Issue #26: Oil in unexpected places
On the legal rights of our forests, and fossil fuels in rugby
Kia ora, and happy Wednesday! We hope you had a warm and cosy Matariki weekend, full of loved ones and reflection.
This Sunday is International Plastic Bag Free Day, and while we banned plastic bags in Aotearoa in 2019, we still use crude oil in a growing number of products. So this week we’re looking into banning plastic bottles, protecting forests, how our national game helps uphold fossil fuel companies, and as always…walking the fine line between climate urgency and hope for the future.
What can you do today?
The most-clicked link from last week’s issue was this petition to stop sending our plastic waste to developing countries.
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Run Forest Run
Legislators in Aotearoa have a chance to consider new laws which ban products with ingredients that fuel deforestation. Forests are home to millions of indigenous people, and are a critical tool in climate action.
Aotearoa has a long tradition of promoting our “clean, green” lands, but these conservation stewardship lands can still have low actual legal protection. These lands act as carbon stores, are key in preserving biodiversity, and must be protected in the current climate crisis.
Action: Add your name to protect stewardship land
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Don’t choo love trains?
Imagine being able to travel to any major city around NZ by train - a more sustainable option than long car rides or flights. The #SaveOurTrains campaign has seen success with the return of the Northern Explorer and the Coastal Pacific routes effective Sept 2022, but no new funding in the Budget for much-needed upgrades for the likes of the Capital Connection (Wellington-Palmerston North).
Action: Print these posters that link the shortage of rail to the current prices crisis, and display them in your local community. There is a QR code to the petition, which is trying to reach 10,000 signatures before presenting it to Parliament!
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes or more: Say no to sportswashing!
Auckland: The All Blacks are one of the most visible Kiwi icons, which is why we were disappointed when we found out NZ Rugby signed a 6-year deal with INEOS, the global petrochemical conglomerate. This means our All Blacks, Black Ferns, All Blacks Sevens, Black Ferns Sevens, Māori All Blacks, All Blacks XV and All Blacks Under-20s will be promoting fossil fuels every time they play for our nation.
Action: Join Extinction Rebellion at Eden Park on July 2nd (Saturday)
In case you missed it
This Thursday June 30th, Greenpeace will be in Wellington to call on our elected representatives to ban single-use plastic bottles in Aotearoa. Add your name to show the government there’s huge support for banning unnecessary plastic use!
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Enjoy this really hopeful story about the partnership between three groups restoring Tongariro’s Wai-o-Taka river.
The mahi has boosted the health of the awa (which used to flood the land), encouraged native birds to return and also created a sense of partnership between the two peoples under the Treaty. It demonstrates that, done right, climate action can solve issues on multiple fronts.
- Olivia from The Forever Project
See you next week,
Dhanya, Emily, and Jenny from the Climate Club