Issue #9: Independence from fossil fuels
On the importance of clean energy for international security
Kia ora friends. I hope you’re doing as well as can be in these uncertain and often overwhelming times. We stand with the Ukrainian people, as well as all those who suffer at the hands of greed. This week’s events show us yet again how the oil & gas industry has massive impacts on international security.
Russia could never have become as much of a superpower without oil & gas. The aggression that we are seeing from Russia is the latest in a series of conflicts that have been fuelled by our world’s dependence on oil & gas, and the destabilising effects of climate change resulting from the actions of those industries. These include the US invasion of Iraq, the Syrian war, and the current water scarcity in Israeli-oppressed Palestine. For more information, read the deep dive by Jenny.
As Bill McKibben wrote in The Guardian,
“It is a war underwritten by oil and gas, a war whose most crucial weapon may be oil and gas, a war we can’t fully engage because we remain dependent on oil and gas. If you want to stand with the brave people of Ukraine, you need to find a way to stand against oil and gas.”
Governments know this, but are still reluctant to break off their relationships with the fossil fuel industry. We must demand our governments act faster, and eliminate reliance on fossil fuels in all aspects of our economy as soon as possible.
What can you do today?
🐝 If you have 5 minutes: Tell MPs to stop playing a fuels game
Free, low-carbon public transport is the way forward for accessible, equitable, climate-friendly communities. We’ve mentioned the campaign for free fares on public transport before, and they’re now at an urgent point of the campaign - the Minister for Transport will receive the petition on March 17th.
Action: Get ActionStation Free Fares to 10,000 signatures before the 17th!Hot off the press - share the new IPCC report. As extreme weather events wreck havoc nearby in Brisbane, the new IPCC report that came out yesterday confirms that we only have an extremely narrow window of opportunity right now for drastic action, with global average temperatures having already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius. Reading, liking, and sharing this content amplifies the work of climate scientists and activists to your networks - the people who you have the most power to influence in a genuine way.
Action: Read, like, and/or share one story about the new IPCC report. Here are some examples to get you started: Article, Twitter, Instagram
🐇 If you have 15 minutes: Tell the ministers to sever oil ties
From February 28th (yesterday!) Lawyers for Climate Action are suing the government and the Climate Change Commission (CCC), on the basis that New Zealand’s actions are not enough to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees as committed in the Paris Agreement.
The CCC’s suggested emissions budget is based not on the science, nor on what will actually keep us to 1.5 degrees, but on what the CCC and the government consider politically feasible. If their claim is successful, this could force the government to dramatically increase the level of action it plans to take to reduce emissions in the forthcoming Emissions Reduction Plan.
Action: Write a postcard or email to make your case for 1.5C!
💃🏽 If you have 30 minutes to 1 hour: Get a climate buddy
In the face of the climate crisis, it can be overwhelming to take in the scale of the problem, let alone all the other factors in play such as global instability, a pandemic, and ongoing wars. We found this tweet from @LadyOfSardines helpful:
And so for today’s longer action, we’re recommending bringing a friend along with you on your climate journey. The longer we’ve been writing this newsletter, the more it becomes clear that we will only get to a better future by working together.
Action: Ask a friend to take one of these (or other) climate actions with you.
That’s all for today, folks 👋🏽Thanks for taking action. Want to learn more about the impact of the oil industry on the global community? Try the critically acclaimed Drilled Podcast, an award-winning true crime/science podcast hosted by investigative journalist Amy Westervelt.
And on a more positive note, enjoy this poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, “Gate A-4”, as a reminder of our common humanity that will prevail if we work together.
See you next week,
Dhanya, Emily, and Jenny from the Climate Club
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