Leading the way

By Paul Pickering
SELBY Community House will be thrust into the spotlight of the international climate change debate next week as influential Canadian environmentalist Frank De Jong brings his whistle-stop sustainability campaign to the hills.
Mr De Jong, who is the first official leader of the Green Party of Ontario (GPO), will host a forum entitled Costing the Earth on Wednesday, 18 July.
The self-proclaimed eco-capitalist will also be speaking at the Melbourne Town Hall, Victorian Parliament House and the Greens National Convention during his 12-day Australasian tour.
Amid these high-profile engagements, Mr De Jong will be staying in Tecoma with local environmentalist Karl Williams.
Mr Williams, who met Mr De Jong through their involvement with EarthSharing Australia, says it is a real coup for the hills to host such a forum.
“Frank has expressed a strong desire to experience the natural wonders of the Dandenongs,” Mr Williams said.
A keen cyclist, Mr De Jong is planning to explore the region on two wheels.
During the forum, Mr De Jong will encapsulate his own theory of the pivotal role played by economics in the mitigation of climate change before asking locals to participate in discussion.
Mr De Jong has famously campaigned for compensation for Canadian landowners who provide ecological services and will use his visit to gauge the Australian response to economically driven environmental reforms.
“If a farmer takes a hectare out of production to accommodate an endangered species, that farmer should be compensated,” he explained. “We don’t ask teachers or lawyers or business people to sacrifice income to protect endangered species for free – we shouldn’t demand that of farmers either.
“If we can get the economic system to include the environment, we will have a much easier time in dealing with the climate crisis. The Costing the Earth forum will be held at Selby Community House, on Wombalana Road, Selby, at 7pm on Wednesday, 18 July.
A gold coin donation is requested on entry. For more information, call Karl Williams on 9754 8356.