#124: Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it

On the joys of activism

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!

I have to admit, when I remembered I was on writing duty for this week’s newsletter, I groaned a bit. I immediately thought of all the other things I’d rather be doing (read: sitting on the sofa next to a pile of worthy library books while I scroll through my phone), instead of scratching my head trying to construct sentences in front of the computer. But lo and behold, when I actually got up from the sofa to start writing… I ended up having a pretty cracking afternoon.

Working hard or hardly working?

Researching and writing about subjects that interest me (when I finally get going) is pretty much my happy place. At Climate Club, I get to top that off by spending an hour with my fantastic co-writers as we finalise each week’s newsletter, chatting about the climate topics we are passionate about and having a good laugh to boot.

Volunteering in the climate movement can often seem scary from the outside. In the news we hear tales of hard work, burnout, or activists even getting harassed or arrested. Online, all we may see are hours of thanklessly boring paperwork or filing petitions. But this is only a small part of what it means to be involved in climate activism.

As I (re)learned this week, being a climate activist can be both joyful and fulfilling. It can also be about discovering your passion, making lifelong friends, finding community, developing a skill and unleashing your creativity, all while contributing to building a better future. As Climate Club Queenstown put it: activists just wanna have fun!

What can we do today?

The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was the petition to support the right to repair

🐝 5 minutes: Once more unto the breach 

• The fast track approvals bill is already starting to threaten important ecological sites. Australian mining company Siren Gold has been invited to fast track their gold mine application at Sam's Creek. This is part of the Takaka River catchment which adjoins Kahurangi National Park, and contaminate Te Waikoropupū Springs, the largest coldwater springs in the Southern Hemisphere and an exemplary record-holder for water clarity. Approving this fast track project would override the hard-won 2023 Water Conservation Order (WCO) from the Environment Court.

  Action: Sign the petition to oppose Sams Creek Mine

🐇 15 minutes: Activists just want to have fun 

• Have you been thinking about becoming a regular climate volunteer? The NZ climate movement is home to over 50 organisations, doing their absolute best to help us move towards a safer, fairer climate future. It is largely powered by volunteers, and as we know, the climate movement needs all hands on deck.
  Action: Look below and find a climate org that suits your interests. Even better, share with a friend and think about signing up together!

  • List of NZ climate organisations: divided into topics of interest

  • New Zealand Climate Action Network: almost 50 NZ orgs that are part of a global network

  • Climate Movement Aotearoa NZ: a very broad directory including NGOs, government bodies and council initiatives, and businesses

  • Project Moonshot: circular & regenerative initiatives in New Zealand.

  • Climate Job Board: a little spreadsheet we maintain (very occasionally 😅) with climate roles in NZ

  • So You Want To Work In Climate: a massive list of communities, job boards, not-profits, and resources from all over the world (a bit US-centric, but great for remote online volunteering!)

💃🏽 30+ minutes: Are you one of the 25%?

Apologies, we realise these are all a) events, and b) in Auckland 😅

• Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, 27-28 July: The Climate Action Conference is back, a free weekend conference hosted by the Youth Climate Collective. Although it’s aimed at younger people, it’s open to all ages – there will be high school & university students and professionals attending. Climate Club will be running a workshop there!
  Action: Register for the Climate Action Conference this week

• Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Fri 26 July, 5:30pm: Climate Club runs in-person climate workshops, and thanks to Auckland Council, we one coming up in East Auckland that’s free to the public - dinner provided! Bring your friends, flatmates, and whānau for a free feed and an interactive, fun, educational experience with this award-winning workshop format.
  Action: RSVP for our free workshop at Bucklands Beach Yacht Club

In case you missed it!

• New mining of coal is a big part of the coalition government’s plans, which would lock us into 30 more years of a dying industry when we could instead be leading the way on a renewable, electrified economy. Every scientist and policy expert says we can have no new fossil fuel extraction to stay at a safe climate temperature. New coal mining is a lose-lose, economically & environmentally.
  Action, due 31 July: Oppose the Draft Minerals Strategy with this quick submit guide.
  Tue 23 Jul, 6pm: Join Climate Justice Taranaki’s online info & submission sesh

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That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this inspiration for your next protest sign: wittiest signs from climate activists around the world.  

See you next week, 

Cathy & the Climate Club team

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