Did you know activism could be fun, family-friendly and help to combat any COVID-lockdown boredom? It's activism, only crafty. Craftivism! And it's bringing parents across Australia together, in socially-distant times.
Right now, mums (like me), dads, parents and kids across the country are craftily making suns, for a cause. We're supporting Australian Parents for Climate Action's Solar Our Schools (SOS) campaign – a bold initiative that's calling on the Federal Government to fund solar and batteries for every school and early childhood centre in Australia.
Parents across the country are not just getting crafty, but championing SOS in their schools, preschools, kindergartens, child care centres and communities and speaking to their Member of Parliaments about supporting funding for the initiative in next month's federal budget. Many of us have never been engaged in political action before but are stepping up, to have our voices heard. The campaign's finding support from all kinds of parents: it's been shared online by celebrity parents including Osher Günsberg, musical theatre/TV star Lucy Durack, actresses Danielle Cormack and Nicole da Silva and Fight for Planet A host Craig Reucassel (who echoed the call for solar on all schools during his recently-aired ABC TV program).
We don't want COVID-19 to overshadow concerns for our planet and for our kids' futures. In fact, we see the 'pandemic pause' as an opportunity to change course and make that future all the brighter.
I'm a mum to an eight-year-old daughter and aunty to three nieces and of course, I want their future to be incredible. As parents, we know the uncertainty of the time we're living through can be crushing. I frequently contemplate the kind of world my daughter, my nieces, my grandkids and great grandkids will live in. We're outdoor types, so I want to ensure they'll experience a world in which they can snorkel in thriving coral reefs with abundant marine life, visit huge glaciers, breathe clean air and hike through pristine wilderness. But it's now abundantly clear that our natural world is in peril, and we're staring down a fork in the road.
The good news is, we still have the chance to take the right path. As devastating as COVID-19 has been, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To re-set; to slow down; to think about how we can stay closer to home. To drive less; consume less; take more precious time with family. And, with unprecedented recovery spending imminent, our leaders have a chance to be brave. It's also abundantly clear that we must help them along.
Through the SOS sun craft, we're sending a helpful, hopeful message to the government: Please, shine on our communities! Please, invest in the future and enable Australia to harness our incredible natural resources for renewable energy. What a wonderful way to create a better future for our kids.
The benefits of solar and batteries go far beyond reducing emissions. With more than 10,000 schools that could potentially be powered by clean energy, it's an incredible way to create thousands of desperately-needed jobs (recent data from Beyond Zero Emissions shows this would create around 7000 jobs, in local communities across the country).
And importantly, solar and batteries mean huge savings for schools – BZE data shows small schools could save $12,700 a year, and large schools, $114,000 a year. Imagine what this could mean to schools needing additional resources; facilities; teachers and aides!
I have a particular appreciation of what savings like this could mean to parents, because my daughter is fostered and her early trauma made it difficult for her to cope at school. Additional funding could have made all the difference because teachers, as amazing as they are, aren't trained to understand what's happening in a traumatised child's brain or equipped with the appropriate strategies to respond. School counsellors are often overwhelmed by student needs and don't have time to help every child. Just think how savings of more than $12,000 a year could be used to create an inclusive school environment, hire teachers' aides and train teachers about developmental trauma.
Amanda Collier and her daughter having fun with 'sun craft'
These are fantastic messages for our kids: we care enough about their future to ensure their learning environments are solar-powered. We'll reduce carbon emissions; create thousands of jobs; enhance learning opportunities; and save schools and early childhood centres precious dollars to be used for improved resources and facilities. For all of our kids, including those who need a little extra support.
It's so simple to get involved – get your sun craft on and post online with #SolarOurSchools, sign the open letter to the PM or visit Australian Parents for Climate Action to volunteer.
Written by Amanda Collier
Mum from Clovelly, Sydney and Solar Our Schools 'Champion'