#156: First, second, and hundredth followers

Did you know that 2009 is 15 years ago?

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!

Recently, I found myself re-watching this 15-year-old video, which I’m pretty sure I was first shown in high school:

Warning: the early-2000s video quality may result in motion sickness

It got me thinking about how the power of our climate movement here in Aotearoa comes from the communities and relationships within it. They’re the people you met at the climate event last month. The walking school bus that you help with on Wednesday mornings. The weekly campaign meetings for a local climate group. Those mates you only really see at protests, but you always go out for drinks afterwards.

These things are all mini-movements in themselves. Like the dancing video, there’s that leader – usually the extrovert who sets up the group chat and keeps everyone posted about upcoming events. But just as crucial is the first follower – the legend who’s there with the timely thumbs-up react, who RSVPs straight away. Then there’s the second follower, who transforms the pair into a proper group. “A group of us are gonna try volunteering for this climate organisation together, wanna join?” And let’s not forget the hundredth follower – they’re generously willing to lend their strength to make an existing initiative even stronger.

Movements aren’t just about the trailblazers, it’s about us all playing our part. In the face of climate challenges that can feel overwhelming, these connections and the diverse roles are what keep a movement going, turning individual concern into collective action. If you’re a leader, make sure to nurture your followers – the first few definitely, but the rest of them as well. If you’re a follower, you rock – you’re what makes up the movement.

What can we do today?

The most clicked link last week was the petition to call for a clean energy future!

🐝 5 minutes: Dangerous forces

• Closing April 22nd: The Radical Action Grants are open for applications! This group is offering grants of $500-$700 for climate justice and environmental groups that have a project in mind. The projects can be as radical as you desire - they’ve funded leaflet and speaking tour actions in the past, as well as protests. Check out their past recipients here!

  Action: Share this grant opportunity with a climate or environmental community in your life

• After an unjust trial, a jury just awarded oil pipeline company Energy Transfer $660M USD from Greenpeace US and Greenpeace International for standing with the Standing Rock Sioux against the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline. This lawsuit’s impact goes far beyond Greenpeace. By blaming a few groups for an entire movement, Energy Transfer is trying to set a precedent for any ally group providing support to be open to a similar legal attack.

  Action: Use Greenpeace’s easy Toolkit to get the word out about this dangerous legal attack

🐇 15 minutes: That’s so rad

• Due tomorrow 5pm: The Energy Competition Task Force is a group set up by the government to consult on how to keep energy bills low for New Zealand households and businesses. There are significant problems with the Task Force’s “proposed solutions”. It’s a technical submission, but Rewiring Aotearoa have done the research and written a guide to make it quick & easy!
  Action: Submit on the Energy Competition Task Force proposals with this guide (scroll down for 90 second, 5 minute, 15 min options)

💃🏽 30+ minutes: Buying better

• Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Monday March 31st: Eco Choice Aotearoa is running a public seminar for businesses on the Government’s newly proposed Procurement Rules. Current Government procurement rules (basically a fancy way of saying how public institutions get goods and services) lack clear and measurable sustainability commitments. This consultation offers the opportunity to advocate for the explicit inclusion of specific and tangible sustainable practices rather than only focusing on the price.

  Action: Register for Eco Choice Aotearoa’s seminar on making government purchases more sustainable

• Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland and online, Monday April 7th: Mindful Money and Responsible Investment Association Australasia are hosting a free event on the demand for ethical investment in Aotearoa New Zealand. Divestment is key to shifting power from fossil fuel giants that rely on the support of funds like KiwiSaver. They’ll talk about who’s leading the call for ethical investment, what New Zealanders want from their investments, and what’s coming up in this space.
  Action: Register for the Demand for Ethical Investment in New Zealand 2025 event

Volunteer opportunities

• Climate Club Aotearoa is looking for volunteers for our newsletter team! Here are the specific roles and skills/experience. Register your interest here!

  • Actions researcher: well connected with the climate movement and what makes good climate action/policy

  • Submission guide writers: knowledge/experience of advocacy, lobbying, public policy, climate policy, politics

• 350 Aotearoa have kicked off a campaign against one particularly climate-damaging fast-track project: the Denniston Coal Mine. This mine alone could rival our whole country’s annual emissions. This is a great chance to join a high-impact fight.
  Action: Sign up to volunteer for 350 Aotearoa’s campaign to stop the Denniston Coal Mine

In case you missed it!

• The things we buy are often designed to be hard to repair. Being able to cheaply repair products would save time, money and emissions. New legislation would mean suppliers have to make it easier for us to repair things ourselves.

  Action: The Right to Repair Bill is currently in Parliament, and it’s open for submissions. If you missed last week’s submission party, check out this submission guide from the Green Party

Wins!

• Mindful Money’s Oblivia Coalmine awareness campaign (featuring actress Olivia Colman) reached 668,000 Aucklanders via billboards, 51,000 viewers on TV, and 380,000 views on Instagram!

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That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this wisdom from climate activist drag queen Pattie Gonia, who recently gave a TED talk. “While doom and gloom may wake people up, joy keeps them in the fight.”

pattiegonia

A post shared by @pattiegonia

See you next week,

Jenny & the Climate Club team

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