#148: My apocalypse small talk is getting stale
On fun fresh new activities
Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!
It can feel a little old-fashioned to talk about beauty - to talk about the urgency of seeing tonight’s sunset before it slips away, or the woodsy and wild areas around us, or the way the ti kōuka leaves blow spicily in the wind - but sometimes I get tired of speaking only about the urgency and struggle of the climate crisis. Being in nature reminds me that climate action is as much about protecting the world we care about, as much as it is about fighting what’s broken.
Take Women in Urbanism Aotearoa, who are designing cities that are more sustainable and liveable, speaking to those who know that living in a city can be joyful and full of community if we choose to design it that way. Or Rewiring Aotearoa, for instance, working to show that converting to electric is the way to go, particularly in a world where renewable energy sources are cheaper than fossil fuels - a big win for those who are convinced by the numbers and the economics. And then there’s the Regional Kai Network who are working on creating a resilient food system for Pōneke.
These organisations show that climate action doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. What’s becoming clear is that we need a mix of approaches to reach different people. Some of us respond to urgency, others to connection, or beauty, or practical change - but the key thing I believe is that we all have a desire, or hope for change in some form or another. Beneath it all, we all want to live in a country where we can care for our whānau, and appreciate the beauty of the land we live on. Whenever you get bored and feel ineffectual, look to the leaves swaying in a new tree, and to the wide range of organisations tackling climate action from different angles.
What can we do today?
The most-clicked link last week was the Oxfam petition calling for increased climate finance grants 💪
You can follow this up by signing Greenpeace’s call for taxing the super rich for climate action!
🐝 5 minutes: Sand them a message
Sand mining can take away the very sediment that protects low-lying land from flooding, and as we see more and more sand being mined for construction this is becoming a larger problem. Through the Fast Track Process, McCallum Bros Limited is seeking consent through the Fast Track process to extract 8.45 million cubic metres of marine sand from the Bream Bay seabed over a 35-year period.
Action: Join the local community in opposing sand mine consents through the fast-track process
🐇 15 minutes: Feeling Zclimate Zanxious? Try out Zopeful
This one IS fifteen minutes, but for a couple of weeks. Zopeful have a series of online climate courses, delivered to your inbox. Their next email series is starting soon on February 3rd, and they’re a great way to increase your understanding of climate change and the actions we can take to meet this challenge. They have an intros to climate change, decarbonisation, and a series on the latest climate science.
Action: Sign up to choose your course
Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland: One key way to shift our politics is to help sway the policies of the party that is trying to get into power next. Labour MP Shanon Halbert currently has a survey open asking for Aucklanders’ opinions on what is needed for both Tāmaki and broader Auckland.
Action: Help shape policies around Auckland’s future by giving feedback
💃🏽 30+ minutes: You and a climate organisation, sitting in a tree
Was your new year’s resolution to get more involved in climate action? Ours too! Now is a great time to start volunteering with a new organisation, and we’ve got a list of ones around the motu that you can contact. If you’re feeling unsure about reaching out, feel free to email us by replying here, or email us with your details if you want us to help match you up.
In case you missed it!
We're heading towards a milestone in Aotearoa NZ’s reputation as a clean green country - on February 10th, we have to announce our next climate pledge for the Paris agreement. It’s important that our politicians know how important climate action and emissions reduction is to us, as well as to our country’s standing on the international stage.
Action: Email your local MP about strengthening our climate pledges
Wins!
Switzerland just legally mandated an act which means that all non-agricultural companies have to reach net zero by 2050. Uniquely, they also made corporate carbon removal milestone targets compulsory, which means that the companies have to start looking at how they can keep emission levels neutral, or even negative, both inside Switzerland and on a global scale. So cool (literally)!
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy Oli Frost’s novel songs about the climate vampire conspiracy and his newest initiative.
See you next week,
Dhanya & the Climate Club team
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