500/50: Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick explains the dilemma and the first 10 of 500 tell how they feel about climate change, why it matters, and what our future looks like

Here in Victoria's Goulburn Valley, the climate conversation is rather mute; people know it is happening, want something done about it, but rarely speak about the dilemma.

Here at "Climate Conversations", it was decided that an attempt would be made to provide the discussion with some oxygen.

Subsequently, it was decided we would ask 10 basic questions about climate change to 500 people in 50 weeks - that is 10 each week for the best part of a year.

Overly optimistic? Maybe so, but it is worth a try in the hope that the project might encourage some people to think more deeply about the issue, talk about it with friends and family and demand more action from our decision-makers at all three levels of government: Local, State, and Federal.

Thanks, especially, to the first 10 interviewees - Sue, Jennifer, Michael, Kirsty, Dave, Graeme, Lauren, George, John and Jemima.

The interviews happened in a variety of environments, and so the quality of the audio varies, something I intend to sharpen up as time passes.