What is Climate Camp 09?

Climate Camp '09 will be three inspiring days of workshops, sustainable living and grassroots direct action from October 9 -11th. We aim to stop the expansion of Australia’s oldest coal mine in Helensburgh, forty minutes south of Sydney.

Invite your friends to Climate Camp '09 with the Facebook event or follow us on Twitter. 

Climate Camp 09 is simultaneously a place to learn, a sustainable community, and an opportunity to take action on climate change and environmental destruction. It is built on four principles: education, sustainable living, movement building and non-violent direct action. Climate Camps are situated at the root causes of climate change. Australia’s first camp was held last year at the site of the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle NSW.

This year there are four happening across the country:


There are 20 Climate Camps being held across the world in 2009; each situated at a different target; each making the link between local struggles for environmental justice with the global imperative of climate change. This year Climate Camps are popping up at coal mines, coal fired power stations, an airport in France, a nuclear reactor in Lapland, the European Carbon Exchange in London and more.

Climate Camp is a place for anyone who is looking for a place to learn about the issues and ways we can create change; for anyone who wants to take action on climate change; for anyone who’s fed up with empty government rhetoric and corporate spin; and for anyone who wants to help build a climate justice movement across the nation.

You are more than welcome to come to a climate camp wherever you are! Come for an hour, a day, the whole event or start organising with us now.

Actions speak louder than words

Climate Camp culminates in a peaceful demonstration. People who are frustrated with the lack of political will to transition away coal dependency can participate in this demonstration as well as undertake non-violent direct action as a responsible, safe and legitimate response to policies that put the vested interests of a few companies ahead of the shared future of us all.

Who are Climate Camp?

The people organising Climate Camps in Australia are all community volunteers, and are a relatively diverse bunch. We’re not another Not-for-Profit environmental group nor are we a think tank, lobbyists, or trying to impose political ideologies. We don’t have political affiliations, corporate connections, or a religious stance and we don’t want to ‘recruit’ you. We’re just a group of ordinary people – some of us are young, some more mature, we are a group made up of office workers, teachers, public servants, students, gardeners, academics, mums, dads and more. None of us are paid campaigners; we are people concerned about climate change, giving up some of our evenings and weekends, who are really excited about building another amazing grassroots event.

Why are we doing this?

We read what scientists say will happen to us and where we live if we don’t drastically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are in the air. We’re frightened and angry that instead of coming-up with some good plans to phase-out the coal industry and invest in renewable-energy alternatives the NSW Government is expanding existing coal mines and risking 20% of our stable drinking water supply so that they can make a quick buck selling of mining leases to multinational companies. To us, this stinks of hypocrisy, greed and stupidity.

“No green wash, no dodgy dinners, no closed-doors – just real people trying to get a decent deal for us all” CC09 organisers

We don’t have the influence that massive mining companies have, we can’t hold secret meetings with Ministers or ‘do deals’ over fancy dinners or in via Blackberries overlooking the view at in our holiday houses. But what we can do is make it very clear that it’s not ok for a handful of people to get rich at the expense of the rest of us. And that’s what Climate Camp is about – finding out what’s really going on, coming-up with some good alternatives and doing everything we can to pressure the government into making some decent decisions while we still can. And dammit! We like good food and music so we make sure everyone that amid all of this world-saving business, everyone has a really good time.

When asking nicely and hoping for the best just doesn’t cut it - there’s Climate Camp.

Climate Camp happens in over 17 countries all over the world in the UK and in Scotland have done a great job of putting pressure on politicians and raising awareness of dodgy deals, major health issues and environmental degradation. Inspired by this international grassroots Climate Camp movement, we’ve come together to host NSW’s second Climate Camp – the first was in 2008 at the Newcastle Carrington Coal terminal where over 1500 people attended.

The core principles and goals of Climate Camp are:

  1. To provide quality information from a range of people like former Coal-miners, scientists, journalists, field experts and Traditional Owners so that you can ask questions, discuss topics to make-up your own mind as well as come-up with brilliant ideas and solutions. At CC09 in Helensburgh the focus will be on:
    • Coal production in the region - its uses, impacts and alternatives
    • Water – how water catchments and river systems are impacted-upon by existing coal mines and put under threat by planned expansion
    • Jobs – how to protect our future from climate change as well as ensure mining communities can continue to earn a decent income.
  2. To empower individuals, families and groups who are legitimately concerned about climate change by connecting them with each other over the three days in an atmosphere that is fun, creative, diverse, safe and which practices sustainable living.
  3. Explore, celebrate, learn and practice non-violent direct action as a necessary, responsible, legitimate way to demand a rapid and just transition to a low-carbon economy.

[NB: Climate Camp is a protest event organised by group of individuals:
we're not an organisation or a charity.  Donations are not tax
deductible.  Anyone can give a financial gift: please consider helping
out.]

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