Resistance activist receives enviro award

Long-term Resistance activist Leigh Hughes has been recognised by the Australian Capital Territory Conservation Council for his leading role in the Canberra environment movement.

The "Leading Light Award" was one of three "Local Hero" awards announced at the Conservation Council's annual fundraising dinner on October 17, and recognises the "most outstanding environmental effort of an individual under the age of 30".

Hughes, who is also a member of the Democratic Socialist Perspective, joined Resistance as a high-school student in 1998.

He first became involved in environmental issues through the campaign to stop uranium mining at Jabiluka in Kakadu National Park. Since the he has campaigned against nuclear dumping in South Australia, protested the logging of Tasmania's old-growth forests, organised a youth bloc at last year's highly successful Walk Against Warming protest, and participated in the successful blockade of the Newcastle coal port during the Camp for Climate Action in July.

When accepting the Conservation Council award, Hughes maintained that it had not been achieved through individual effort. He said, "There's a whole nation of people out there willing to make the change to a greener Australia. We need to utilise that willingness and build a mass social movement that can overcome the threat of climate change."

From GLW issue 772