#79: This Barbie is taking a minute

On resting so we can begin again tomorrow

Jul 31, 2023

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday!

Every time we chat to you here at Climate Club, we aim for urgency and optimism. We know that the world offers up plenty of space for outrage, cynicism, and fear. We also know that climate defeatism and fear has been intentionally peddled by fossil fuel companies for decades, to take away any motivation to act - and lack of action will lead us to the worst outcome.

All that said, some days are harder than others. With the past weeks showing some of the hottest days ever recorded and the drastic drop in the amount of sea ice in Antarctica, I’ve personally found it a little harder to find that space of optimism and belief. That’s the nice thing about being in a team, though - one person doesn’t have to carry it all, because there’s always someone to pass to, knowing that you’ll take your turn in time. So if anyone else is feeling this way this week, you’re not alone, and this week’s issue is a permission slip for you, a moment to rest. We rest so we can begin again tomorrow 💛

If you are feeling energised this week, we have a deep dive on NZ’s climate commitments for you to dig into! And for those of you in Tāmaki Makaurau, we’ll be running a cosy evening on turning climate anxiety into action this September 6th as part of Auckland Climate Festival. We’re looking forward to seeing ya’ll there!

What can we do today?

The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was a petition to reinstate the Te Huia train into Auckland. Great news, the ban has been lifted! There’s free trips for a week from August 7th, so it’s your chance to visit the world-famous Hamilton Gardens 🌱

🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Be a good spokesperson for bikes

Continuing on the Hamiltron (city of the future) theme, Hamilton City Council is considering several improvements to make it safer to cycle and walk. Bike Waikato have made some easy email links for you to show your support. Even quick expressions of support like this help these projects happen! (ps. You don’t have to live in Hamilton to email).
Action: Send a quick template email to support improved cycling & walking infrastructure!
Giving people options on how they travel is a big part of how we can reduce transport emissions. Bike Auckland have an open letter to Waka Kotahi asking them to open up a lane for walking and cycling on the Harbour Bridge.
Action: Sign the open letter as an individual or ask your company to sign on!
Secure, dry, healthy housing is not just a human right, it’s also a necessary part of any just climate transition. Homelessness or house precarity due to displacement from climate events is already increasing. We need a better safety net to help those who are already struggling, as well as those to come.
Action: Call on the government to increase public housing

🐇 If you have 15 minutes: More climate action wood be good

The Emissions Trading Scheme is a key climate lever to put a price on emissions, but there are some tricky hurdles to work out how forestry will contribute to the scheme. It’s under review to see how we can make it more effective.
Action: Submit on the ETS review with our handy guide before August 11th

💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Play truth or dare with politicians

With the general election coming up on October 14th, MPs and candidates often hold public meetings to talk about their plans and answer questions from the audience. We need to let politicians know that there is an appetite for strong climate action. Turning up at these meetings and asking questions is a powerful way to do this - it puts climate firmly in the discussion, and pressures politicians to make a commitment (whether for or against) that’s on record. What’s more, it gets everyone else in the audience thinking about climate too!
Action: Use our guide to grab a mate and start joining candidate meetings (just being there with a climate-focussed sign can also help!)
Te Whanganui a Tara/ Wellington, August 3rd: Intro to Action is a free event designed for people who are keen to take action on environment & climate issues. It’ll be a workshop to explore what activism looks like, and how you could be a part of the climate mahi community in a way that is joyful and empowering!
Action: Join the Intro to Action workshop!
Gisborne, August 8th: Dr Mike Joy will be speaking about the connection between our overshoots of resource use and how it connects to climate change.
Action: Join the chat at St Andrews Community Centre
‘We can produce our own power: Community Energy Projects in Aotearoa’ is a short film documentary that features local energy projects in Aotearoa and their benefits for people and the planet. These projects will be more resilient to natural disasters, lower in emissions, and affordable power for everyone, and there will be showings throughout the motu. Some of us will be at the Auckland screening! Come and say hi :)
Action: Join the community at the documentary screenings

Save the date

Tāmaki/Auckland: The Economy For Public Good group is putting on a conference at the end of August, about how we could move away from GDP and start using our economy for our collective wellbeing (that includes the wellbeing of the environment that sustains us). Register here if you are interested; tickets are paid.

Wins!

We recently mentioned a big win by Lawyers for Climate Action NZ at the High Court, which required the Minister of Climate Change to reassess the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) settings so that they are more in line with our emissions reduction targets. Just 2 weeks since the ruling, the government has taken on the advice and will now be keeping their carbon budgets in line with expert recommendations - an even bigger win for local climate action!

That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this Substack publication by The Spinoff, Future Proof, which provides climate & environment news in Aotearoa and beyond - a great complement to Climate Club if you’d like more general current events alongside our curated policy-level actions.

See you next week,

Dhanya & the Climate Club team

Climate Club