I am a mother of two precious girls. As any mother, I want them to be able to experience the wonders of our world; I want them to know the magical beauty of the world that I have seen.
That’s why for me watching the news stories about the changing climate and the destruction it is already bringing makes my heart break. Seeing our beautiful rainbow reef turn a stark ghostly white; or the towering trees of Tasmania burned to a crisp; or the stunning glaciers melt in front of our eyes brings tears to my eyes.
What upsets me most is our Government’s role in this devastation. By continuing to approve giant coal mines, frack for unconventional gas, and drill the Great Australian Bight for deep oil, our Government is condemning my children to a radically different world.
As a mother, watching this unfold can leave me feeling helpless. I also at times feel guilty for not doing enough. It can be hard as one individual knowing how to stand up to a Government that is intent on watching the world burn while handing out subsidies to their friends in the fossil fuel industry to keep on polluting: putting short term profit ahead of our children’s futures.
I currently run a Facebook page called 'What Will We Leave Our Children?' and this weekend myself, my eight year old daughter, and a group of mothers will be spending our Mothers Day peacefully protesting at the coal port of Newcastle under the banner of Break Free.
We will be joining with farmers, pacific islanders, community leaders and people from all across Australia to show our political leaders that Australians care about the future of the planet. We simply cannot keep pretending that climate change is someone else’s problem, and that is why, as a mother I felt compelled to act.