The Organising Committee oversees the day to day running of the campaign, and has responsibility for all campaign decision making. Its members are:
- Nicky Ison, Chair
- Jo Lewis, Finance Officer
- Erland Howden
- Jim Rees
- Bec Wilson
- Andrew Bray, Public Officer
- Dean Bridgfoot
- Lindsay Soutar, Campaign Coordinator
Jo Lewis, Finance officer
Jo lives on the Far South Coast of NSW, she is a grandmother, a retired small business owner and an Interior Designer. She is a member of a local environment group, Clean Energy for Eternity, and part of the organising team for the local Transition Towns initiative. As a volunteer with YESS (Youth Educational Support Services) she helps at the Little Yuin Aboriginal Pre-School.
Understanding that we are all dependent on ecosystem services she recognises the importance of biodiversity to stretngth ecosystem resilience and supports the proposed East Coast Conservation Corridor. She has a long standing commitment to action on climate change and recognises that mitigation, adaptation and personal lifestyle adjustment are all required. Recognising the necessity of ending the profligate use of fossil fuels with the least possible damage to vulnerable sections of the community she believes that converting our power supply to 100% renewable energy will be an important step on the road to a sustainable economy.
Erland is passionate about renewable energy and believes strongly in the power of grassroots organising to make the world a better place.
He is a member of his local climate action group, Katoomba Area Climate Action Now in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney where he works at a local level on the 100% Renewable campaign as well as helping coordinate a project to start a community-owned renewable energy project in the region. Professionally, Erland is a climate and energy campaigner with Greenpeace Australia Pacific, where he works mainly on the transition away from coal with a focus on outreach and community engagement.
Joining the 100% Renewable Steering Committee in 2011, Erland comes from a background of community activism and direct action on climate change, forests and human rights. Previously, he worked as climate campaigner at the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, where he coordinated the popular Walk Against Warming event in 2006 and 2008. During this time, he was also instrumental in fostering the development and linkage of community climate action groups nationwide.
When he finds time away from campaigning, Erland is also a professional photographer and graphic designer and loves cycling, good coffee and playing indoor soccer.
Andrew lives in Ballarat and is the Communications Coordinator for 100% Renewable and dad of three young kids – Emily, Rosie & Miles. A growing sense that Australia was not facing up to the carbon-constrained world we were helping create led him to put aside his work as a musician and computer programmer and take up environmental campaigning. Working with 100% Renewable gives him a chance to connect with all the positive energy coming out of communities around the country as we all strive for a future for our kids that is cleaner, safer and, frankly, braver than the scared, fossil-fuel addicted world we're living in now.
Dean lives in Castlemaine, works with the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group and has 3 young boys, Ronan, Jack and Callum. Dean is part of this campaign because he thinks it’s the right thing to do. We are telling a positive story, a can do story, that gives hope for the future and links up people in community groups right across Australia. Ultimately Dean is involved for his sons; so he can look them in the eye and say “I was part of the change, I did my bit for clean, better future.”
Jim Rees
Jim is a Community Environment Educator, Sustainable Schools facilitator, Horticulture and Construction Skills Trainer. He lives in Wagga and joined the 100% Renewables team at the end of 2009. Jim has worked on sustainability issues for many years but joined 100% Renewable as it was the first real community organising he has seen on climate issues. Jim enjoys building local networks and events, meeting other activists face to face and does not like feeling like a number on an enormous e-list. Jim brings this great attitude to campaigning to the 100% Renewable team.
