On October 17th, local environmentalist, Tony Macer inspired our members to become more active in looking after our planet. Soon after the birth of his first grandchild, Tony couldn't sleep because of his concerns for the world into which that child would grow, and from that moment on, he has dedicated himself to making others aware of environmental problems.Tony has been a professional musician around Victoria, and an English teacher at Maryborough Secondary College, but since his retirement he has become an environmental activist and advocate for volunteerism. He was a keen participant in the recent demonstration in Maryborough raising awareness of the problems caused by climate change, and just before the Covid-19 crisis, was actively involved in negotiating with our local council to declare a state of climate emergency in this shire. That decision is still pending, but it hasn't stopped Tony from researching the latest scientific information on climate change on a daily basis. When asked by one of our members, "What is the most important thing we can do to reduce catastrophic climate change?", Tony replied, "Reduce the use of fossil fuels, and make more use of solar and wind power."
Another of Tony's recent projects has been to promote volunteerism among members of the community, and he and a small group of local people have surveyed local volunteer organizations asking them what kinds of skills do they need to keep their volunteer work going, and at the same time, the group has surveyed many people retired in this district asking them what skills they are prepared to share. The plan is to connect the volunteers with the organizations which need them.
You can watch the whole meeting including Tony's talk on YouTube at https://youtu.be/XDvdcr_LyVk