Mōrena Climate Club whānau,
We were deeply saddened by the death of Fa'anānā Efeso Collins. Collins was a husband, a father-of-two, an MP, a champion for economic and social justice, and for climate action. Here is a quote from his maiden speech delivered just two weeks ago:
The greatest challenge facing our generation is climate change.
[…]Truth is, those who've done the least to create this predicament are being the hardest hit. Our challenges, whether ecological, geopolitical, or cultural, are diverse, but we're bonded by the inextricable ties we have to our lands and our oceans. [Pacific people] have inherited philosophies, knowledge systems, and profound ecological wisdom that holds the answers and drives our collective resilience—from West Papua to Hawai'i. Our fight for a climate resilient, nuclear-free and independent Pacific remains as strong as ever.
We are not drowning; we are fighting.
There are so many values we hold in common as New Zealanders, whatever our political views - a care for the land around us, a desire for a better future for our children, a love for the many species that call this land home. From the many tributes given over the past couple weeks, the core thread that stuck out to me was Efeso’s commitment to his values and the needs of his community, humbly cutting through the politics, ego, or self-interest to work for a better world. This commonality is something I want to keep in mind in any conversation about climate change, as Efeso’s commitment to these shared values is something I think we can all aspire towards.
What can we do today?
The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was Dr Mike Joy’s letter about the government’s proposed “fast-track consenting bill”. We’ve loved seeing your emails come through to your MPs and the Minister for RMA reform (chris.bishop@parliament.govt.nz) 💪🏾
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Plant your feet on low emissions ground 🌱
Remember that Edinburgh Plant-Based Treaty campaign we shared? The City of Edinburgh Council has adopted it! What we eat has a huge impact on our emissions. The Plant-Based Treaty is a non-binding way for cities to acknowledge that food production and consumption are key drivers of the climate crisis when making policy.
Action: It's time for NZ cities to join Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and now Edinburgh in the Plant-Based Treaty
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Rethink recycling rhetorics
A new report this week showed that the plastics industry knew for decades that recycling isn’t actually viable, but pushed it as a solution anyway for their profits. About 4-8% of annual global oil consumption is associated with plastics, and if our reliance on it continues, it’ll account for 20% of oil consumption by 2050.
Action: Pick a product and send constructive feedback to remove plastic reliance from their products
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Got an opinion? Letter rip!
The Future Is Rail is running community meetings all around the country to support people campaigning locally for passenger rail in their area. More than 1000 people have attended these meetings across the country.
Local action: If you’re in Levin, Ōtaki, Hamilton, or Christchurch, find your local event here
Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara: Since the current government reinstated 90 day trials, Extinction Rebellion have decided the government have failed theirs 😉
Action: Join their attention-grabbing sacking protest this Wednesday at ParliamentSending a letter to the editor to your local newspaper is a great way to reach a massive audience outside of your bubble, and help shape public opinion around important topics.
Action: Use our guide on writing short letters to the editor to respond to some recent news, and send it to your local paper. You could talk about the 10 things NZ can do better or why we have to fight systemically:Express your shock about the new report claiming the plastics industry knew for decades recycling wasn't viable (22 Feb).
Environmental group calls Government our most radical 'anti-environment' since 1980s (25 Feb)
Environmental groups hate the government’s new fast-track consenting proposal (16 Feb). You can base it on these open letters by freshwater research experts: example 1, example 2
Some readers have said they wrote their first ever letter to the editor after joining Climate Club 😍 We were wondering what it might be like to unite all of you in the form of a regular Letter To The Editor Writing Group!
Action: If you would like to join our CCLTOEWG (and help us rename it), send us an email to express your interest 💌
Wins!
A strong advocate for climate action, Geordie Rogers, has won the Wellington Central by-election by 45 votes! This is a critical win as the number of councillors backing the progressive mayor Tory Whanau on key climate policies is on a bit of a knife edge. If you passed on our action from last week to your friends and family, YOU have helped bring about this huge success! Now, let’s start thinking about next year’s local elections…
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy these lovely posters from
sharing visions for a more communal, calmer, more sustainable future.See you next week,
Dhanya & the Climate Club team
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