Dear Climate Vets,
We hear a lot of big numbers being thrown around these days, but let’s just pause on that one for a moment.
MILLION.
SPECIES.
EXTINCTION.
Yesterday's release from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is stomach-churning ... if you're feeling strong go to https://www.reuters.com/article/un-environment-biodiversity/scientists-warn-a-million-species-at-risk-of-extinction-idUSL5N22H0W2 to read the Reuters report on it.
Importantly note the comment “...it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start now at every level from local to global,”
There are plenty of things that each of us can do locally to help START NOW. Unfortunately I’m not talking about riding your bike to work – not that that’s not a good thing, it definitely is – but sadly sadly, it’s not enough. Personally, I’m volunteering to assist the campaign for Australian federal parliament of an independent candidate who has a strong position on climate change and also has a chance of success against the local representative of Australia’s coal promoting current government. Plus, guess what, it’s fun! There might be something like that that you can do. Maybe write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper if you can only carve out half an hour or so.
But, does anyone have any idea as to what Climate Vets as an organisation can do? The thing that comes to mind for me is that maybe as a global network we’d have a chance with a Letter to the Editor of a larger publication - would you support that?
Anyone else have any ideas?
Thank you, ~Angela

Hi Climate Vets,
Today is March for Science Day. For those of you in Australia, I hope you were able to get to a march near you. For those of you where the marches are yet to happen, I hope you'll be able to find one. check here:
https://www.marchforscience.com/satellites
If you've never done a protest or rally before; the March for Science is a great first event for people like us, you'll be among nerds, I mean, friends!
Here's an article and video of today's event in Port Macquarie NSW Australia:
http://www.portmac.news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2934:hastings-supports-science-
https://youtu.be/JLgKvPDcmlc
 Talk to you again soon! ~Angela

Have you ever thought about getting more involved in climate education and advocacy?
NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!
This June, there will be a very special opportunity to train as a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps. This amazing program rotates around the world, and only meets in Australia once every few years. This year, there will be a training will be held in Brisbane on June 5 - 7. 
I was lucky enough to take part in this training in Melbourne in 2014 and it's no overstatement to say that it was life-changing. Three days of intense training in climate science, solutions, leadership, communication, and inspiration from a range of leaders in their fields - including the great former US Vice President Al Gore himself.  
Please feel free to contact me directly if you'd like to talk in detail about what this training represents ... but be prepared to listen to me rave about how incredible it is. 
To learn more and apply, go to https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training#
Applications close on April 18.

Dear Climate Vets,

I'm very happy to let you know that Australian Veterinarians for Conservation Biology included a piece about our group in their Spring 2018 newsletter. I'm very grateful to them for letting more veterinarians know about us. 
AVCB is doing fantastic work - check them out: 

​https://conservation.ava.com.au/
​
Yours for the climate, ~Angela

But Tim Winton says it so much for beautifully than I can. Read his essay from last Sunday here if you want to say yes, damnit...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/14/im-face-to-face-with-ningaloos-living-miracles-and-it-feels-holy?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Guardian+Today+AU+-+collection&utm_term=287842&subid=16064609&CMP=GTAU_collection

Dear Climate Vets,
Rise for Climate is a massive upwelling of at least 748 events in 89 countries across the world. At each event, people are demanding their leaders to commit to building a fossil fuel free world that benefits everyone, one that puts people and justice before profits, and “walk the talk” on action on climate change. 
Talking part in an event is an easy action you can take to support a transition away from GHG-generating fossil fuel- based electricity generation. 
If you haven't participate in a protest march like this before, I'd strongly encourage you to give it a try this weekend. I think you'll find it heartening and maybe even fun.
I'll be participating in the walk in Port Macquarie, Australia.
There's sure to be one near you. https://riseforclimate.org/live/
Yours in the hope for a safe future,
Angela

Hi Climate Vets,
I'm sorry to be negative today...
An analysis published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) suggests that "tipping point" aspects of climate change, such as melting permafrost, that haven't been emphasized in many previous models could have extremely serious effects, resulting in much more severe climate change than expected.
The authors find that some of these effects could start to occur at around 2 degrees C of warming over pre-industrial levels - just above the Paris targets and well within the range of possibility if very decisive action isn't taken very soon.
This is a cogent argument for strong and urgent climate action!
Here is the article: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/07/31/1810141115

Hey Climate Vets!
I think I've been having some trouble reaching people. Blame my technical non-savvy. So today I'm just checking in to see who receives Climate Vets posts. If you're a Climate Vet and receive this, please let me know that you got it, and how you got it (blog, FaceBook, Twitter?).
Many thanks!
Angela

Greetings Climate Vets,
​Long time no hear from? Fair point... I guess I’ve been on a bit of a “discouraged” run, without even realizing it. Some specific climate change-related projects that I work on, especially Energy Forever, have been making nice progress. But that soothes my short-term panic while in the back of my mind I know that the earth is still getting deeper and deeper in proverbial and literal hot water. True, many small efforts are much better than none at all, but deep down I feel like my little efforts are just that; especially when pitted against the Goliath that is our coalition government in Australia, the Trump demonstration in the US, and the whole fossil fuel industry. Sometimes I just want to beat my head against a wall. BUT that doesn’t make much of a blog post, does it? And I just didn't have an upbeat post in me. 
But, I am not alone; and one of the things Climate Vets can do is provide community to help us through times like this. So I guess it’s time to share.
Today, my wonderful co-worker at VOC handed me an article by Lesley Hughes in the Monthly magazine, and it just really encapsulates it beautifully. It’s well worth 10 minutes of your time to read it. Please let me know if this doesn’t work for you: https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-monthly-australia/20180601/281522226756361
Talk to you soon! ~Angela