#210: Go wild
On choosing more
Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!
After a pretty drastic start to Autumn (yes I mean the flooding), here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara we are having a bit of welcome reprieve of sunny, still, crisp days…and my god the sea has never been so inviting! I might be a masochist, but there is something about swimming in really cold water that makes me feel properly alive and a bit wild (that is until my extremities start feeling like they might fall off).
My recent sea swimming habit has put me in mind of George Monbiot’s book Feral. For those unfamiliar, Feral is a passionate case for rewilding, an approach to ecosystem restoration that centres natural processes rather than human management. But beyond a radical approach on conservation, Monbiot argues that as humans we can also reclaim something wilder, freer, and more alive…something increasingly squeezed out by the comfortable constraints of modern, high consumption life. Feral is a radical vision for what our world can be, and in doing so it is profoundly hopeful.
This got me thinking about climate action. Often, and for good reason, when we talk about action we talk about the things we need to stop doing. Sacrifice has become a key tenant of how we talk about tackling climate change. These conversations matter, but in focusing so heavily on loss we sometimes fail to adequately contemplate what we might gain.
Take my favourite local masterclass in possibility: Zealandia Te Māra-a-Tāne. By protecting and experimenting in a relatively small pocket of the city, we have seen a flood of nationally threatened manu species burst back to life. Children are now growing up in active relationship with creatures their grandparents thought were lost forever. That’s not sacrifice. That’s a gift.
Maybe the stories we tell need to be not just about the world we’re trying to prevent, but the world we’re trying to build. A world that is louder, stranger, and more alive. Where choosing a liveable climate and a thriving natural world doesn’t mean choosing less, but choosing more.
What can we do today?
The most-clicked link last week was the Environmental Defense Society’s petition pushing for the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008 to remain protected, despite changes to the RMA!
🐝 5 minutes: It’s wheely urgent guys
Cycling Action Network are calling on the Government to respond to the fuel crisis by creating emergency bike networks. Their demands include making public transport free, accelerating shovel-ready active transport infrastructure projects and hitting pause on the Roads of National Significance Programme.
Action: Add your name to their open letterDid you know that Amsterdam has banned public advertisements for meat and fossil fuels? Comms Declare is calling on the NZ government to stop greenwashing and support the global effort for a clean energy transition.
Action: Sign their petition here
🐇 15 minutes: Democracy is not dead
Over 25% of the average annual emissions for each New Zealander comes from managed investments; and that includes your KiwiSaver funds. This month’s #ClimateClubChallenge is all about doing a 10-minute check to see how much of your investments are in fossil fuels. And ONE lucky challenge taker will win a $500 giveaway.
Action: Take this month’s Climate Club Challenge and consider moving your investments.Remember to register to vote! If you have recently turned 18, moved house, or want to switch between the Māori role and the general role – now is a great time to update your details. This government has been relentless for its attacks on climate policy and nature, among other things.
Action: Register to vote and check your details
💃🏽 30+ minutes: Skools out, strike’s on!
Calling all Kāpiti locals: the Kāpiti Council is currently consulting on their Emissions Reductions Plan. If you live, work or play in this rohe, have your say!
Action: Submit on the Kapiti Coast Emissions Reduction Plan
Nationwide, 15 May: School students across the country are calling on the reinstatement of the oil and gas ban this Friday. All are welcome - join them in Tāmaki Makaurau, Pōneke Wellington, and Ōtautahi Christchurch by joining their School Strike for Climate protest.
Action: find out more about your local protest here and go along and support!It’s May and that means now is the best time to electrify before the winter electricity prices hit.
Action: Use Rewiring Aotearoa’s calculator to identify which fossil fuel appliances you could replace with electric alternatives (heat pumps, induction cooktops, EVs).Bonus action: If electrification’s what powers you up, consider joining a Rewiring Aotearoa local community group to work towards making it easier for everyone to go electric ⚡
In case you missed it!
Hawke’s Bay: The regional council is seeking feedback on their waste management and minimisation plan for the next six years. While the plan includes several positive strategies to reduce waste such as exploring organics collection, improving recycling access, and strengthening oversight of private waste operators, many of the key decisions are framed mainly around affordability. Remind the Council that long‑term environmental protection and emissions reduction should be the priority of the plan.
Action: Make a submission on the plan (closes the 18th of May)
Events
Taranaki, 12-15th May: Climate Justice Taranaki are hosting three Climate Workshops this week! These are free, interactive events designed to help you learn about climate science and brainstorm community-based solutions with others. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, these events are open to all! For more info and for the RSVP QR-code see here.
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, 16th May: Considering transitioning to cycling? EcoMatters are hosting a free e-bike pop-up where you are welcome to test out an ebike, learn more about the Go Ebike loan scheme and Bike Hub services! Find event information here.
Wins!
New Zealand has recently passed the “solar tipping point” as most people will save more money from solar than what they spent purchasing the solar panel, due to surging fuel prices.
Thanks to our Climate Club Ripple workshops, Lynfield College Envirogroup students campaigned for more buses on their school routes (and got them) and then asked for new bike racks (and got them). They were full today!
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this BBC clip celebrating 100 years of David Attenborough!
See you next week,
Cathy & the Climate Club team
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