Yesterday, as I mentioned, I attended the Replace Hazelwood Rally on the steps of Parliament.

Oh, and by the way, I like my hat just the way it is thanks Sis!  It keeps my head warm.

Anyway, here is the official statement;

Over 250 people gathered on Thursday May 6, 2010 for a protest on the steps of the Victorian Parliament calling for the closure of the Hazelwood coal fired Power Station by 2012.

Hazelwood is Australia’s dirtiest power station, using brown coal, which produces almost 15 percent of Victoria’s greenhouse pollution – 3 per cent of Australia’s total carbon emissions. It pumps out more than 16 million tonnes of greenhouse pollution each year and is also a massive user of water (27 billion litres a year) and emitter of dangerous pollutants. It is the single largest source of dioxin pollution in Australia, as well as emitting 7800 tonnes of hydrochloric acid each year.

It is possible to replace Hazelwood with a combination of renewable energy, energy efficiency and peaking gas plants. The jobs in construction and operation of these power stations would far exceed the 500 jobs that currently exist at Hazelwood, though effort would need to be taken to ensure that new jobs were created in the Latrobe Valley.

As you can see, the Replace Hazelwood campaign is not about people loosing their jobs at the power plant, or stopping people using electricity.  It is about closing down one of the most polluting (in terms of GHG) power plants in the developed world, and replacing it with green and clean jobs, and renewable energy solutions.  For more information about solutions, please visit the Replace Hazelwood site.

I took so much video of the rally, that I had to cut a fair bit out.  Here are most of the proceeding in two parts.

We were loud, and vocal, but how much of a difference it will make is anyone’s guess, but it felt really good to be a part of! 

If individuals do not feel that they have the opportunity to voice their opinion and demonstrate about the big issues that face us, then democracy in this great country might as well be dead.

I for one believe that we must keep our leaders accountable, however also believe that individual actions can make a huge difference.  Power to the people.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever does” – Margaret Mead