faraway land to get married (?!) and write to inform you that my surname is no longer Smith. Or perhaps, like this time, I have an exciting opportunity for you to join a growing global movement of people passionate about advocating and speaking out for a stronger climate change future.
While in Kenya earlier this year, I met 8 year old Beatrice. The day that I met her, all she had in her stomach was a cup of tea. If World Vision had not visited Beatrice that day and dropped off emergency food supplies, it is likely that she would not have eaten that week. As one of the 1 billion people that are on the verge of starvation, she explained to us that the impact of climate change is the biggest factor affecting her ability to do life. Everyone I met and every barren and drought stricken landscape I visited confirmed this. In fact, climate change is the biggest threat facing Beatrice’s community– it affects their ability to grow food to feed their families, to access water, results in the spread of infectious diseases and can result in the heightened risk of conflicts over dwindling resources.
Beatrice is a reminder of the impact that climate change has had on the Global Food Crisis. While her situation may easily overwhelm you into inaction, there is something each and everyone of us can do.
40 hour famine –40hourfamine.com.au
In order to raise money for the Global Food Crisis, I am giving up food and furniture for 40 hours. In late October, I am also going to attempt to run a half marathon to raise further funds and awareness of the Global Food Crisis.
Please support me by donating online now https://famine.worldvision.com.au/famine.cgi?a=SPONSOR_&pn=671098697. My 40 Hour Famine Number is: 671098697
But wait – there is another way you can take action – and it doesn’t require you giving me money.
Youth Decide – youthdecide.com.au
December is fast approaching. For many people, this brings great excitement –not just because the fun and games of Christmas and Summer music festivals are fast approaching but because we are only months away from securing a new global action plan on climate change THAT WILL MOST DEFINITELY HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR FUTURE (emphasis added!!). Most of us were not born yet, were in nappies or in primary school when the last global agreement on climate change was reached in Kyoto. While our ability to speak out on climate change was certainly limited at that point in our lives, there is certainly nothing stopping us now! World Vision and the Australia Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) bring you YouthDecide – Australia’s first youth vote on climate change. During the week of 14-21 September, young people will have the chance to tell the Australian Government how they should tackle climate change. The results will be shared with government leaders and will hopefully pave the way for stronger climate change action in Copenhagen. This is OUR chance to demonstrate to the Government that we won’t settle for anything less that strong leadership on climate change issues when it comes to voting on the sort of future we wish to inherit.
