Also love the vibrant discussion on the Reddit about it:
"Personally I think it'd make some sense for Air New Zealand to consider investing in it. They could treat it as an alternative and more carbon-friendly way of shifting passengers who prefer to go from one CBD to the other, and who don't care as much about speed as long as they can sleep through it and avoid a night of accommodation elsewhere."
"On top of that it creates more viable commutes from any town where it stops along the way. That brings opportunity and growth to more places and also spreads out the burden of where more homes can go, and puts downwards pressure on living costs."
I'm as concerned about climate change as they come, but I am dismayed that you said we should slap stickers on SUVs to make the owners rethink their ways. It would have the opposite effect. It might make you feel better because you did something you think helps, but it absolutely does not. The owners are going to be upset at best, infuriated and dug-in at worst. Seriously, really dismayed that you think calling out SUV owners is going to get them to pitch in. It reminds me of door-to-door preachers...they aren't converting anyone, but hey, they feel better because they 'tried' something to help us 'find the way'.
This is a genuine dilemma. The owners of these vehicles are, on the whole, utterly disinterested in their own kids' chances of inheriting a liveable climate. Its the same whenever people like that get challenged: they lash out angrily and defend their 'right' to do whatever they want. I too am unsure whether stickers are the best idea, but we sure as hell need to call out their selfishness. Maybe a concerted campaign of letters to the metropolitan dailies might show that society is losing tolerance for selfishness.
Thanks Zack for your honest feedback, we really appreciate you taking the time and you make a great point. Thanks Graham also for your perspective too - we agree that it’s a conflicting area.
What’s most important to us is that we remain relatable & motivational for the general public, so thank you for raising that some members may find this action alienating - we’ll be more mindful of these concerns when considering these kinds of actions in future. I’m sure others in our audience might have been feeling the same thing so we appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
A note on the role of non-violent direct action (NVDA):
NVDA and civil disobedience is often needed to make the non-disruptive arm of a movement more powerful (e.g. in the women’s suffrage movement; we actually did a deep dive on this a while back). They widen what is socially acceptable so that ambitious demands are seen as more moderate, providing non-disruptive advocates with the social license to achieve their demands.
A variety of Climate Club members suggested the End SUVs stickering action since it’s a bit of a refreshing change from all the petitions & submissions directed at a policy level, and it connects people’s everyday (the decision to buy & use a heavier vehicle in a suburban area) with emissions (including from mining the greater quantity of metals) and safety (SUVs in suburban areas being more dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists).
So what makes climate action effective is nuanced – and the movement is changing and learning over time too – the perspective you shared being one of our learnings! Thank you, and we’re always open to suggestions on other non-policy actions we can include which especially resonate with newcomers. You can email us by replying to any of our newsletters :)
- Jenny, Dhanya, Emily, and the Climate Club newsletter team
On the point about flying, I was so excited to see in the news that a Wellington councillor is considering bringing back the WGN-AKL sleeper train!
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350382367/calls-resurrect-wellington-auckland-night-train
Also love the vibrant discussion on the Reddit about it:
"Personally I think it'd make some sense for Air New Zealand to consider investing in it. They could treat it as an alternative and more carbon-friendly way of shifting passengers who prefer to go from one CBD to the other, and who don't care as much about speed as long as they can sleep through it and avoid a night of accommodation elsewhere."
"On top of that it creates more viable commutes from any town where it stops along the way. That brings opportunity and growth to more places and also spreads out the burden of where more homes can go, and puts downwards pressure on living costs."
https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/1evl1yp/calls_to_resurrect_wellington_to_auckland_night/
I'm as concerned about climate change as they come, but I am dismayed that you said we should slap stickers on SUVs to make the owners rethink their ways. It would have the opposite effect. It might make you feel better because you did something you think helps, but it absolutely does not. The owners are going to be upset at best, infuriated and dug-in at worst. Seriously, really dismayed that you think calling out SUV owners is going to get them to pitch in. It reminds me of door-to-door preachers...they aren't converting anyone, but hey, they feel better because they 'tried' something to help us 'find the way'.
This is a genuine dilemma. The owners of these vehicles are, on the whole, utterly disinterested in their own kids' chances of inheriting a liveable climate. Its the same whenever people like that get challenged: they lash out angrily and defend their 'right' to do whatever they want. I too am unsure whether stickers are the best idea, but we sure as hell need to call out their selfishness. Maybe a concerted campaign of letters to the metropolitan dailies might show that society is losing tolerance for selfishness.
Thanks Zack for your honest feedback, we really appreciate you taking the time and you make a great point. Thanks Graham also for your perspective too - we agree that it’s a conflicting area.
What’s most important to us is that we remain relatable & motivational for the general public, so thank you for raising that some members may find this action alienating - we’ll be more mindful of these concerns when considering these kinds of actions in future. I’m sure others in our audience might have been feeling the same thing so we appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
A note on the role of non-violent direct action (NVDA):
NVDA and civil disobedience is often needed to make the non-disruptive arm of a movement more powerful (e.g. in the women’s suffrage movement; we actually did a deep dive on this a while back). They widen what is socially acceptable so that ambitious demands are seen as more moderate, providing non-disruptive advocates with the social license to achieve their demands.
https://climateclubnz.substack.com/p/faq-whats-the-role-of-civil-disobedience
A variety of Climate Club members suggested the End SUVs stickering action since it’s a bit of a refreshing change from all the petitions & submissions directed at a policy level, and it connects people’s everyday (the decision to buy & use a heavier vehicle in a suburban area) with emissions (including from mining the greater quantity of metals) and safety (SUVs in suburban areas being more dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_SUVs#Safety
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022437522000810
So what makes climate action effective is nuanced – and the movement is changing and learning over time too – the perspective you shared being one of our learnings! Thank you, and we’re always open to suggestions on other non-policy actions we can include which especially resonate with newcomers. You can email us by replying to any of our newsletters :)
- Jenny, Dhanya, Emily, and the Climate Club newsletter team
Always the best source of ideas for action on climate issues. Thank you all.