In case you haven’t caught up with the news from Down Under, there’s a new Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, trying to run Australia. Since taking power, Abbott and his Government have demolished any sense of sensible climate policy. They’ve decommissioned the Climate Commission and are routing the carbon price (amongst other things), which they are replacing with a weak policy called ‘Direct Action.‘ In a recent survey, 32 out of 35 renowned Australian economists said that the Direct Action policy is both economically and environmentally inferior to the existing carbon price. The policy does not guarantee any emission reductions.

The only thing going for the Direct Action policy is its name — because Mr Abbott, we wholeheartedly agree that it is time to take direct action to solve climate change. We’re glad that you have legitimised the term. We’re also now going to take this opportunity to show you the type of direct action that is required to genuinely reduce Australia’s emissions.

That’s why, tonight, as part of the launch of ‘Summer Heat Australia’, the faces and names of hundreds of community members who have pledged to stand up to the fossil fuel industry were projected onto the side of the Minerals Council of Australia building in Canberra (which recently engulfed the Australia Coal Association).

Summer Heat campaign coordinator Josh Creaser said that the action was designed to tell the industry that even if Tony Abbott refused to take climate change seriously and halt these dangerous plans, the Australian community will.

“With the Abbott Government failing to lead on climate change, the community has decided to take real Direct Action. As the temperature rises over Summer, people from communities across Australia will be stepping up campaigns to target the industry and stop their radical plans.”

This isn’t a movement of radical activists. It is mothers and fathers, grandparents, church leaders, lawyers, teachers, nurses and students. This is a community standing up to an industry that is threatening our future.

“Australia has seen brutal summer heat in recent years; now it’s time to turn up the heat on those responsible — the out-of-control fossil fuel industry”, said 350.org Co-founder Bill McKibben from the US.

Fossil fuel companies currently have plans to double Australia’s coal and gas exports. Mines such as those proposed in the Galilee Basin would be the largest in the country and some of the largest in the world. These dramatic and dangerous plans would lead to more pollution, higher sea levels and more extreme weather events such as the recent bushfires in New South Wales and typhoon in the Philippines.

Summer heat is a national campaign of community members from around the country stepping up to the fossil fuel industry to say enough is enough, it’s time to act on climate change and end our dependence on fossil fuels.

“Today is just the start.” Creaser said.  “We will keep campaigning until these plans are stopped project by project and until this industry realises that they cannot continue to expand if we are to survive.”

For more information about The Summer Heat campaign: http://joinsummerheat.org