Issue #10: Turning the tide
On oceans and Auckland’s plan for a Climate Action Targeted Rate
Kia ora, and happy SeaWeek - Kaupapa Moana! SeaWeek is Aotearoa’s annual national week for celebrating the sea, so we’ve got a way for you to get involved in protecting our moana. We’re also continuing our look into how to untangle our money from Putin’s war on Ukraine, and have a quick way for you to push for urgent climate action from Auckland Council.
The most clicked link from last week’s issue was the petition to start implementing free fares for public transport, which is now nearly at 10,000 signatures! Incredible mahi, team.
What can you do today?
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Say you rate the targeted rate!
Auckland’s annual budget for the next year has proposed a Climate Action Targeted Rate (CATR) to raise $1 billion over 10 years to help tackle climate change. This is much-needed funding for Auckland Council to address climate change. The funds will be used to improve bus networks, decarbonise ferries, build pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and invest in urban ngahere (forests). Generation Zero and 350 AKL have teamed up to make a quick & easy submission guide to show your support for this measure!
Action: Have your say with the CATR Submission Guide!A couple of issues ago, we shared a petition to reduce the level of synthetic nitrogen in Aotearoa, and now a government consultation is open for submissions on the topic. Synthetic nitrogen fertilisers contribute more than twice the amount of CO2-equivalent emissions as our domestic aviation industry, not to mention the harm on our health.
Action: Use this quick submission guide to tell the government to lower the emissions of fertilisers and make our awa safe to drink.
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Put your money where Putin isn’t
Is your KiwiSaver funding Putin's war? In last week’s issue, we discussed the links between oil and gas, our savings, and the current war on Ukraine, and highlighted why it’s so important to divest from fossil fuels. To make it even easier, the analysts at Mindful Money subsequently published a list of hundreds of NZ investment funds that are still investing in major Russian banks and companies with close links to the Putin regime.
Action: Have a quick look through the list and make sure you’re not investing in any of these funds. If you are, consider emailing the fund to tell them that you don’t want to invest in companies with ties to the Kremlin, and switch to a more ethical fund.
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes to 1 hour: Sea the big picture
Our moana is home to a range of wildlife, one of our biggest carbon sinks, and holds ecosystems that we haven’t begun discovering yet. Yet they are currently at risk from the triple threat of destructive fishing practices, pollution, and climate change. The Green Party are inviting people to join the Healthy Ocean’s Crew, who will be sent information and actions from their team to keep the health and protection of our oceans on our politicians’ agendas.
Action: Join the Green Party’s Healthy Ocean’s Crew
ICYMI
In Case You Missed It is a section on actions that we’ve already talked about in previous newsletters which are still ongoing and we think are high-impact. It’s a chance to catch up on quick actions you may have missed out on.
🥤If you remember the global plastics treaty petition from a couple of weeks ago (Issue 7), here’s an update - we did it! The UN agreed to open negotiations for a legally binding treaty.
🧵 The Right to Repair petition is planning to submit to the Minister of Health on April 25th. Help them get to 10,000 signatures!
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Speaking of the right to repair, enjoy this 20-minute doco, The Story of Stuff, which takes a look at where the objects we use every day come from, and where they go.
See you next week,
Dhanya, Emily, and Jenny from the Climate Club