A new convenor of the Byron Environment Centre (BEC) has been announced.
A press release from the BEC reads, ‘After nine years of his dogged persistence in speaking out on behalf of local ecosystems, former councillor, John Lazarus, has stepped down as convenor of the Byron Environment Centre (BEC)’.
‘Local climate activist, Emma Briggs, has now taken on the role, and she says she looks forward to the challenge of expanding the group’s membership and continuing their valuable work defending our region against unsustainable development and corporate exploitation.
Bona fides
‘Ms Briggs spent fifteen years sailing around the world on Greenpeace ships, before returning to Australia and volunteering and organising with groups, including Frontline Action on Coal, Extinction Rebellion, Blockade Australia, and most recently, Rising Tide when they blockaded the Newcastle coal port last November’.
She’s lived in Byron Bay for 23 years.
She says, ‘My first focus is to bring new blood into the group. I know there are many young people in the region with serious concerns about the future, and I would love to hear their ideas and incorporate their visions into the new Byron Environment Centre.’
‘I plan to update our social media pages, and also reopen our rotunda to speak to the public as often as possible. I’ll be there this Friday from 10am, so come over and have a chat,’ Ms Briggs said.
For more information contact Emma Briggs on 0403 719203 or [email protected].
There is a mountain of work for Emma to do.
Destruction of the Byron Shire environment accelerates every year with the now development focused Council bringing in the masses
There are ignorant and couldn’t care less locals and particularly newcomers. Every new house owner or incoming renter increases risk with their often ignorant attitudes
There are more dogs allowed to roam the bush and kill at will; there’s more carelessness re fires. Dams and garden ponds aren’t being fenced against cane toads and the females can lay a million eggs in a lifetime; Council continues to spread Seteria grass with tractors mowing verges; road kill increases with traffic increases; cats are multiplying and kill whenever they are loose; increased housing brings demands for water requiring dams which will flood our beautiful valleys and so on.
Gone is the Green Council. Dying out are the old hippies with their protectionist attitudes.
Adieu the once gorgeous Shire
Everything you see around you that is manmade, has had an environmental cost in its journey from resource to final product, and then forwards with its end of life disposal. Think of the transport, the chemicals used and inevitable pollution and waste in manufacturing as well as the manufactured product itself. Too many people consuming too much stuff is the really big problem. Unfortunately all the environmental protections we are trying to use to offset our environmental damage are just drops in the Ocean by comparison to the harm most of the world’s population is causing by mass consumption, and on a scale many times what it was just 40 or 50 years ago.
Endless thanks to John for the imperative work he has done for the environment and sentient beings as well as maintaining the importance and work of the Byron Environment Centre … which has been maintained for close to 4O years in the Byron Shire. Well done to all great activists who maintain Mother Earths rights and generosity to Sentient Beings, Welcome Emma Briggs
Ron your spot on