The Fake Hunger Strike Continues!

Last week, I made a video about former High Commissioner to West Africa Gregory Andrews. He was a keen supporter of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and recently went on a hunger strike in front of parliament house in order to convince the Australian Government to end coal and gas exports. Obviously, that didn’t work, and would never have worked as I explained in the previous video. He was on Day 15 of his hunger strike and feeling pretty miserable, but he insisted he was going to continue until at least Day 42. He stated that he was willing to die for the climate, which I thought was a bit fanatical as he has a wife and two children.

The next day, Day 16, he had lost a total of 10 kg, or about 12.5% of his body weight. He wasn’t looking or feeling so good. Later that day, he started to suffer from chest pains and shortness of breath, and was rushed to Canberra Hospital by a taxpayer-funded, fossil-fuel powered ambulance. He should probably have requested a human-powered rickshaw to cut down on his carbon footprint. He spent a couple of days in a taxpayer-funded hospital using fossil-fuel derived medical equipment. He said, “My body gave up but my determination hasn’t. Yesterday I had to listen to my body when it started to give out. I was losing control of my limbs and speech, and my brain got pretty foggy. Here in Canberra Hospital, the staff are amazing. They’ve hooked me up to all different drips and they’re doing six-hourly ECGs on me to check my heart.” I’m glad they had the free resources to treat him.

Even though Mr Andrews quit the hunger strike, the hunger continues! On Day 17, Deputy Mayor of Shoalhaven Council, Evan Christen, took up the reins and continued the hunger strike while Mr Andrews was in hospital. On Day 19, he handed over to retired English-language teacher and member of Extinction Rebellion, Pam. It’s believed that not only did she miss lunch, she also had to miss afternoon tea with the girls at the Queanbeyan Bowls Club. And yesterday on Day 20, Xanthe took over to skip a couple of meals in the name of climate action. Although it may have started as a full-blown climate hunger strike, it has since evolved into more of a mild peckishness picket. As long as you’re willing to skip a meal in the name of the climate, all are welcome!

In response to the Government’s inaction on ceasing the fossil fuel industry, Mr Andrews said, “I don't really understand the psychology of it, but the fact that our Prime Minister ignored me has made me more resolute than ever. I'm glad I saved my body for what's next.” And his next move appears to be to go and help out a group called Rising Tide. Remember back in 2006 Al Gore made a movie called An Inconvenient Truth saying that sea levels could rise by 20 feet in the near future flooding many parts of Manhattan due to melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica. But, it was probably a bit of an exaggeration. Even NASA are only predicting a 3 foot rise relative to 1995 by the end of the century, which is not nothing, but it certainly isn’t anyway near Mr Gore’s alarmist prediction of 20 feet. Although to be fair to him, he only ever stated, “in the near future”, which is open to interpretation, and he did say “could”. So he’s kind of covered himself there. It should be noted that over the last 22,000 years or so, since the last glacial maximum, the sea level has risen by more than 125 metres, or 410 feet! But over the last few thousand years, the sea level has remained relatively stable.

Anyway, Mr Andrews has finished his hunger strike and is now going to help out Rising Tide. They plan to blockade the Newcastle Coal Port this Saturday and Sunday 25 and 26 November by jumping in kayaks and canoes and getting in the way of the big ships. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what he had to say, “Hey Australia. Gregory here again. You know we’re the biggest coal exported in the world? That’s a massive shame job, and I know so many of us are against that. I am. And that’s why this weekend I’m going to be at the Rising Tide blockade of Newcastle Coal Port. Newcastle Port is the biggest coal exported in the world. So come down on Saturday and Sunday and help tell the world that we’re sick of our government allowing Australia to be the biggest coal exporter in the world. Enough is enough. Come down to Newcastle and let’s block that coal port.”

And news just in. Fiona is now a little bit peckish for climate action on Day 21 of the climate hunger strike. It’s believed that although she had a big breakfast, she skipped morning tea, and is starting to feel a bit peckish.

Anyway, Gregory is not dead, despite it being a bit touch and go for a while, and he’s off to save the planet by getting on a Boogie Board and getting in the path of a giant coal ship. Wish him luck!

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Allégro by Emmit Fenn