Encouraging people to do the right thing

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The Sustainable Hour no. 501?| Transcript | Podcast notes

Our guest in The Sustainable Hour no. 501 is David Dudley, founder of Tidy Up Townsville. We also listen to insights from Bill McKibben and Layne Beachley AO.

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The Hour begins with a quote from our UN Chief António Guterres: “It’s time to wake up and step up!” – and after our Acknowledgement of Country follows a ‘weather report’ – a 2050 weather prediction – from Jenny, a child who highlights the impact of climate on their future. This is one of several videos recorded by the United Nations in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organisation and The Weather Company to start a conversation about what will happen if we don’t get our act together and stop burning coal, oil and gas. All these videos and more can be found at: www.weatherkids.org

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Colin Mockett OAM reports on recent environmental developments in the U.S., including the Biden administration’s efforts to address climate change. Find a transcript of his Global Outlook below in the transcript.

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David (Dave) Dudley, who founded the TIDY group in Townsville to combat illegal dumping, shares his experiences and the impact his group has had on cleaning up the area.

Dave saw a major problem in the amount of rubbish that was being dumped in and around Townsville – a city with a population of 200,000 in northern Queensland. Rather that just complain about it, he got stuck into it and brought the Townsville and district community along with him.

Dave shares examples of how businesses and individuals in Townsville are contributing to cleaning up the environment, such as donating prizes and organising clean-up events. He also discusses his decision not to run for local elections and his plans to involve more council members in clean-up activities.

Dave Dudley’s work with the Tidy group in Townsville demonstrates the power of individual action in combating environmental issues. The conversation then shifts to the urgency of addressing climate change and the role of individuals and governments in taking action.

You can find out about Tidy Up Townsville on their facebook page which can be found here.

Inspired by Dave and as a direct result of our discussion, Mik Aidt instantly started the Facebook group Tidy Up Geelong on www.facebook.com/TidyUpGeelong. If you live in Geelong region and would like to join the initiative, just give it a Like.

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Layne Beachley AO discusses Earth Day and the importance of individual actions in protecting and preserving the planet through actions like picking up litter, reducing plastic use, and reducing carbon footprint. “The standards we set are what we allow,” she says.

American author and co-founder of 350.org Bill McKibben emphasises the need for collective action and the power of older generations to support young activists. Older generations have a responsibility to support and amplify the voices of young activists, he says. Bill McKibben on Climate Crisis: How we got here and what we can do now

Mik Aidt reflects on the need for cultural change and the importance of education and mental health in addressing societal and environmental issues. Cultural change is necessary to shift towards a more sustainable and caring society. Investing in education and mental health is crucial for addressing societal and environmental challenges.

The May Letition-letter is about mental health and climate change.

A vigil is going to be held in Geelong on Fri May 10 to let deputy prime minister Richard Marles know that his constituents are not happy with his government’s inaction on climate. More info below in our calendar.

We round off the Hour with Missy Higgins’ ‘The Difference’ and a guest appearance by Greta Thunberg. The song is from an album which was entitled Climate Grief #2 on ABC listen.

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Each week we get to know our guests and their motivations. This week was no different. Dave’s work is inspirational. He saw a problem and didn’t wait for someone to solve it. As he said, he “got stuck in” and started working on it. In the process he bought the Townsville and district community along with him.

A classic example of what he has inspired was the event when he got the local four wheel group involved. They pulled 23 cars at various stages of disintegration from a creek, and then removed from the sight and recycled by a couple of local businesses.

It’s always a great satisfaction each week to shine extra lumens on people who go about their work with determination and persistence. The world is definitely a better place for them being here. We’ll be back next week with more inspirational champions to their causes.

In the meantime, be the difference: send a letition, be part of something bigger and see you on 9 May!

“We pulled 23 cars out of a creek a couple of years back. You know, they were anything from a recently stolen vehicle to a rusted wreck, but we got them all out. And that appealed to the fourwheel drive community because I offered them an opportunity to test themselves and they answered the call. So, you know, we were chaining these wrecks up to fourwheel drives and literally skull dragging them out of the bush. And we got 23 vehicles out… Then I had one of the local crane companies volunteer their time for about two days to come out and we removed all the wrecks from the roadside. So we just didn’t pull them out and leave them there. We got the whole job done.” ~ David Dudley, founder of Tidy Up Townsville

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