#113: What’s so hard about changing the world?

Climate action….. it’s not rocket science

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!

Yesterday I attended a Climate Fresk workshop (hosted by our very own Emily). Climate Fresk is a 3-hour workshop designed to give participants a working knowledge of climate science, in a gamified format that’s all about collaboration and solution building.

What struck me most was the sheer ‘do-ability’ of radical-sounding climate action. For example, in a fit of blue sky thinking, our group came up with actions like:

• Changing building practices to focus on passive, low carbon buildings

• Insulating and retrofitting houses

• Electrifying our homes with heat pumps, solar panels, EVs, and electric stovetops.

• 4 day work weeks to minimise resource usage

• Supporting farmers as custodians of the land with payments to help boost biodiversity

I’ve always known theoretically that we have all the tools for climate action right now, but it really hit me over the head today that  we could realistically start taking highly impactful action tomorrow!

We’re not changing the colours of clouds, terraforming Mars, or figuring out how to hold back oceans - the best actions are pretty straight forward and radically achievable. 

The challenge for us isn’t about coming up with magnificent shiny solutions; it's the societal and political changes that need to happen to get these ready-made solutions going – which we know can feel like an unrelenting battle. But the best part is that we don’t need to reinvent the wheel… we just need to do the big, easy things now!

Speaking of societal and political change…

What can we do today?

The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was the petition to call on Citi Group to stop investing in fossil fuel projects. 

🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Loving this train of thought

• Long distance passenger rail (as opposed to tourist rail) is the best way to wean ourselves off short-haul flights and start building a low emissions regional transport system.

  Action: Sign this petition for long distance passenger trains across Aotearoa

• An incineration plant is being planned in the Waimate District that will emit dangerous chemicals as well as planet-warming CO₂. Incinerators are an outmoded and unhealthy method of waste disposal, which distract from truly circular solutions.

  Action: Sign the petition to oppose the Waimate Waste-to-Energy incinerator 

🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Choo-choose regional passenger rail

• Te Huia is the passenger train between Auckland and Hamilton. It is hugely popular and exceeding its patronage targets – so much that extra services have been added and it eventually could be extended to Tauranga. But it’s partway through a 5-year trial period with no funding after June 2024.

  Action: Email your support for Te Huia using this template
  Bonus action: Join the public meetings in Kirikiriroa Hamilton & Pōkeno: 

  • Kirikiroa Hamilton: 2.30 – 4.00pm, Sat 4 May, The Ramada Hotel

  • Pōkeno: 2.30-3.45pm, Sun 12 May, Pōkeno Hall

• Due 4pm Thursday, 2 May: The Waikato Regional Council’s Long-term Plan proposes a fairer way to fund regional public transport. This would include Te Huia and bus services across the region.
  Action: Answer just 3 questions of the Waikato Long-term Plan using this guide

• Due Saturday, 4 May: Kaipara District’s new mayor has been openly sceptical about the reality of climate change (?!) and rolling back all their climate work. Kaipara Climate Action Inc & Lawyers for Climate Action have made a quick-submit form on protecting funding for climate mitigation and adaptation. You don’t have to live in the area to submit; if you have a connection to this region, you probably contribute economically – have your say!
  Action: Submit on the Kaipara Long-term Plan using this form

💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Take fares back to the future

• Due 12 May: Wellington City Council is consulting on their 2024-34 Long-term Plan. We don’t have a submission guide this time, but it’s worth taking a look to have your say.

  Action: Submit on the long-term plan

• This week the Government will remove the last remaining public transport discounts for youth and tamariki. We have a chance to show that there is strong support for retaining them and keeping a win for the climate and the cost of living crisis. 

  Action, 10am Wed (tomorrow), Wellington: Join Free Fares at the community panel at Rutherford House, VUW Pipitea campus. RSVP here and share the Facebook event.

Wins!

• Local: A Climate Club reader asked New World Ilam to get some proper secure bike stands, and now they have these free Locky Docks (secure bike storage and charging stations, free for anyone and everyone, not just e-bikes)!!! 

• National: The official numbers are out: emissions in NZ continue to fall, and in 2022 they were the lowest they’ve been since 1999! It was also the third straight year of reductions. Now to keep it pointing downwards, and at a steeper pace!

• Global: The EU has voted to leave the Energy Charter Treaty, an agreement from 1994 that strongly favoured the fossil fuel industry and blocked the transition to renewables. Huge props to climate orgs all over Europe who led this 4 year campaign!

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That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this clever Rube Goldberg machine campaign encouraging creatives to quit the fossil fuel sector.

See you next week, 

Cathy & the Climate Club team

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