Etched in Australia's collective memory since their ride across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2016, Inverell farmer Glenn Morris and his horse Hombre will once again ride to urge action on climate change this Anzac Day.
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The pair will take a five-day trip from Glen Innes to Uralla to encourage voters to consider the environment in the upcoming election.
"This is an urgent message. We need climate action, we need our leaders to step up and we also need our community to demand more from our leaders," Glenn said.
"I've watched too many elections while I've been researching climate change come and go with no emphasis at all on the environment."
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Glenn believes that as the climate crisis has worsened, so has the general public's understanding of the issue. He said in the late 1980s, reports suggested that Australia was one of the most climate change savvy countries in the world.
"There was no division. They were rolling out strategies across the local areas, across the states, across the nation, in every capital city and we were actually making headway. But then the economists stepped in and the politicians that had friends in the fossil fuel industry started to go 'this isn't where we want to go, we want to hang onto those old industries,'" he said.
"Electric cars aren't new, renewable energy's not new, regenerative agriculture, rehydrating landscapes... none of that is new. What we've lacked is the leadership and the honesty and integrity. So when a lot of farmers still don't get climate change, they're actually believing what they've been told."
A farmer himself, Glenn says it's harder to ignore the reality on the ground now, as established forests die off and farmers are forced to de-stock.
"We are in all sorts of trouble. As a result of the forests dying our water cycle will get worse, the droughts will get worse, the heat will get worse. We're not even turning the corner in starting to attack this issue."
He said "a beautiful future" is still possible with strong political leadership, but every sector must do their bit to reverse the damage and time is running out.
"How does anyone get their head around that immensity of the issue, that our planet is actually dying? We've seen the death of the Great Barrier Reef, or two thirds of it. We're actually seeing the death of forests now. We're seeing our planet in real trouble," Glenn said.
"If there was ever a greater reason to ride, then I'd like to know what it is."
Starting by paying their respects to diggers at the Glen Innes Anzac Day dawn service on Remembrance Street at 5.30am, Glenn and Hombre will make their way to Ben Lomond on Thursday. The duo will ride another five hours to Guyra on day two, and head to the north of Armidale on day three.
They will ride through Armidale from 8.30am on Sunday before stopping at an Invergowrie property that evening. A final ride from Invergowrie to Uralla will complete their journey by about 11am on Monday. The horse and rider will be easy to spot throughout the five days as they stick to the New England Highway.
Naomi Shumack
Born and bred in Inverell, I'm passionate about community journalism. I'm the youngest of five kids, am a book worm and have a ridiculous movie collection. I have a double degree in Communications and International Studies from the University of Wollongong. I write stories for the Inverell Times, Moree Champion and Goondiwindi Argus. You can contact me at naomi.shumack@fairfaxmedia.com.au or on 0438 606 351.
Born and bred in Inverell, I'm passionate about community journalism. I'm the youngest of five kids, am a book worm and have a ridiculous movie collection. I have a double degree in Communications and International Studies from the University of Wollongong. I write stories for the Inverell Times, Moree Champion and Goondiwindi Argus. You can contact me at naomi.shumack@fairfaxmedia.com.au or on 0438 606 351.
