Bathurst Community Climate Action Network has been grappling with this question for more than 10 years now.

We kicked off around the time that former US Vice President Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, was shown at the local cinema. In 2007, concern over climate change was reaching its peak in Australia; there were high hopes that we could not only do our bit but help take the lead on greenhouse emissions reductions.

Kevin Rudd told us climate change was the most important moral issue of this generation. And Malcolm Turnbull was ditched as leader of the opposition for agreeing with Kevin on that one.

And then the issue took a nosedive.

Beaten down by the likes of Gina Rinehart and the mining lobby, Kevin abandoned the carbon tax. Malcolm plumped for political expediency over his own convictions. Tony Abbott told us the whole thing was “crap”. Ten years on, the approach to climate change in Australia is a toxic mess.

But the problem of climate change isn’t going away. We’re living it now, with average temperatures steadily climbing in the Central West. All reputable science-based agencies – from the CSIRO to the Bureau of Meteorology – predict that climate change will have profound impacts on human life if current trends continue.

We in BCCAN believe this issue is too important to leave to business-as-usual. Growth based on the mining and burning of coal and other fossil fuels is a recipe for disaster.

But how do we envisage and promote an alternative to business as usual? What does that look like?

The change is bringing new business opportunities, particularly in renewable energy, but it really reasonable to demand that change will be win-win all around? If sacrifices must be made, who will bear them?

BCCAN’s AGM will be an opportunity to reflect on some of these issues. They’re giant issues, so this can only be a conversation-starter.

It will be held at 5.30pm (sharp) at Rahamim, 34 Busby Street on Friday, November 24. All welcome.

You’re urged to stay on for Rahamim’s monthly Green Drinks which will feature CSU’s Dr Andrew Rawson, an expert in climate change and land management.