John Englart

John Englart

Citizen journalist at No Fibs
John Englart has always had a strong social and environmental focus and over the past 10 years climate change science, climate policy and climate protest have become an increasingly important and primary focus of his work as a citizen journalist.
John Englart
I am involved in various Moreland-based community groups including Sustainable Fawkner where I blog on local and sustainability issues, Climate Action Moreland and Moreland Bicycle Users Group. I am also a member of Friends of the Earth, off and on, since 1976, and wrote the contribution on the Rides Against Uranium in the 1970s for the Friends of the Earth Australia book to mark the 30-year anniversary of FoE – 30 Years of Creative Resistance.
Panel speakers at Wonthaggi climate forum. Photo: John Englart

Panel speakers at Wonthaggi climate forum. Photo: John Englart

The recent Paris United Nations Conference on Climate Change resulted in a world agreement to attempt to limit global warming to 1.5°C, but is Australia doing enough? Then again, is limiting global warming to 1.5°C feasible? And what must we do to limit global warming both as a nation and individually?

I travelled the 150km from Melbourne to South Gippsland to guage the debate and discussion on climate change, organised by local group Groundswell Bass Coast. I found a community already actively discussing the issue and also taking action.

The Energy Innovation Co-operative Ltd was formally registered as trading Co-operative in August 2009. It now has over 300 members, has raised significant money for solar PV systems and also successful bulk buy program.

The Wonthaggi base hospital has recently installed solar panels with money raised by the local community, so the hospital can spend more on medical supplies and patient services than on electricity.

Update: This was the text of the motion that passed on a show of hands at the end of the meeting, estimated to be 110 people.


This meeting of Wonthaggi people understands that climate change presents a threat to the life and natural systems of our Gippsland and our planet.

We demand our governments take immediate, measurable, substantive action to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and adopt with urgency policies that will ensure a rapid transition to zero emissions. Australia must be carbon neutral by 2040 to help limit global warming to no more than 1.5C.

This includes:

    A price on pollution

  • ending government subsidies to fossil fuel industries
  • facilitating rapid and widespread installation of currently available solar and wind technology
  • financially supporting innovation and new jobs in renewables
  • providing financial certainty for potential investors in large scale renewable energy projects. There are currently no such investments

We demand that these policies and related actions, and a timetable for implementing them, be outlined in a public document available to all.


After Paris, Climate change is far more than an urban or niche issue. People are realizing that action needs to be taken at multiple levels, including strong policy action by our Federal Government. Direct Action subsidies to polluters is far from sufficient.

So here are my tweets from the evening of the main speakers.