Young Environmental Activists Defend Environmental Defenders in Oceania
Contact: contact@pollutersout.org & fffdigitalpress@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fridays for Future Digital and Polluters Out are launching a campaign to fight against the suppression and repression of indigenous activists and environmental defenders in Oceania alongside Pacific Climate Warriors and the Seed indigenous youth movement as part of Fridays for Future Digital and Polluters Out’s massive 8-week digital campaign Defend the Defenders campaign, which focuses on defending environmental defenders and indigenous people.
Toolkit with graphics and background on our actions can be found here.
Activists are planning a massive tweetstorm to stop fracking in the Northern Territory to coincide with the Seed movement’s demand as well as a petition storm for the Pacific Climate Warriors’ Pacific Demands.
Pictures and other assets for stories: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1DcQ65-5eqm91c1QWe9M-siCHDpcf-wpy
Fridays For Future Digital, part of the global Fridays for Future movement, and Polluters Out are starting a massive digital campaign in the Oceania region, one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. The activists are working alongside indigenous communities and organizations as well as environmental defenders to highlight their struggles and uplift their voices.
Worldwide, indigenous peoples care for and protect nearly 22% of the Earth’s surface and 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity despite making up 5% of the world population. The world needs indigenous knowledge to combat the climate crisis. Without protection by indigenous people, Earth’s ecosystems do not stand a chance against the climate crisis.
Oceania is uniquely vulnerable to the climate crisis. In 2018, the Oceania region endured its third warmest-year on record. The Marshall Islands have to consider relocating all of its 55,000 citizens due to rising seas caused by the climate crisis because it is expected to be underwater by 2030. Therefore, the activists are pushing these island nations to sign on to the Pacific Demands as formulated by the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, which is made up of 139 member organizations across the regions. These require Pacific leaders to acknowledge that the Pacific is facing a climate crisis, threatening their wellbeing, fundamental human rights, and their ability to function as sovereign nations, stand fully behind the climate science and the IPCC’s recommendation to keep heating below 1.5°C, and a strategy to become net-zero emissions well before 2050 for the region.
“These Pacific Demands not only reinforce what is necessary for a sustainable future, but also the changes needed to ensure a just recovery from COVID19,” said Genevieve Jiva, an activist from the Pacific Islands.
The activists will also launch a tweetstorm against Michael Gunner, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, demanding a total ban on fracking in collaboration with the Seed movement and raise awareness in a livestream. In order to stay below 2°C, all new fossil fuel extraction must be stopped, scientists say, yet the Northern Territory’s government has not halted fossil fuel projects, worrying activists. 51% of the Northern Territory is already under oil and gas licenses, meaning fossil fuel projects can be developed there. The shale oil fracking projects will pollute the water table that the entire state relies on, destroy sacred aboriginal sites, and destroy the environment, activists say, yet Origin consulted the aboriginal communities it will frack on for show only and in practice ignore them.
Polluters Out and Fridays For Future Digital are calling for people all over the world to join the tweetstorm against Michael Gunner, sign the petitions to pressure governments to adopt the Pacific Demands, and join digital strikes, where people take pictures of themselves holding a sign with the #DefendtheDefenders theme and facts about the region to raise awareness and show solidarity.
Polluters Out: website / instagram / twitter
FFF Digital: instagram / twitter / facebook