#140 Call me naïve

On persistence

Mōrena, and happy Tuesday! I hope you’re all refreshed after the shorter week last week. 

At Climate Club, we try to keep things upbeat and hopeful. But current events have been a stark reminder of why we work so hard to keep climate change in the public focus. We’ve seen severe floods devastate millions of people across South East Asia, West and Central Africa, Spain. Scientists repeat, yet again, that these extreme weather events are made both more frequent and severe by climate change. It’s times like these when I’m reminded of how lucky many of us are – the choice to engage in climate action is a choice. For others here and abroad, it’s already a matter of survival.

Closer to home, our local systems still have a long way to go for a safer, more resilient future. We mentioned last week’s Entrust election in the last few emails. Thank you to the fresh climate-positive candidates who put themselves out there to challenge the status quo, and to everyone who voted. Unfortunately, with a turnout of just 9.39%, incumbents who are not pro-decarbonisation will be retaining their roles for the next 3 years. This highlights how crucial civic engagement is, especially in elections that shape our energy future.

Yet, as marine biologist, policy expert, and writer Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson said in her 2023 Middlebury commencement speech:

“It is naïve to expect that governments and corporations will do the right thing, or that someone else will handle it. It is naïve to think we can “solve” or “stop” climate change. 

It is also naive to give up, when every tenth of a degree of warming we prevent, every centimetre of sea level rise we avoid, every species we save, and every increasingly unnatural disaster we avert all matter so very much.” 

- Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (video, transcript, shareable quote on instagram)

Choosing to be part of the solution isn’t just about grand gestures or big milestone wins; it’s about the small, persistent steps we take every day to resist and nudge the status quo. Each choice we make, each conversation we start, and each vote we cast brings us closer to a liveable future for all.

Welcome our new readers from recent workshops, and thank you also to David Slack for your lovely review of our workshop last week!

What can we do today?

The most clicked link last week was our list of climate organisations! 

🐝 5 minutes: Piggy banking on a porky

• Don’t want your long-term savings to be eroding your chance for a future? Some kiwisaver, investment funds and banks are actually still investing your hard-earned savings in companies expanding fossil fuels. Also, ethical funds often have better or equal returns than fossil-fueled ones!
  Action: Use Mindful Money’s handy tool to move your money 

• Greenpeace is being sued by Energy Transfer (a US-based fossil fuel company, that is responsible for the Dakota Access Pipeline) for $300 million, and will be going to court this summer in the US to fight it. Greenpeace is an organisation that has fought for the planet for over 50 years, and has a huge role in environmental and climate activism in Aotearoa.
  Action: Express solidarity with Greenpeace against the lawsuit

🐇 15 minutes: Find your folk

• There are over 50 climate organisations in New Zealand. These communities focus on everything including food, fashion, finance, law, art, sports, humanitarian rights, and more — there’s something for everyone. They are all working together to build the rich tapestry of solutions we need, and they all need more volunteers.
  Action: Check out a climate org that suits your interests. Even better, share with a friend and think about signing up together!

  • List of 50+ NZ climate organisations: divided into topics of interest

  • New Zealand Climate Action Network: the NZ branch of a global network

  • Climate Movement Aotearoa NZ: a very broad directory including NGOs, government bodies and council initiatives, and businesses

  • Project Moonshot: circular & regenerative initiatives in New Zealand.

  • Climate Job Board: a little spreadsheet we maintain (very occasionally 😅) with climate roles in NZ

  • So You Want To Work In Climate: a massive list of communities, job boards, not-profits, and resources from all over the world (a bit US-centric, but great for remote online volunteering!)

💃🏽 30+ minutes: A stitch in time saves nine

• Nationwide: Local repair cafés are a good way to find community and to shift towards a circular economy. Take a look to find your local repair café and mend with a friend.
  Action: Find a repair café near you
  Bonus action: Check out the launch of Little Big Shed, an app where you can lend & borrow goods. They’re having a launch next Tuesday 12 Nov in Auckland that you can attend too!

• Ōtautahi / Christchurch, Wed 13 Nov: Calling all teachers & kaiako! Do you have a passion for climate action, sustainability and wellbeing but need support to gain traction in your school? Grow Waitaha invites you to register for a free workshop to explore possibilities, form connections, and create action steps.
  Action: Register for the free Climate 4 Change Workshop (more info on FB event)

• Electrifying households saves on power bills and emissions. Rewiring Aotearoa is supporting local community events to educate the uptake of zero-emissions machines around the country.
  Action: Join an Electrify event!

  • 12 Nov: Electrify Waiheke at the Waiheke Sustainability Centre. Register your interest by emailing info@wrt.org.nz.

  • 23 Nov: Electrify Grey Lynn at the Grey Lynn Festival

  • 22-23 Nov, paid ($55-$60): Electrify Wairarapa Conference and Expo at Copthorne Solway Park, Masterton, tickets here

  • If you're interested in a local group, check out their communities

In case you missed it!

• The government’s list of fast-tracked projects include “zombie projects” like seabed & coal mining, which are being resurrected after they previously failed independent reviews. If the Fast Track bill passes, it strips decades of environmental protections, setting a dangerous precedent for prioritising profit over democracy and a liveable environment.
  Action: Fill out this survey to volunteer for a local anti-fast-track campaign

Wins!

• Auckland Council unanimously endorsed option 4c for their Regional Land Transport Plan, supporting critical cycling projects despite a $564 million funding shortfall following cuts to low-emissions active transport from central government. This option prioritises safe & climate-friendly cycling infrastructure for the region. Ka rāwe to our councillors for making the best of a tough situation—and to all of you who voiced your support.

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That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this screenshot from a survey that two Year 10 students from Lynfield College made, after participating in one of our climate workshops. They collected 455 responses from students at their school, emailed Auckland Transport with the results, and are now petitioning for better bus routes for their school!

See you next week, 

Jenny & the Climate Club team
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