XRSA Autumn Rebellion 2024
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 9 May 2024
Actions so far have included a rally outside the Santos AGM, a silent walk on the International Day of Climate Action, and noisy visits to the head offices of Australia's big four banks. On Saturday May 4th (be with you) climate superheroes took on climate villains and fought for climate justice during a Cosplay for Climate action in Adelaide's CBD.
Action at Santos Annual General Meeting
XR South Australia is one of many groups calling on the Santos Board to take a hard-nosed look at their business operations in the light of climate realities and economic trends.
Extinction Rebellion activists joined representatives from the Gomeroi First Nations people who travelled from the north of NSW to demand that Santos halt fracking of their ancestral lands in the Pilliga forest. Gomeroi people were welcomed by representatives of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains.
XRSA spokesperson Leena Sudano said: "Climate impacts around the world are escalating at a rate much faster than scientists predicted, and there is now no argument that this is caused by burning gas, oil and coal.
“Santos is no longer welcome here. They are deaf to what is happening around them and their polluting product is unwanted and unsafe. Premier Malinauskas has acknowledged that demand for gas is plummeting - a national trend. But Santos plans to expand gas production for export.
"Santos claims that they can offset emissions using carbon capture and storage (CCS) but this is an expensive, unproven process that is failing worldwide and more than 70% of carbon pollution escapes as carbon emissions when the gas is burnt.
"Gas is also unwelcome in our homes - the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has estimated that gas stoves alone cause 12% of childhood asthma."
Climate Disaster Silent Walk
XRSA marked the International Day of Action on April 20th with a slow silent walk down Adelaide’s Rundle Mall to draw attention to the link between fossil fuels and the ever-worsening climate crisis that is devastating communities in Australia and around the world.
Protesters carried placards with messages about the number of climate-related disasters, the sheer scale of the fossil fuel industry’s culpability and the outrageous level of support it enjoys from our governments.
Currently Australia is the world’s biggest exporter of coal and the second biggest exporter of gas, making us the sixth biggest polluter in the world. There are over 100 fossil fuel projects awaiting approval from the Australian government. Just 30 of them would pump an additional 22bn tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, utterly demolishing our ability to reach net zero by 2050.
Australian government subsidies to the fossil fuel industry are projected to total $57.1 billion over the next 3 years, which is 14 times the current balance of Australia’s Disaster Ready Fund.
Spokesperson Anna Slynn said: "It's time for us to face facts. Extreme temperatures and weather events caused by ever increasing fossil fuel emissions are bringing our earth system to the point of collapse. People are already suffering and dying. Soon, people will suffer and die on an unprecedented scale.
"While our governments refuse to rein in the fossil fuel companies, we feel we have no other choice but to stand together and demand an end to fossil fuels to stop complete climate meltdown. We hope that others, when they understand the facts, will join us".
Calling Out the Big Banks
XRSA rebels paid a colourful and noisy visit to the head offices of Australia’s big four banks ANZ, CBA, Westpac and NAB. The protesters demanded that the big four banks immediately cease all funding for fossil fuel projects in Australia, and urged the Bank shareholders, customers and the general public to hold these banks to account for their contribution to the climate crisis.
Although Australia's big four banks all support the Paris climate goals by committing to net zero by 2050, this is clearly just green-washing as financing data tells a different story.
Since the 2016 Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, collectively the big four banks have loaned $57.5 billion to the fossil fuel industry, including $19.2 billion to companies expanding fossil fuel mining and production, and $9.5 billion to fossil fuel expansion projects.
Spokesperson Ian Fox said: "Extreme temperatures are bringing devastating climate disasters to communities across Australia and the world. We know this is driven primarily by the production and combustion of fossil fuels. Those who provide financial backing for the fossil fuel industry are just as culpable as the fossil fuel companies.
"Companies like Santos and Woodside would find it nearly impossible to expand their fossil fuel production without the big four banks lending them money. So we are inviting the big four banks’ shareholders, their customers and the public to join us in demanding they put a stop to all fossil fuel funding and help mitigate our current trajectory toward complete climate catastrophe."
Saturday May 4th (be with you) Cosplay for Climate
Climate villain Rupert Murdoch featured in a protest outside the Adelaide headquarters of the Murdoch press, with protesters demanding News Corp Australia tell the truth about the climate crisis.
There are strong ties between media tycoon Rupert Murdoch and the fossil fuel industry, and his papers and media outlets are notorious for repeatedly downplaying and dismissing climate meltdown.
"Murdoch’s lies fuel climate denial and inaction. News Corp’s failure to truthfully report on climate and ecological issues is a lethal disservice to the Australian community," Spokesperson Gemma Weedall said.
"It’s time for the mainstream media and the South Australian government to turn away from the dark side - by cutting ties with fossil fuels, telling the truth about the latest climate science - and promoting urgent climate action."
The action also featured special guest superhero Captain Planet, who said: “Looting and polluting is not the way! Join the fight for a liveable future - the power is ours!”
XRSA’s Autumn Rebellion continued on Saturday 11th May with Mothers Rebellion*, a peaceful, creative action in Rundle Mall to highlight the urgent need to protect our children, grandchildren, and future generations from climate risk.
The final action on Thursday 16 May was a mass protest and sit-down against SA’s anti-protest laws – see our May '24 News Item Marchers risk arrest under South Australia's draconian anti-protest laws.