VOTING & THIS ELECTION
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It’s actually quite simple to vote climate. Just ask these basic questions about parties and candidates:
Do they support moving to 100% renewable energy as quickly as possible?
Will they end government support for fossil fuels and move to phase out coal and gas extraction and export?
Are they hiding their support for fossil fuels behind the expensive, slow and risky distraction of nuclear power?
Will they make the climate crisis a priority?
Over the coming weeks, organisations will be releasing information on which candidates support climate policy. For now, keep an eye on Project Planet’s Build A Ballot app and the ABC’s Vote Compass.
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As a charity, Green Music Australia isn’t here to tell you who to vote for. But there are two things to remember:
Your vote is important! Elections are a powerful way to make your voice heard, and you can do your research, discuss your ideas with friends, and even ask candidates directly what they will do. A lot of organisations will put out scorecards on these issues.
Your vote is powerful! In Australia, preferential voting means you can vote for a candidate or party you think would be best and then pass your vote on to the next best or least bad at full value. There’s no such thing as a wasted vote!
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With polls showing a tight election, politicians are paying close attention to public sentiment and we have a real opportunity to influence the outcome. At least as importantly, putting the climate crisis on the agenda during the campaign is crucial to getting real action during the next term of government, especially in the event of a power-sharing arrangement.
Australia is not the US—our preferential voting system ensures that every vote counts, whether you choose a major party, minor party, or independent. By voting for candidates with a strong, unwavering commitment to real climate action, we can drive meaningful change and push climate to the top of the political agenda.
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Simple - head to the AEC website to enrol online.
CLIMATE POLICY
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Over 50 music festivals have been cancelled in Australia due to extreme weather since 2015. That’s from floods, heat, rain, fires and storms. Without urgent action, many of our beloved festivals are at risk.
Without a healthy planet, we can’t have a healthy and thriving music scene. The effects of climate change are far-reaching and affect everything that we love and care for - from our backyards through to our favourite venues and festivals.
Soon enough, everyone will be working on the climate crisis. No matter whether you're an electrician, or a dancer, or a musician, or a politician - we all have our role to play.
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Climate change is a cost of living issue. We know, it’s harder than ever to make ends meet right now. So it’s understandable that people around you might be saying “How can you think about that when we can’t afford the rent?”
But actually, climate change is contributing to the cost of living already, and will do a lot more if we don’t address it fast. And moving to renewable energy and energy efficiency is the best way to keep prices down!
Solar electricity is the cheapest electricity in human history. On the flip side, nuclear energy could cost up to double the price of renewables. Check out this article from the Climate Council with the evidence that nuclear will cost us more.
Here’s the amazing youth climate activist, Anjali Sharma, explaining why climate change is a cost of living issue for young people.
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Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of gas and coal. This has to end, and the upcoming federal election gives us a chance to make that clear. Our decisions as a nation directly impact the safety and health of our planet.
Despite most Australian’s wanting action on climate, consecutive Governments continue to support and subsidise dirty fossil fuels.
To protect our music community, and everything else we love, we need to protect our planet and call for an urgent phase out of fossil fuels.
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The evidence is in. Nuclear power is too expensive, too risky and too slow. Nuclear reactors will take at least 15 years to construct, leaving us reliant on costly and climate-wrecking coal and gas for much longer.
Nuclear waste has to be stored somewhere, but no one wants it in their backyard - so it often ends up being imposed on vulnerable communities. With many Australian regions already facing extreme weather, adding nuclear waste into the mix increases risks to both human health and the environment.
GETTING INVOLVED
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We are a national charity helping to create a greener music scene. We run a range of programs and campaigns to help our music community take climate action and upskill in sustainability. Plus we support artists to use their voice to speak out on issues they care deeply about.
You can learn more about our campaigns on our website.
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NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET is a global campaign that unites musicians and music fans in calling for urgent climate action. Started in the UK by our friends at Music Declares Emergency, we at Green Music Australia help to co-ordinate and run the campaign in Australia.
Yes, it’s a slogan, and yes, it’s a t-shirt, but it’s also much more than that.
This campaign symbolises and facilitates solidarity in the music sector. At a time when artists and music workers already face deep challenges, including ongoing financial and psychological precarity, this campaign unites artists in mutual support and solidarity. Even though we come from different backgrounds, and represent different styles of music and even different political persuasions, on this issue we all come together to sing the same song: the planet needs urgent and ongoing action on climate.
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Whether you are an artist who is working at high visibility in the mainstream, or an artist who is grounded in grassroots and community scenes - you are a leader.
Artists now face immense challenges - algorithmic forces making it harder for local artists to be discovered; the cost of living exacerbated by the climate crisis; and devaluing of music conspiring to make being an artist more financially challenging than ever. Despite all of this, you are still someone whose voice is listened to, by your audience, by your community, and by your peers.
So what can you do?
Sign up to our movement. Show us you’ve got our back as we keep co-ordinating the Australian music sector’s ongoing response to the climate crisis. People power matters, and every artist that signs up helps us argue the case that the music sector is united on this issue. Reach out to us if you want to get involved. We’d love you to join us.
Wear a t-shirt! Yes, it’s just a slogan, and yes, it’s just a t-shirt. But wearing one of our tees - either on social media or on stage - is a chance for you to show your fans that you care about this issue. Can’t afford a tee? That’s ok, we understand. Reach out to us, we have a discount code just for artists and bands to use. Don’t like the tee? Find another way to carry the message - print it on a poster, wear custom upcycled stage attire, project the logo on a screen, film a video talking to your fans. You are a creative person, so: be creative. Whatever you do, tell us about it.
Read our Sound Country guide. If you want to go deeper, we have literally written the book on how to be a green artist. Our Sound Country guide is a free PDF that guides you through everything you can do as an artist to make a difference - it includes practical tips on touring, merch, studio sustainability and all of the other nuts and bolts of a music career, but also tips on how to step into your voice as an advocate.
Remember this: not all of your fans think about climate as much as we do. But with the impacts of climate becoming more and more clear in our everyday lives, every one of us is now on our way towards taking on the role of climate activist. We are all pivoting towards collective and community action, whatever that looks like in our individual circumstances - and some of us are pivoting quicker than others.
Not sure what to say about climate? We can help you talk to your audience, and accelerate their involvement in the climate movement by showing them that you care about it.
Still got questions? Reach out and we’ll answer them.
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Absolutely. Let us know by ticking the “I want to volunteer” box when you sign up below.
Green Music Australia volunteers help with all sorts of tasks:
Talking to punters about music and climate at one of our gig or festival activations.
Assisting with behind-the-scenes data management and data entry - yep, the really fun stuff!
We are always looking for talented photographers, videographers, designers, illustrators and coders to help us with the visual side of things. If you have that professional skill set and you are in a position to donate some of your time, we want to hear from you!
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We’re here to help! Please reach out and we’ll get back to you when we can.