10 Comments

Always value your newsletters. And I've often wondered whether climate science deniers and tech solution optimists really do believe that Jesus or some similar dude will pop by and save us all!

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Yeah for sure. Extra tough when corporations double down on spreading that message of "don't worry, [green growth/Elon Musk/colonies on Mars] will save is!"

I guess our job is to persuade them that _we_ are the ones with the power to save us all!

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I'm here for a first look, and my first look says no way. I'm Jewish - I thought this could be a useful tool for my synagogue's environmental action group. But if it comes with Christian religion, no thank you. To put it bluntly, Easter in past years was the time for pogroms.

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Hi Sue, thank you for taking the time to have a look at Climate Club. I'm sad to hear that your first impression hasn't been a positive one - it sounds like you're feeling disappointed that our content might not be so relevant for your synagogue's climate action efforts because it might involve mention of Christianity, which has inflicted a lot of harm against the Jewish community in the past.

We completely acknowledge the harms that Christianity has caused to many communities over the course of history, and how it has been used as an excuse for extreme violence and oppression. We intended here to use the Easter story here as a timely illustration of the way that our society often leans on simple stories of salvation or "quick fixes", and a reminder that real solutions to climate change will require a much more community-driven, multi-facted effort that moves away from these stories of the past. We hope that using this example hasn't put you off Climate Club entirely - we want to be a helpful resource to all communities looking to engage in climate action.

Thank you for your candid feedback, it helps us keep these diverse perspectives in mind.

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Oh it has (put me off).

It's important to be aware that one's own cultural/religious frame is not universal.

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You are carrying out great advocacy. DANZ - Degrowth Aotearoa New Zealand has a petition on the parliamentary website calling for an investigation into rationing throught TEQs - Tradable Energy Quotas. This scheme would ensure that the carbon budget that the Climate Commission set would be adhered too, with annual reductions achieved without corruption or favour.

We would really value some help in promoting our petition.

Our website www.degrowth.nz has background information... scroll down on home page to

CALLING FOR A SOCIETAL RESPONSE TO THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY–

We need fossil fuel rationing to protect our planet and for collective wellbeing.

Sign our Petition! https://petitions.parliament.nz/15c9b925-a23e-4a38-879e-8f514ac0c147

How could we work with you on this? Please feel free to call me on 02102719370

Nga mihi nui Paul Bruce

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Hi Paul! Thanks for your support. I love the work that DANZ does.

We share the petition on TEQs in February here:

https://climateclubnz.substack.com/p/climate-club-56-the-end-of-climate

But if DANZ is doing another push for this campaign soon, we can look at ways to promote it again that still feels fresh & relevant for our audience. Could you send us an email us at climateclubnz@substack.com to discuss further?

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There could never be a one off solution as we are facing multiple crises regarding the 9 planetary boundaries we either have already exceeded or about to ...and they are all interconnected.

Fixating on climate is an example of the same desire to find a single silver bullet.

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Couldn't agree more! I'm deep down the degrowth/doughnut economics rabbit hole at the moment, maybe that could be a theme for a future newsletter... 🤔

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Hi Jenny,

You very kindly shared our petition for the investigation of fossil fuels.

Here is an updated script that you may like to share for us again. The parliamentary petition now closes in September this year. Please free to edit down to fit your requirements.

Nga mihi nui

Paul Bruce

brucepaul39@gmail.com

021 0271 9370

www.degrowth.nz __o

Many thanks for signing our petition to investigate rationing fossil fuels.

It would be fantastic if you could now share the petition link

https://community.greenpeace.org.nz/petitions/investigate-rationing-fossil-fuel-use-with-tradable-energy-quotas-teqs to your Facebook, Twitter and email friends.

The ETS in its present form has failed to lower emissions where it counts in transport and agriculture. Ramping up climate change adaptation in response to two extreme flood events is safer politically, but without tackling the cause, what are we to adapt to? It is time to investigate rationing fossil fuels.

The emissions trading scheme is the cornerstone of NZs climate mitigation plan. Yet price-based schemes and carbon taxes simply can’t reliably deliver the explicit reductions now required. Prices high enough to change behaviour could undermine business and risk excluding many from essential energy. Prices too low will be a waste of time. Effectively, only by tackling inputs rather than emissions will we achieve the required outcome with certainty.

The late David Fleming, a British economist, proposed a potential solution that he called Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs). These would be granted equally to everyone over the driving age, with a weekly energy ration that together is capped to align with the required reduction pathway. Weekly tenders are arranged for businesses, government, local government and organisations to set the TEQ price and provide quotas for these organizations to purchase. TEQs can be surrendered automatically from a credit card when purchasing petrol, diesel and fossil fuel-generated electricity. It is equitable and involves everyone in the solution.

An economy can be maintained by directing quotas to facilities and activities that aid transition and will be useful in a low-carbon world. Even if not built directly into the scheme, TEQ’s will indirectly reduce biogenic emissions generated from land use and landfills.

When current methods are failing, solutions like TEQs offer us a chance of avoiding catastrophic tipping points in the climate. Do we have the courage and compassion to grasp it?

Share our call to investigate the TEQ scheme!

This petition is also hosted on the Parliamentary website.

TEQs are a neat solution proposed by the late David Fleming, a British economist.

Find out more at https://www.degrowth.nz/

TEQ References https://www.degrowth.nz/blog/teq

TEQs at a glance https://www.flemingpolicycentre.org.uk/teqs/

Real change happens when everyday people like you and I come together and stand up for what we believe in. Together we can reach heaps of people and help create change around this important issue.

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