Gc. Think I'll pass on that link and hit the single malt - much more rewarding.

Supertroll, many of the beneficiaries of UK Aid money can afford as much Single Malt as they want, every day of the year. Their livers may have other ideas though.

Gwendolyn.
Christmas is supposedly a time of good cheer.
Why do you remain a grouch?
Cheer up man (or madam).

Thank you all for your kind words. I am largely doing this for my own satisfaction, but it is gratifying to know that it is being read and appreciated. I fear it may be becoming tedious. However, having started looking at the members of Climate Action Network Australia, I'll finish, before looking at other tentacles of the Climate Action Network. I'd ploughed through the first 40 so far,so here's carrying on:

41. WATCH (Wodonga Albury Towards Climate Health). "WATCH is a local, non-partisan, community group.

WATCH actively advocates for action on human‑induced climate change.

WATCH assists people of the Albury-Wodonga region to clarify concerns about climate change and effectively express them to community leaders and decision‑makers.

WATCH has a core committee of about 10 people and our monthly e-mail newsletter WATCHWORD goes out to over 800 people."

Lots of links on their website to others of that ilk.

42. Australian Conservation Foundation. "WHO WE ARE
The Australian Conservation Foundation community is more than a quarter of a million people who speak out, show up and act for a world where forests, rivers, people and wildlife thrive. We are proudly independent, non-partisan and funded by donations from our community. We are growing a powerful movement to drive real change and hold our decision-makers to account. We work with community leaders, social movements, Indigenous people, economists, businesses, governments and people everywhere who care and are willing to act.

We are dismantling the old story that people and nature must be in conflict. We are creating a new story – a story of connection. In this story, we value the whole web of life and the incredible diversity of life on Earth.

We stand with the nation’s Traditional Owners to care for country.

We find solutions. We persevere.

We take on the big structural challenges that stand in the way of change – the laws, policies, institutions, decisions and practices – to create a system that does right by people and nature.

We diagnose and treat the root causes of environmental problems. We expose polluting companies when they do wrong. We advocate for laws that protect life, for us, our children and their grandchildren. We weave local efforts with national solutions to keep the web of life intact.

We are creating a future that cherishes life, with clean water, shared sunshine and big old trees."

I could sign up to pretty much all of that - environmentalism in the good old-fashioned sense of the word. It's just a pity that it's not all that they're about. Their website makes it clear that they're climate-changed obsessed too:

"Think global, act local on climate change". Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory – pollution levels still going up." "[B]ut global warming, fuelled by coal pollution is warming our oceans and killing our coral. If we don’t cut pollution and limit global warming, the Great Barrier Reef could be gone in just a few decades." And this from their most recent Annual Report:

"It’s been an incredible year. A federal election where ACF tried new community organising approaches to make the
politicians sit up and listen. The People’s Climate Marches across Australia where ACF led the charge in asking our
Prime Minister to join with world leaders to act on global warming. Australia hosted the largest mobilisations in the
world in the lead up to the Paris Climate Summit."

"When world leaders headed to Paris for the UN climate summit, hundreds of amazing volunteers joined us to bring people together for the People’s Climate March. They spent their evenings and weekends putting up posters, phone banking, making placards and banners, knocking on more than 8,000 doors and distributing more than 80,000 flyers across the country. In every Australian capital city, more people joined People’s Climate Marches than ever before.
• At the same time our Climate Reality Project Climate Leaders worked with other ACF supporters to deliver messages from their communities – including many handwritten letters – to local MPs, calling on them not to settle for a weak target to cut emissions.
• To connect the community of more than 600 Climate Leaders across the country, we established a local coordinator network. Thirty-five volunteer Climate Leaders stepped up to take on the role of Local Coordinator, supporting and motivating other Climate Leaders in their network.
• Also on the theme of connections, this year Climate Leaders took part in our Connecting the Dots campaign. We know climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, bushfires, storms and droughts. To join the dots between extreme weather events and climate change, Climate Leaders have been using local,national and even international media to tell stories from their own communities."

Etc, etc.

This doesn't look too impressive to me: " This year, ACF spent 54 per cent of its income on environmental activities, a six per cent increase on last year. " So last year they spent less than half their income on environmental activities (environmental activities supposedly being the reason for their existence). Hmm.

43. Conservation Council of South Australia. "Right now, a large-scale disaster is happening, but because it's more gradual than the spread of a bushfire, we are responding way too slowly.
It's climate change.
Climate change needs urgent coordinated action to prevent the most dangerous and chaotic impacts. We know what needs to be done, we just need consistent and coordinated effort across all sectors of our society, as we had during World War II.
We need our federal and state politicians to lead this grand-scale mobilisation to prevent runaway climate change. Please sign our petition to all Parliamentarians and let's get started on this Australia-wide team effort straight away. Let's not fiddle while Australia burns.
Our great state deserves better.

We call on the Australian Federal and State Parliaments to act in the national interest, declare a climate emergency, and mobilise a coordinated Australia-wide effort to prevent dangerous climate change.

We have done this before, during World War II. We can and must do it again.

We need you to look beyond short term electoral cycles and party politics. We need you to act as real leaders, and lead us in action to prevent this climate emergency.

Let's all work together just as we do in times of bushfires and floods. Let's use our energy to prevent even more bushfires and floods instead of dealing with their devastating consequences.

It's time for heads out of the sand, and all hands on deck. We need to start right now."

Enough said.

44. Conservation Council of Western Australia. "NEW EPA POLICY CAVES TO INDUSTRY PRESSURE ON CLIMATE AND CARBON POLLUTION". Disappointing. But then this bit, under the inevitable heading "Climate Change" is actually a bit more sensible:

"We can ease the squeeze of cost of living pressures by turning off dirty, increasingly expensive electricity made by burning fossil fuels. By reducing our reliance on polluting power, we can save money and encourage a local renewable energy industry. Don’t forget that probably the most common green technology, the solar hot water heater, was invented right here in WA.

We can use renewable energy to fuel a sustainable mining boom and, in turn, use mine-site technology to tap our state’s vast renewable wind, solar and geothermal resources. The same drilling technology employed every day by mining companies could be used to harvest almost limitless geothermal energy form the Earth’s crust. Don’t forget that."

45. Environment Centre of the Northern Territory. They seem to do a lot of good stuff but then, inevitably, there's this:

"Safe Climate
The Territory’s lifestyle, the economy and our globally significant conservation values are threatened by climate change.

Climate models indicate global carbon pollution levels must fall by at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 to prevent the world’s climate from overheating and seriously damaging ecosystems, economies and communities.

This is a massive undertaking.

The amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, in Earth’s atmosphere has been rising steadily since the Industrial Revolution started in the mid to late eighteenth century.

The concentration of carbon dioxide has increased from about 280 parts per million (ppm) in the late 1700s to about 390 ppm, and continues to rise by about 2 ppm each year.

Scientists predict that without very significant cuts in global carbon pollution, carbon dioxide levels will continue to increase to between 450 ppm and 650 ppm between the middle and end of this century.

Computer models of the future climate indicate these levels of greenhouse gases would increase global average air temperatures by perhaps three to four degrees Celsius, with much larger temperature increases in some regions, such as in the Arctic.

Such changes would have dramatic consequences for the world’s ecosystems and species, our economy and human health and wellbeing.

Climate change impacts in the Territory

In the Northern Territory, climate change will affect our health, our homes, infrastructure, ecosystems and species.

The CSIRO estimates that on current global carbon pollution trajectories, the number of days that Darwin experiences air temperatures above 35oC will rise from the current 11 days to up to 69 by 2030 and up to 308 by 2070.

These hotter temperatures, together with humid weather, is likely to make it harder for people with impaired health, and those less able to afford to adapt of shelter from the changing climate.

Higher temperatures will make it harder for land managers to control wildfires, causing greater risks to the safety of firefighters and the wider community.

A rise in sea levels of 1.1 metres would place at risk of inundation several hundred buildings in Darwin, and over 2000 kilometres of roads. Sea levels in Darwin Harbour have been rising at an average 7mm per year for the past 20 years.

Warming of the Arafura and Timor Seas, and Gulf of Carpentaria, is predicted to cause more damaging cyclones and storm surges around the Top End."

More tomorrow!

Not tedious, Mark; sometimes I skim a bit. Keep up the good work.

I'm reminded of Parma's Spanish veterans in the low country, complaining that they did more work with their shovels than their firearms or pikes.
==================

Back to members of Climate Action Network Australia:

46. Environment Tasmania. "At the gateway to Antarctica, the island of Tasmania is home to some of the last remaining wild places on earth. Our mission is to protect these wild places and the clean air, water and natural resources all Tasmanians rely on." Excellent - if lived in Tasmania I could sign up to that. But not to this: "Environment Tasmania is the conservation council - the peak group for environment organisations in the state. We're a not-for-profit, non-partisan campaigning organisation, with 18 member groups active on issues ranging from climate change to marine protection."

47. Environment Victoria. "VICTORIA’S ROLE IN THE CHANGING CLIMATE
Each year, our state releases more than 120 million tonnes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

With a population of 5.7 million people, that amounts to annual emissions of 21 tonnes per person! It makes us one of the most polluting states in one of the most polluting countries in the world.

Over 80 percent of Victoria’s electricity currently comes from burning brown coal, which is one of the most polluting ways of generating electricity. A recent analysis in Nature Climate Change found Australia has the second most polluting electricity sector in the world, behind only India.

But things can change. The good news is, our state government is already taking positive steps to cut our climate pollution.

Victoria can become a leader on climate. But making the changes we need will mean committing to strong action to phase out polluting coal and shift to renewable energy."

48. Nature Conservation Council of NSW. "Coal mining creates permanent, destructive changes to our environment, clearing wildlife habitat, destroying rivers and streams, permanently damaging aquifers and polluting air and water. Coal mined in New South Wales is burned in Australia and overseas, polluting the air and producing over 400 million tonnes of carbon pollution annually.

We cannot afford to sacrifice the essentials of life – clean air, fresh water and our best farmland – for the benefit of powerful vested interests. It’s time to take a stand to protect our land, our water and our future."

Generally I would not get too upset by their aims and what appears on their website, but there is plenty along the lines of that above referring to "carbon pollution" etc. It's a shame.

49. North Coast Environment Council. "With sea-levels rising and rainfalls intensifying due to climate change it will subject future landowners to massive risks and hardships." “Scientists have been telling us since the mid- 1990s that we can expect more intense rainfall events, with a likelihood of more flash flooding. One in a 100 year floods can be expected every 20 years. " Again, a group of worthy people doing - or at least trying to do - some good work of an old-fashioned environmentalist type. It's a shame that it's spoiled by group-think like the above.

50. Queensland Conservation. Again, a broadly worthy (in my view) organisation, but again contaminated by climate change alarmism. Mind you, solar power in Queensland is probably a better idea than here in the UK! "Rooftop by rooftop, communities across Queensland are nudging our sunshine state towards a sun-powered future. In fact, Queenslanders are world leaders at harvesting sunshine! But right now, too many people don’t have access to clean energy. They are being left behind with dirty old energy that’s damaging our climate and harming our communities.

We know we need to cut pollution and shift to clean energy, fast. To make this happen – and enable everyone, everywhere, to power their lives with clean energy – our government must step up and lead. We call on the Queensland Government to commit to an ambitious renewable energy target, phase out coal-fired power and invest in large-scale clean energy projects across our state."

51. The Wilderness Society. "People and nature rely on a safe climate. We know that to continue to extract and burn fossil fuels and clear carbon-rich forests at the current rate will lead to catastrophic climate change.
Australia is one of the world’s largest coal exporters and is positioning itself to become the largest global exporter of fossil fuels. There are large-scale coal, gas and oil projects proposed from one end of the country to the other. If all of this coal, oil and gas is exploited, Australia has potential fossil fuel resources that could chew up as much as one-half of the global emissions budget.
In December 2015, progress was made at the Paris Climate talks. We made an international agreement that we must at least limit warming to 2℃, but should be aiming for 1.5℃ to keep the Pacific Islands habitable, the Great Barrier Reef flourishing, and give our children a safe climate future.
Our Climate Action campaign aims to keep as great a volume of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) in the ground as possible, limiting Australia’s contribution to catastrophic climate change."

52. WWF. Where to start?!!! In fact they deserve a discussion piece of their own, so I'll leave them for later. Suffice to say, for now, that the Antipodean branch is as bad as the rest of the organisation:

"Our climate is now rapidly changing and threatening the people, animals and places we love.
What we now know is activities such as burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, and cutting down forests is polluting our atmosphere and warming our planet, causing an increase in extreme weather events, sea level rise, and a warming and acidification of the oceans. Our precious wildlife and ecosystems can’t adapt fast enough.

The good news is we have the solutions – like solar energy from the sun. Our ability to innovate is boundless and exciting. These solutions will not just help us limit global warming, but will create a more sustainable, cleaner and better future for all.
WWF-Australia works with businesses, governments and communities to accelerate the solutions and speed up Australia’s transition to zero carbon pollution – ensuring Australia does its fair share and supports those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

WWF-Australia is committed to:
• Limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century
• Achieving net-zero carbon pollution in Australia before 2050
• Achieving 100% renewable energy in Australia before 2050, including 100% renewable electricity before 2035."

53. Institute for Sustainable Futures. They are part of the University of Technology Sydney. "ISF researchers have a strong grounding in the scientific drivers of climate change and a practical understanding of the impacts climate change is likely to have across all sectors of society. Our experience in undertaking climate change adaptation work is broad, covering local to international settings in both urban and rural contexts and includes the water sector, behavioural change initiatives, social, institutional and ecological resilience, buildings and cities, resource management and international development issues." Good - we need, in my opinion, to spend much more time preparing to adapt to inevitable climate change than we do in trying to stop it. Unfortunately, they also say this:

"We recognise that radical transformation is needed to replace old, out-dated and polluting energy systems and to tackle one of the major causes of climate change."

54. Community Climate Network. Perhaps people are losing interest, as the last of their summits referred to on their website occurred in 2014. Its workshops included such delights as the following:

"We Can't Walk on Water" - Torres Strait and Pacific Islanders responding to the challenges of climate change: Uncle Thomas Sebasio, Wanita Limpus and Wendy Flannery
Introduction to Divestment Campaigning: Hayley Troupe and Janelle Rees, 350.org
How To Talk to Climate Change Deniers: Clancy Morrison
Asserting community and nature's rights - a new legal framework for community action and environmental stewardship: Michelle Maloney, Australian Earth Laws Alliance
The art of conversation around climate change: Sue Pratt, Rosemary Crettenden and Bron Wauchope, Psychology for a Safe Climate
Why not get radical? Ben Pennings, Generation Alpha
Communicating about climate change: Conversations? Marketing? Framing? Symbolic Action? Discussing options and ways forward: Don McArthur, Victorian Climate Action Network"

55. Actionaid Australia. "ActionAid is a global movement of people working together to further human rights and defeat poverty for all." Excellent - I can sign up to that. But not to this:

"The world is currently enduring an unprecedented combination of climate-related crises. We are living through what will almost certainly be the hottest year on record, and have faced one of the strongest El Niño weather events of all time.
At the same time, in 2016 the Earth has recorded the highest ever level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which are set to rise still further. Many climate scientists are concluding that climate change and El Niño are combining to create new and extreme impacts that are unprecedented.
The 2015-16 El Niño may yet prove to have caused the biggest drought that the world has ever seen. Many countries are enduring their worst droughts in decades, affecting hundreds of millions of people. National emergencies have been declared in several countries with women particularly affected by the crisis.
The El Niño weather phenomenon itself may have passed, but its impact is still growing as food insecurity resulting from drought is not expected to end for millions of people until the middle of next year.
Affected countries currently face a funding shortfall of US$3.1 billion to cope with the ongoing crisis, which is expected to last for many months, in some cases until June next year. Immediate support for farmers, particularly in East and Southern Africa where the growing season has just started, is urgently required. A timely response could help avoid another food crisis in 2017.
Even though the Paris Agreement on climate change was celebrated with much fanfare less than a year ago, the lack of adequate response to the global El Niño drought shows that the world is not yet willing or able to respond properly to an actual climate crisis.
Not only must the world now act to further cut greenhouse gas emissions, but as predictable and climate-induced extreme weather events are likely to become the “new normal,” far greater efforts are needed to prevent these from becoming humanitarian crises. Governments, donors, climate and humanitarian agencies must work together to build people’s and countries’ resilience, and prepare for and respond to an increasingly climate-chaotic world."

56. Less Meat Less Heat. "You will start the month with a budget of 8000 carbon points which is equivalent to 80 kilograms of carbon. Each time you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, open The Climatarian Challenge app and record the type of meat the meal contained and the approximate serving size of the portion of meat in the meal..
The app will calculate the carbon footprint of your meal and subtract it from your budget. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to finish the month with carbon points to spare." What fun!

57. Australian Marine Conservation Society. "The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is the voice for Australia's ocean wildlife. We are an independent charity, staffed by a committed group of professional and passionate scientists, educators and advocates who have defended Australia's oceans for 50 years. Our paid and volunteer staff work every day on behalf of the community to protect our ocean wildlife." Very laudable. I have no problems with it, and can support it. But then they say this: "A key component in all of our campaigns is to give our oceans the best chance of resilience against climate change impacts. "

58. The Australia Institute. "The Australia Institute is the country’s most influential progressive think tank. Based in Canberra, it conducts research on a broad range of economic, social and environmental issues in order to inform public debate and bring greater accountability to the democratic process." But then they get upset about things like this:

"A new report by the University of Melbourne Energy Institute has found that unmeasured methane leakage and fugitive emissions from unconventional gasfields could cause Australia to fail its Paris climate commitments.

The report, commissioned by The Australia Institute, found that:

Several major potential sources of methane emissions are assumed to be zero under Australia’s accounting and reporting of unconventional gas.
Methane measurements at US unconventional gas fields have found leakage rates in the order of 10-25 times higher than the Australian government reports to the UNFCCC, and up to 170 times those claimed by the gas industry.
If leakage rates comparable to those found in the US are found at Australian unconventional gas fields it will have serious implications for Australia meeting its emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement."

59. Beyond Zero Emissions. "Beyond Zero Emissions is an Australian research and education centre. Since 2006 we’ve helped governments, businesses and individuals address one fundamental question: How can Australia transition to a zero-emissions economy?" And:

"We can:

Provide Australia’s entire energy from renewable sources at the end of the transition period,
Employ only proven and scaleable technology which is already commercially available,
Maintain or enhance the security and reliability of Australia’s energy supply,
Maintain or enhance food and water security,
Maintain or enhance the high standard of living currently enjoyed by Australians,
Maintain or enhance social equity, and
Maintain other environmental indices."

No you can't! Some of those objectives are mutually contradictory.

60. Climate Council. "5 reasons why climate change may be worse than we think". "Earth just experienced the hottest August on record." "A Simple Guide to Australia’s Emissions Reduction Targets." "Why do emissions reduction targets matter?" "Is buying international credits a valid way of contributing to emission reductions globally?" "Watch Leonardo DiCaprio's new climate change documentary: right here, for free!" Etc, etc ad nauseam.

61. Friends of the Earth Australia. As for WWF - worth a separate piece in their own right. Suffice to say that the Antipodean version is no better than the international one: "For many years our climate justice campaign has forged the agenda on the human rights dimensions of climate change, most notably in the realm of climate refugees. In recent times, we have been greatly increasing the work we do on mitigation – that is, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions."

62. Climate for Change. "Climate for Change is a volunteer-powered, not-for-profit organisation on a mission to increase the number of people concerned about, and prepared to act on, climate change. We help people who care about climate change have better conversations about why they care with the people they care about.

We know that in order to stop global warming, humans need to make some huge changes very quickly. Most Australians are concerned about climate change and want Australia to do more, but our government and business leaders are not making the changes we need. That’s why we need a climate for change – a groundswell of support for strong climate action that those leaders can’t ignore.

Social research shows that it’s through face-to-face conversations with people we know and trust that we make sense of confusing information and decide what to do about it.

Our plan is to facilitate face-to-face conversations about climate change with enough people to shift the social climate around climate change by 2019."

63. Euroa Environment Group. No functioning website. Must be short of funds!

64. Community Power Agency. "ALP’s climate policy to boost community-led clean energy projects".

65. SEED. "Seed is Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network.

We are building a movement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people for climate justice with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.

Our vision is for a just and sustainable future with strong cultures and communities, powered by renewable energy.

Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humanity, but we also know it is an opportunity to create a more just and sustainable world."

66. Be the Change. "From January 2005, the original Board Members of Be The Change Australia, Josie McLean, Michael Buck and Niran Jiang were looking at what the organisation’s purpose and mission would be. Following the first training of Awakening the Dreamer Symposium Facilitators and Community Organisers in January 2007, Be The Change became the home for the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium in Australia.

In June 2007 Josie McLean and Deane Belfield went to San Francisco to be trained as facilitator trainers and they led two facilitator trainings in Victoria in 2007 and 2008. In November and December 2008 a series of symposiums and facilitator trainings were organised in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, catalysing communities and commitment across Australia.

In February 2009 the NSW and ACT communities were energised by the visit of Lynne Twist, co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance, who facilitated a large symposium in Sydney. A group of 27 leaders from NSW and ACT were subsequently trained as symposium facilitators and community leaders.

In February 2010, Tracy Apple and Jon Love came from The Pachamama Alliance to train 17 of our most experienced facilitators from Victoria, NSW, Queensland and WA to train symposium facilitators. Being now self-reliant with our own home grown facilitators around Australia, there was an abundance of facilitator trainings and symposiums around Australia over the following years. In 2011 the Awakening the Dreamer program was launched in Tasmania and South Australia.

Also in 2011, two new programs which were inspired by the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium were launched – Generation Waking Up Youth program and Jump Up Primary School program– and supported by Be The Change.

In 2013, Be The Change agreed to support what has now become the Inspiring Transition initiative, which has a set of unique tools for educating and inspiring people to become leaders for transformative change."

Eh?

67. Australian Wind Alliance. "The shambolic government display this week makes it look as if the ‘climate wars’ that have gridlocked Australian politics and hobbled climate action for at least a decade haven’t gone away. And again, wind and renewable energy policy is under a cloud."

68. Melbourne Playback Theatre. "Building on 30 years experience as a leading interactive theatre company, Melbourne Playback continues to refine and investigate the practice of storytelling.

Melbourne Playback is employed by organisations to fulfil a variety of needs from training, teambuilding, focusing and planning to reflection and deliberation."

I have no idea why they are a member of Climate Action Network Australia.

69. Healthy Futures. "We're health professionals taking action on climate change to ensure a healthy future for all."

70. Psychology for a Safe Climate. "FOSTERING EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH CLIMATE CHANGE
Our purpose is to contribute psychological understanding and support within the community, helping people face the difficult climate reality." "Founded in 2010, we are a not-for-profit Melbourne based organisation that formed in response to the lack of individual and community engagement with climate change. We acknowledge we need strong and urgent action. Using our professional knowledge as psychologists and helping professionals, our aim is to increase understanding and engagement with climate change. Through our contribution, our hope is that people will become free to act, rather than react or withdraw in despair." Yes, really! They'll probably be upset, but I despair...

71. The Hub. Seems to be an old building renovated for commercial use, hoping to ind tenants by signing up to renewables mantra.

72. Gladstone Conservation Council. "Profiteering after privatising is what made our electricity prices the one of highest in the world. Let no one tell you that the increase is due to the carbon tax or renewable targets, that is only $4 of your electricity bill."

73. Environmental Justice Australia. "Last week the Victorian Government introduced the Climate Change Bill 2016 into Parliament. If passed, this Bill will repeal our current inadequate Climate Change Act 2010. The Government says this legislation will make Victoria a world leader on climate action. But will it?

The argument that climate emissions reduction should be left to the Commonwealth – for example via a national emissions trading scheme – and that States should just tinker around the edges has never rung true for us. And with the repeal of the federal carbon price by the federal coalition government, State action has never been more important. So we are pleased that the Victorian Government recognised the need and the opportunity and are taking responsibility for reducing Victoria’s emissions.

Environmental Justice Australia has been advocating for Victoria to implement strong climate laws for many years and many elements of our proposal for Climate Charter legislation have been picked up in this Bill. " Etc etc.

74. Caritas Australia. "We are the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church in Australia." "Why campaign on climate justice?

Climate change is the single biggest threat to reducing global poverty. While every person on the planet is affected by climate change, the impact is especially severe for women, men and children most vulnerable to extreme poverty – those who have done the least to contribute to global warming.

The communities we work with have told us of the increasing ferocity of cyclones and other extreme weather-related events, of rising sea levels, of the increasing unpredictability of farming seasons and food security, of water supplies contaminated with salinity, and of the negative impacts on community wellbeing and health.

We can achieve climate justice if we all work together in solidarity!"

75. Climates. "G’day!

The Australia-Pacific region faces unprecedented climate challenges. People feel disempowered by the scale of these threats and their inability to stop them.

Climates is a supportive network with a common vision: empowering people in the Australia-Pacific region to address our climate challenges together."

That's the last of them, thank goodness. Moving onto another group altogether tomorrow.

"Climate change is the single biggest threat to reducing global poverty."

From quotes posted by: Jan 2, 2017 at 8:31 PM | Mark Hodgson

That is a wonderful lie/delusion! Climate Science has proved to be the greatest cause of prolonging global poverty, continually fabricating excuses why poor communities should not have reliable and affordable power, with all the economic development that would then be possible.

Mark Hodgson, as if by magic .....

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/01/02/aussie-chief-scientist-renewable-energy-push-hurts-the-poor/

The cartoon by Josh reflects the UK forecast.

Mark Hodgson, and as if by further magic, what actually causes the Aussie warming that is condemning the poor Aussies?

http://joannenova.com.au/2017/01/sydney-observatory-where-warming-is-created-by-site-moves-buildings-freeways/

True believing alarmists attempt to virtue signal with their abundance of concerns, but when it is realized that, as usual, the poor are most damaged by the schemers, then the signals, instead of representing virtuous and intelligent semaphoric discourse show sails flapping forlornly in a near dead calm.
======================

Climate Action Network Canada sent 6 representatives to COP22. Looking at their website and their (thankfully shorter) list of members, there doesn't seem to be much to choose between Australian and Canadian versions. It might be interesting to look at the people they sent in turn (probably one a day).

The first person on their list of attendees is Nhattan Nguyen, Operations and Outreach Coordinator. His Linked In profile is as follows:

"Current Climate Action Network Canada, McGill University, Freelance
Previous Climate Action Network International, Fairtrade Canada, UNEP

I am a global community organizer passionate about sustainable development. My working interests are in policy, stakeholders engagements and capacity building. My thematic and research interests are in climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable development, food security, community and youth engagement and resilience, and disaster risk reduction.

Student Researcher, McGill University
April 2014 – Present (2 years 10 months)
Research areas: development areas, climate change, community-based projects, community resilience, youth initiatives, civil society
Developing infographics related to research

Policy Intern
Climate Action Network International
June 2016 – September 2016 (4 months)
The Policy intern helps to coordinate, inform and support Climate Action Network members on all levels. This includes, research on international policy issues, help with the development of publications, liaising with CAN’s network members, assisting with events, organizing conference calls, webinars and other logistics to help the policy department.

Responsibilities
• Conduct research on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)
• Establish a database of relevant data within the INDCs and NAMAs according to established criteria
• Create a database of negotiators of countries and negotiating groups within the UNFCCC according to different issues
• Draft and design policy factsheets
• Draft background material for policy strategy decision making and knowledge sharing
• Organize conference calls, assist with logistics and administration
• Help with drafting and editing CAN policy positions, briefings and others

Network Development and Outreach Intern
Climate Action Network International
August 2015 – May 2016 (10 months)
Supporting CAN’s movement building work ahead of key international moments by working with the team to amplify these moments, gathering and sharing updates with our nodes, and helping design and use tools to track and amplify engagement; Assisting the team and nodes as relevant to map actors to engage with in key countries; Helping to organise capacity building opportunities on a range of topics, including research, organization and outreach to key members; Maintaining, updating and developing the website’s database of introductory and theme­based capacity building resources; Supporting the team with internal network strengthening tasks, which will include support with organizational development and internal communications work; Supporting with communications around the team’s and the nodes’ work, for instance through CAN’s quarterly newsletter.

Research Officer - Fairtrade Montreal
Fairtrade Canada
May 2014 – August 2015 (1 year 4 months)Montreal, Canada Area
- Policy brief
- Inventory and products accounting

Global Coordinator for Children and Youth
UNEP
February 2013 – August 2015 (2 years 7 months)
Facilitating the participation of children and youth in the United Nations Environment Program

Information Agent
Ville de Montréal
June 2012 – August 2015 (3 years 3 months)
Informing borough citizens on best practices on water and environmental issues, running workshops on recycling and composting in day camps and supporting the city's environment organization. Climate Change adaptation with the City's Water Service, and education on ecosystem services and invasive species.
Contracts for Summer 2012, Summer 2013, and Summer 2015.

Administration and ICT Intern
Greenpeace
2011 – 2011 (less than a year)
Supporting Administration and ICT, processing communications with Greenpeace Canada head office, development of office resources.

McGill University
Bachelor's Degree, Joint Honors in International Development Studies and Geography
2013 – 2016
Activities and Societies: McGill Outdoors Club

Panelist
World Conference on Youth, Sri Lanka 2014
United Nations Environment Assembly, Nairobi 2014

It seems he likes to get out and about around the world. Another example of other people's carbon footprints being more important than one's own, when one is saving the world, perhaps? It seems I was right to look at his Linked In profile - he's certainly linked in to the world of climate zealots.

Climate Action Network Canada again. I should really have gone back to basics and started with this:

"Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada (CAN-Rac Canada) is a coalition of more than 100 organizations from across the country that cares about how a changing climate affects people, plants and wildlife. Our network believes that it is reckless not to invest now to keep our families and communities safe, especially when solutions are affordable. We are working together to advance solutions to managing our carbon pollution through sustainable and equitable development.

Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada (CAN-Rac Canada) is the only network in the country that brings labour, development, faith-based and aboriginal groups together with the key national and provincial environmental organizations working on climate change. The network plays a critical role in helping Canadian organizations understand and respond to climate change impacts and policies in Canada and around the world and to coordinate their collective work on this issue to maximize their collective impact. CAN-Rac Canada is unique in the Canadian climate movement because it is the only organization with a mandate to promote the climate movement as a whole, rather than the interests and programs of any one organization."

And this:

"Mission Statement
To combat climate change, particularly by building social consensus for the implementation of comprehensive climate change action plans by all levels of government, based on the best available science, with specific policies, targets, timetables and reporting, and to work with Canada’s governments, First Nations, Inuit and Metis, private sector, labour, and civil society for the effective implementation of these plans.

What we do:
Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada is working to promote solutions that protect the climate. The network’s work is supported by its secretariat that provides a forum for collaborative action, communication, policy development, and coordination to CAN-Rac Canada’s independent member organizations. Members recognize preventing dangerous human interference with the global climate system involves significant opportunities for reforming how society uses and generates energy, and utilizes natural resources, water and land."

There is a handy list on their website of the whole tangle of bodies within Climate Action Network International (not allof whom - perhaps surprisingly - sent representatives to COP22):

Climate Action Network Canada is one of many regional nodes of Climate Action Network International

Climate Action Network Regional Networks

CAN-Australia (CANA)
CAN-Canada (RAC-Canada)
CAN-China
CAN-East Africa
CAN-Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia
CAN-Europe
CAN-France (RAC-France)
CAN-Japan (Kiko Network)
CAN-Latin America (CAN-LA)
CAN-North Africa (RAC-Maghreb)
CAN-Pacific
CAN-South Asia (CANSA)
CAN-Southern Africa (SACAN)
CAN-South East Asia (CAN-SEA)
CAN-United States (USCAN)
CAN-West Africa (West Africa)

There's a load more at http://climateactionnetwork.ca/who-we-are/

The funny thing is, despite it being a very comprehensive website, I can't find any references to their sources of funding (other than the various sections asking for donations)...

The funny thing is, despite it being a very comprehensive website, I can't find any references to their sources of funding (other than the various sections asking for donations)...

Jan 4, 2017 at 7:43 PM | Mark Hodgson

Did you find any references to anything that they have actually achieved?

It is wonderful to know how much money has been spent on organising, networking, facilitating, motivating, developing, consensus building, awareness training, seat warming, coffee drinking, aviation fuel burning, sighing deeply, eyebrow knitting and total policy wonking, without actually doing anything at all.

When this is all over, these people are going to expect that their extensive experience will guarantee new employment. Unfortunately, their extensive network of like minded individuals, are all going to be looking for work aswell.

golfCharlie. You forget that the gleaming gold-encrusted towers of the "Sustainability" mega complex are being made ready to receive climate change refugees. Their skills will be appreciated and applauded. All that is required is for their name plates to be changed, a few words altered in their job descriptions and new venues chosen for their world saving efforts to be appreciated. Climate change will be "old hat", efforts will be rechannelled into virtuous deeds - like calling for a meeting in Bali to save the lesser spotted nematodes of Patagonia.

Mark, my last post was in no way an attempt to belittle your excellent and worthy efforts in this discussion. I just felt that it is all so sad that so many people with undoubtedly good intentions are frittering away their lives on dross. A little lightness was required.

My post does have the serious point that these people will just jump ship to other good intentioned but ultimately pointless enterprises.

If your efforts have done nothing else for me, they have demonstrated just how much effort is being wasted by well-meaning and probably talented people from around the world. It is so very, very sad and another reason to curse climate "science".

Supertroll

No problem - no offence taken. I share your concerns. My point in rambling on about COP22 was to draw attention to the hypocrisy of so many (all?) of the attendees, and to focus on their inter-connectedness and sources of funding. That rather widened when I started looking at Climate Action Network and the members of its various worldwide offshoots, as it dawned on me just how absolutely rampant is the climate change alarmism all over the world, and the massive duplication and overlap (plus prominent begging bowls on their websites). It widened again when it dawned on me how many well-meaning people are devoting their lives to utter pointlessness, and how many young people's lives have been derailed into pointlessness by brainwashing.

Finally, it is so disheartening to read extensive CVs proudly displayed on the internet by well-meaning young people who, in my opinion, haven't in fact done anything useful at all, have been paid out of charity or public funds to do something pointless, but who think they've done something useful, and who presumably think they have useful and transferrable skills which in reality they lack. If Trump really does set himself to drain the climate swamp,and if people see how much money is thereby being saved, so that the idea spreads, a lot of these people will be completely stuffed!

Our host has returned and posted on WWF, so maybe it is time for a quick look at them (though they probably deserve more than a quick look).

They sent 32 delegates to COP 22 (though someone from WWF China attended as part of the Xiamen University 17-strong delegation; someone else from WWF China attended as part of the 11-strong delegation sent by the China Green Carbon Foundation; and another WWF personage attended as part of the 12-strong delegation from Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development; so that's arguably 35 delegates in total.

Their 2016 financial summary claims that 85% of WWF-US's spending is directed to worldwide conservation activities. But then I suppose that depends on how one defines "conservation activities," especially given the article just posted by our host. At first blush, depending on how one views these things, 11% of income spent on fundraising might not seem too bad. But when income for the year is over $300M, fundraising costs amount to $32,750,779 - a colossal sum, I would suggest. BY the same token, "finance and administration" at 4% amounts to a very substantial $12,950,274. So more than $45M spent in a single year on fundraising and finance & administration. It seems a lot of people are probably doing very nicely out of it.

However, their 2016 annual report doesn't tell us how much their senior officers and fundraisers were paid, so I can't tell precisely who has made what. Their income streams break down as follows:

Individuals $100,355,045 - 33%
In-kind and other $79,845,124 - 26%
Government grants $46,365,374 - 15%
Foundations $26,543,278 - 9%
Other non-operating $20,493,975 - 7%
contributions
Network $17,934,104 - 6%
Corporations $13,671,189 4%

"In-kind and other" is a bit vague, but wherever their funding comes from it's clear that taxpayers "Government grants" are a very substantial sum - $46,365,374. Curiously enough, it neatly covers and just exceeds their fundraising,finance & administration costs.

I'm a simple lawyer, not an accountant, but I note that their US Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax states that "Salaries, other compensation, employee benefits" amount to $78,680,754. Are they not part of their "fundraising and finance & administration" costs shown as being more than $30M less than those employee costs? That 85% figure looks a bit strange to me, especially when "Other expenses" are stated as being $71,725,758.

In fact their IRS submission has "Total revenue" at $218,083,765 and "Total expenses" at $225,035,121 so that "Revenue less expenses" are said to be $-6,951,356 (-v- +$17,675,103 for the previous year.

I'm obviously missing something, so if anyone better at reading financial statements than me can enlighten me, the link to the IRS form is here:

http://assets.worldwildlife.org/financial_reports/28/reports/original/WORLD_WILDLIFE_FUND_WWF_TAX_RETURN_990_PUBLIC_INSPECTION_2015.pdf?1479914820&_ga=1.44780973.888998507.1483645361

I'll try to delve a bit further tomorrow.

Mark Hodgson & SuperTroll

A common theme amongst spythrillers etc is of armaments manufacturers needing conflict and war to keep their industry"sustainable".

I think Ocean Acidification is the equivalent of manufacturing another problem that needs to be fixed, to keep the money required by "Environmentalists" justifiable, and their money making sustainable.

The idea of "climate change refugees" is disturbing. People displaced or fleeing the conflict in Syria were badged as Climate Change Refugees. This was rubbish. Then the conflict was due to Climate Change. This too was rubbish. No one has been made homeless by Climate Change or sea level rise. Where are all these refugees supposed to be coming from? What will cause their home land to become uninhabitable, that will be more expensive to fix, than relocating them on to someone else's land, and how will they learn or be taught to cope with the different land/climate?

Martin A 10:56, I was hoping to be able to buy a dirt cheap beach-front property, somewhere exotic, where climate scientists like to have conferences. Property prices are going up, as are the populations in these tropical island paradises. It seems the local populations and climate scientists have not bothered to tell the United Nations that it was all a big mistake.

Mark Hodgson, if you haven't already, I would recommend the links supplied by Martin A!

To whom it may concern, let it be known that the "climate change refugees" in my Jan 5, 2017 at 8:26 AM post were those working for environmental "agencies" who would be unemployed when climate change meets its inevitable doom (however far away that it). Sorry for any confusion caused.

Martin A - interesting links, thank you. The more I read, the more I despair of what the UN has become.

I decided to just google randomly for stories about WWF, and it produced in fairly short order a link to the website of the Animal Liberation Front. I feel rather nervous about even making the link available, but I will, since it's interesting to get the take of an extreme animal defence organisation (NB I am not supporting or endorsing the ALF!). Still, it's their take that WWF stands for Wicked Wildlife Fund or What a Waste of Funds:

http://www.animalliberationfront.com/AR_Orgs/whatawasteoffunds.htm

According to ALF:

"The World Wildlife Fund Is No Animal Protection Organization

They also support the killing of elephants for their ivory to support an elephant conservation programme. They only care about certain species of animals not the individual animals. They are a corporate venture dressed up as animal welfarists, whose number one concern is making money.

Do not support them. "

Not sure, as I say, what to make of their piece, but it's certainly true that the WWF is good at making money, including enjoying charitable status and directly receiving Government funds.

Neon Green Network sent only 2 people to COP22. They seem to be German. According to their website: "NEONGREEN NETWORK … is a charity working to connect NGOs, business, public institutions and members of the public and raise awareness on eco-social topics, motivating people to act on the pressing problems of our times."

Theirs is a slightly strange website where all you can do is advance from page to page, each page having a separate message:

"“I think that to be an ecologist is to love life. It may seem a little naive and utopian, but I think we need more love. And that is why I tell you, I love you!”

YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND
Photographer, journalist und activist"

And "
“The EARTHtalks are the highlight of the year – it’s a rare combination of cutting-edge thinking and emergent names, ideas and action. Attracting in a diverse mix of people, this is one event not be missed.”

POLLY HIGGINS
Barrister and author of Eradicating Ecocide"

"We don’t need to protect the climate. We don’t need to protect the environment. We need to protect ourselves. Things will only change when we realise, that we are part of something much bigger.”

ROLAND DÜRINGER
Actor, comedian, environmental activist"

"“EARTHtalks bring together emerging thinking on planetary issues with deep consideration of humanity’s best capacities and the choices available to us. It’s a powerful, inspiring combination.”

ALEX STEFFEN
Author and founder of worldchanging.com"

"“Every year you really do fantastic work. If there was something like a nobel prize for idealism, Greenpeace would nominate you for it!”

ALEXANDER EGIT
CEO Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe"

Who funds them? They don't say. Naturally, they are a charity. So, like pretty much everyon at COP22 they are at least partly funded by the taxpayer. One of the things I find strange is how many niche organisations these eco-alarmists seem to feel it is necessary to set up.

International Planned Parenthood Federation (a UK charity) sent 2 delegates to COP22. Why?

I never cease to be amazed how many organisations that on the face of it shouldn't be remotely interested in climate change, seem somehow to work it into their playbook, not least when asking for money, but this one stumped me. Then I searched their website for the word "climate" and all these articles popped up:

Climate change and reproductive health

Can condoms counter climate change?

Climate Change: Time to “Think Family Planning”

Climate, gender equality and women’s empowerment

Climate change: Time to think "family planning". A communications toolkit

Climate change: Time to think "family planning". An advocacy toolkit

IPPF calls for prioritization of sexual and reproductive health within climate change adaptation

COP21: follow through on the new climate agreement must be strong, just and gender responsive

Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and Climate Change: What are the links?

Landmark Declaration on population, climate change and sexual and reproductive health services

COP22: Time to think family planning

Plus numerous references to climate change in other articles on their website. It seems no charity is complete without numerous references to climate change and attendance at COP22...