Mōrena, happy Tuesday, and happy Lunar New Year for those who celebrated! 🐉
It can be hard to feel positive when we see in the news every day how fast our climate is changing. Here are some positive changes to balance that out:
Christchurch City Council have set an ambitious target to halve city’s emissions by 2030 and are proposing a climate levy.
Closer to home, Mike Smith won the right to go to trial to hold 7 polluters to account for their role in causing climate change in Aotearoa.
"Very few people would've thought they would win this case when they filed it back in 2019," said Victoria University's Geoff McLay. "I myself said they had absolutely no chance of winning this case." From an interview on Newshub.
Also, last week I was humbled to be invited onto the Spinoff podcast “When The Facts Change”. Hello to all the new readers who discovered us through this - we’re always keen to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Good things are happening - and change is possible - but we have to keep the pressure up on as many elected officials, decision makers, companies, and community groups as possible. So let’s get started:
What can we do today?
The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was the action to look up your role and take an action from the Drawdown Job Guides.
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Fast and furious: the RMA version
There is a major, devastating reform to our Resources Management Act (RMA) that is being quietly rushed through Parliament with just a two week consultation period. The proposed “Fast Track Consent law” will enable faster consenting of buildings without regard for freshwater and the environment, decisions which impact everyone and should be open to public scrutiny.
Urgent action: Use this quick letter template to send an email to the PM!
Extra for experts: Write your own letter to the editor of a local paper, or email your MP or the Minister for RMA reform (chris.bishop@parliament.govt.nz). You can base it off the open letters by these freshwater experts:Article by Marnie Prickett (Research Fellow at the University of Otago)
Letter by Dr Mike Joy (Senior Researcher at Victoria University)
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Raised crossings raising eyebrows
Raised level crossings make streets much safer than level crossings (the flat ones). They are safer for children, and reduce emissions from vehicles. However, some are being removed. Now’s the perfect time to raise your voice in support for them.
Action: Remind councillors about how great raised crossings are. Here’s more info by Greater Auckland, email writing tips, and email addresses:Auckland Council’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee
Find your neighbourhood’s ward and local councillor.
A Climate Club reader, Finn, lamented the fast food branches’ lack of vegan options on a recent road trip. Many fast food chains in Aotearoa don’t even have a meat-free option (unless you count salad).
Action: Join Finn and write to fast food chains asking for them to supply vegan options
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Get your vote on
Hamilton/Kirikiriroa: The Hamilton East by-election to replace a resigning Councillor is closing this Saturday! Local councils determine things like housing density or cycle paths, and local elections often have low turnout, so your vote really counts.
Action, due 12pm this Sat 17th: Vote in the 2024 Hamilton East by-election for a climate-positive candidate (details on candidates here)Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara: If you live near Wellington Central, your vote is needed! Former councillor Tamatha Paul has been elected to Parliament, so while Parliament has gained a strong voice for climate, Wellington Council has lost one. Let’s vote for a councillor who will similarly prioritise people & planet.
Action, due 12pm this Sat 17th: Vote in the 2024 Pukehīnau / Lambton General Ward by-election for a climate-positive candidate by 12pm this Sat 17 Feb. Instructions for voting here, advice on how to read between the lines on candidate profiles here.
In case you missed it!
Calling all women above 16 years - last chance to share your experiences of getting around cities to advocate for safer, cleaner cities. The 10-15 min survey by Women in Urbanism Aotearoa closes this Friday 16 Feb.
Wins!
In July last year, we shared an action for Auckland’s Future Development Strategy, which was getting a lot of submissions against climate action. They’ve just released the final strategy, and we were glad to see emissions reductions, adaptation to climate change, and infrastructure that benefits everyone (not just rich suburbs) being prioritised, like they were in the submission guide and article we shared. Thanks to everyone who submitted!
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this Te Tiriti reading list by The Spinoff, which gives you an approachable guide for learning more about the foundations of our beautiful motu.
See you next week,
Emily & the Climate Club team
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Hey good people ! love all the practical ideas for change you come up with. May I suggest that we can do a lot more to raise awareness if we constantly restack other writers, allowing us all greater exposure. I restack Suzanne almost every day, because I believe her ideas are so good. See https://suzannetaylor.substack.com/p/an-essay-contest-its-january-1-2050 Let me know what you think. Peace, Maurice