#74: Just keep swimming

On embracing complexity and staying with the trouble

Jun 26, 2023

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!

Is it just me, or is pretty much everything about the climate crisis hard? The science, the policy, the legislation, the modelling, the decision making. And then there’s the nitty gritty of structural change – what does it take to win hearts and minds, to get governments to act, to ensure that change doesn’t disadvantage people who are already marginalised, to hold people and businesses to account? Within each question lies more and more questions. Yes, we need to keep fossil fuels in the ground, but how does that play out? How do we keep homes warm, hospitals running and put food on the table in the short, medium, and long term? There are many answers, which are far from simple themselves.

In a world that craves simplicity, moral certainty, and pithy tweet summaries, maybe it’s natural that most media have resorted to a few snappy narratives: [X] invention/legislation/individual will save the world, we are running out of time to save the world, or or (a fossil fuel industry favourite) the old “we are doomed” rhetoric. But this means as climate-aware folks, we are often yo-yoing between the consistent noise of the hope or despair media train and the reality: that climate action is often about chipping away at this goliath of a problem.

It’s in these moments that I remind myself of the wisdom of eco-feminist and philosopher Donna Haraway whose deceptively simple advice is to ‘stay with the trouble’.

“Staying with the trouble does not require such a relationship to the times called the future. In fact, staying with the trouble requires learning to be truly present, not as a vanishing pivot between awful or edenic pasts and apocalyptic or salvific futures, but as moral critters entwined in myriad unfinished configurations of place, times, matters, and meanings.” - Donna Haraway

The current situation is messy, imperfect, unfair and there are no easy answers. When it comes to climate action, decoupling your motivation to act from outcomes is important - instead focussing on the small, steady progress in your niche, which collectively creates big change. As big as the problems are, the opportunities for a better world are greater - we owe it to ourselves, our communities, our loved ones and those that will come after us to stick with it.

To anyone who needs a friendly reminder: every action and decision we make right now shapes what lies ahead. What you do matters, just keep going.

What can we do today?

The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was → the petition to call for a Climate Shift in our elections.

🐝 If you have 5 minutes: We need all our faculties to solve the climate crisis

Whether it's getting to net zero emission, designing more livable cities or protecting native biodiversity, we need cutting-edge research to achieve our environmental goals. The huge cuts proposed to university jobs at VUW and Otago University will result in expertise losses that could take generations to rebuild, seriously reducing our nation’s ability to reach our climate and social justice targets.
Action: Sign the petition to ask the Government to provide universities the funds to stop impending job cuts or/and add your name to the open letter.

🐇 If you have 15 minutes: We love electri-city & dense-city getting publi-city

Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, before this Thursday: Some Wellington City councillors are proposing to scrap the Let’s Get Wellington Moving initiative for better public and active transport. Transport projects are always expensive and the pay-offs take a long time, but we must take a long view and invest in infrastructure if we are to create sustainable, accessible living spaces.
Action: Before the vote this Thursday, use the email template at the bottom of this page to ask them to vote in support of continuing the initiative.
Ōtautahi/Christchurch: Have your say on the Greater Christchurch Spatial Plan. This will determine the next 30 years of Ōtautahi’s development, including decarbonising the transport system and increasing resilience to climate change.
Action: It’s a quick & easy online survey before 23 July
Auckland: Auckland Council is seeking feedback on their Future Development Strategy, determining their next 30 years. The proposed strategy is designed to move away from urban sprawl and emphasises the importance of dense housing for lower transport & infrastructure emissions (and affordable housing!).
Action: Fill out Auckland Council’s survey to emphasise less sprawl, denser housing, and low-emissions transport - even just a short sentence will help!

💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Make sure we’re not barking up the wrong tree

The Emissions Trading Scheme is a critical lever that New Zealand needs to use to control the price of carbon, to push down national emissions levels (read our guide to the ETS - it isn’t working as it should to reduce emissions). But how does commercial forestry fit in, if they grow and then cut down trees? The way forestry is involved in the ETS is currently being reviewed, and we can have a say.
Action: Attend a webinar on forestry in the ETS (there are options for general public, youth, and Māori/Iwi)

Wins!

20 years in the making, the historic Global Ocean Treaty has formally been adopted at the UN. It’s a legal tool to protect a third of the world’s oceans by 2030 - the bare minimum that scientists say is needed to avoid the worst of the climate & biodiversity crises. By banning bottom trawling and deep sea mining in these areas, it allows the sea to preserve its immense capacities for sequestering carbon, regulating temperatures, and supporting the ecosystems that life on Earth depends on!
Action: Closer to home, folks at Greenpeace & the Hauraki Gulf Alliance are calling for a ban on bottom trawling in the Hauraki.

That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this epic video by NASA of CO2 being added & removed from Earth’s atmosphere.

See you next week,

Cathy & the Climate Club team

Climate Club