EARTHCHAT: News from Friends of the Earth

Listen noon, Tuesday 27 January on Seymour FM or anytime as a podcast.

Ruth welcomes back Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth (FOE) to talk about FOE’s current environmental focus including the latest fires in Victoria, both from FOE’s perspective and his own personal experience, having been on the ground as a CFA volunteer firefighter in the recent Harcourt-Ravenswood fires that destroyed 48 houses earlier this month.

Cam will bring a fresh perspective on how to prepare for future fires in these unpredictable times of climate change, including the urgent need for Australia to purchase our own fleet of Large Air Tankers (LATS) currently leased from North America. Climate change is creating longer and longer fire seasons around the world so not having our own fleet is rapidly becoming a risky option.

He will talk about how to better support out local communities, (that’s all species! Fire affected wildlife are barely getting a mention on the news in these days….), and we will provide important information about where to get all levels of practical help including where we can source what’s actually needed to ensure relevant and appropriate support is available for those devastated by the fires.

Cam will reflect on where we are at with land management and Cultural Parks, and the new era of land management.

With Victoria’s State election looming this year, Cam will highlight the environmental issues faced by the State, such as the state of our forests and the imminent Snow Gum Summit whose focus will be on how to save the dying Snow Gums from the native wood-boring beetle whose larvae eats the sapwood, this combined with the effects of climate change, increased drought and fires means these severely stressed trees are struggling to survive.

We’ll then shift to a more global focus on FOE’s role on the world stage, starting with the fallout from the latest COP meeting in Brazil in November 2025 which concluded with a mixed, highly contested package of agreements aimed at accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement. However, failure to reach a strong, binding consensus on fossil fuel phase-out was a significant outcome leaving many disappointed, including more than 80 countries that pushed for a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels.

Cam will talk about the impacts of climate deniers being in power, unilateralism, and the undermining of the United Nations along with the latest ‘Board of Peace’ initiative which many world leaders and diplomats suggest will further harm the work of the UN.

Join us for this interesting and informative conversation when Cam will bring important information to increase our knowledge and awareness of our planet’s environmental needs, so we can actively and most usefully participate in caring for the Earth, both locally and globally.

Cam Walker is Friends of the Earth Australia’s campaigns coordinator. Cam has been active on environment and climate justice issues for more than 25 years. He has lectured in environmental politics and change theory at RMIT University and is currently working on nuclear-free energy with Victorian communities to protect farmland from unconventional gas and fracking, as well as new coal developments; koala protection and other regional environmental issues in Central Victoria. You can follow Cam’s Twitter feed at @Cam_Walker.

EarthChat on 103.9 FM at midday, Tuesday 27 January. Here is Seymour FM's website. 

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