Park Beach Reserve was a hive of activity on Saturday March 19, with a special community picnic held to mark Earth Hour, now in its 10th year, to show community support for action on climate change.
In 2016, Earth Hour in Australia shone a light on the places we love that make our outdoor lifestyle and the Australian way of life so great.
Around 80 people attended the Coffs event. It was a great opportunity to connect and discuss responses to the climate crisis, while enjoying delicious food, donated by the Happy Frog (a massive thank you!). Following a screening of the official Earth Hour documentary, candles were lit for Earth Hour at 8:30pm, one of thousands of Earth Hour events in hundreds of locations around the globe.
Local organiser with Coffs Coast Climate Action Group, Sarah Wood said “We’re so lucky here on the Coffs Coast, with our breathtaking beaches, forests, reefs, national parks, mountains, rivers and farmland. But these places are already under threat from hotter temperatures, more extreme weather and rising seas. Changes to our climate as a result of increased carbon pollution are messing up the delicate balance of nature.”
The evening was shadowed by shocking reports over the previous couple of weeks of record-breaking global temperatures, prompting scientists to call this a period of "climate emergency".
Sarah highlighted some of the impacts of these temperatures: “Just last week there were reports of coral bleaching here in our Solitary Islands Marine Park, as well as on the Great Barrier Reef, due to warmer ocean temperatures. Combined with ocean acidification, this means the future of ocean life everywhere is at risk unless we take rapid action to reduce emissions.”
“I was lucky enough to grow up here on this beautiful coastline, and I want my little boy Kalani to be able to enjoy it too,” added Ms Wood, “Earth Hour is an opportunity for us all to show our support for a transition to renewable energy and a modern zero carbon economy.”
Thank you to everyone who came along. We hope were inspired to get involved in more action for a safe climate future.
In 2016, Earth Hour in Australia shone a light on the places we love that make our outdoor lifestyle and the Australian way of life so great.
Around 80 people attended the Coffs event. It was a great opportunity to connect and discuss responses to the climate crisis, while enjoying delicious food, donated by the Happy Frog (a massive thank you!). Following a screening of the official Earth Hour documentary, candles were lit for Earth Hour at 8:30pm, one of thousands of Earth Hour events in hundreds of locations around the globe.
Local organiser with Coffs Coast Climate Action Group, Sarah Wood said “We’re so lucky here on the Coffs Coast, with our breathtaking beaches, forests, reefs, national parks, mountains, rivers and farmland. But these places are already under threat from hotter temperatures, more extreme weather and rising seas. Changes to our climate as a result of increased carbon pollution are messing up the delicate balance of nature.”
The evening was shadowed by shocking reports over the previous couple of weeks of record-breaking global temperatures, prompting scientists to call this a period of "climate emergency".
Sarah highlighted some of the impacts of these temperatures: “Just last week there were reports of coral bleaching here in our Solitary Islands Marine Park, as well as on the Great Barrier Reef, due to warmer ocean temperatures. Combined with ocean acidification, this means the future of ocean life everywhere is at risk unless we take rapid action to reduce emissions.”
“I was lucky enough to grow up here on this beautiful coastline, and I want my little boy Kalani to be able to enjoy it too,” added Ms Wood, “Earth Hour is an opportunity for us all to show our support for a transition to renewable energy and a modern zero carbon economy.”
Thank you to everyone who came along. We hope were inspired to get involved in more action for a safe climate future.