It is extremely important that well informed and articulate citizens turn up in large numbers at the public  meetings  with the most recent science (March Copenhagen meeting of scientists and their summary report) and economic analysis (such as the Stern Report, Sinclair Knight & Mertz report for the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development etc) ready to  make a strong  community voice  heard.

ALSO : It is most important  that people  realize the need to register as stakeholders to avoid  government gate keeping on this issue.

Registered  stakeholders will receive an email containing further information related to the roadshow, as well as instructions to RSVP online.

The person to contact regarding registration  is Anna Carter [Anna.Carter@mfe.govt.nz]  Ph 04 439 7487

The Government press release  is  at : http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/public+consultation+2020+target+announced

The public meetings, which will feature presentations by the Government, will be held in nine centres between 6 July and 17 July: Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Napier and Nelson. Dr Smith will also hold meetings with business groups in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Hui are being organised in association with the Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group.

You can find the discussion here on the TT website.

One of the early stages in the setting up of a TT is the formation of sub-groups. These groups form around issues of specific interest to those involved: food, economy, transport, advocacy, and more. The final working of each of these groups then forms a major part of an energy decent plan for the whole community.

In many churches the environmental group is seen as a sideline. A minority interest group that can pull energy away from other groups and projects that are more in keeping with the primary purpose of the church. One possible response is to drop the environmental title. Care of creation is not a thing in its own right; it is a description of how we go about our other tasks. Those in the church of an environmental mindset then approach all the other groups in the church; worship, mission, outreach, fair committee, social services; and ask “what would be the implication for your group if we could no longer afford oil based products?” (Obviously good current information on peak oil and related issues is important).

All of these church activities become sub-groups of your transition community. Rather than the environmental group being seen as pulling energy away from or detracting from mission, worship or outreach, they are feeding into those groups. The thinking done with those groups then forms a major part of the energy decent plan of the church, with the added advantage that you are far more likely to get participation and buy-in by genuinely engaging people in the area of the particular interest.

On the 9th and 10th of July a conference is being held in Wellington on Climate Change and Migration issues in the South Pacific. for further information or to register contact the Institute for Policy studies at Victoria University. ips@vuw.ac.nz or 04 463 5307. There is no charge for registering.

This will be an important conference as it wrestles with one of the issues of adapting to what is coming (and already happening in some corners of Tikanga Pacifica) rather than mitigation.

Download the flyer here.

Home insulation: Green Party’s deal with the devil

from www.tvnz.co.nz

“It’s a big week for the Greens. Today has seen the announcement of the home insulation package they secured from National as part of their Memorandum of Understanding … Given that the Greens have won $323m to help insulate 180,000 homes, $244m of which is new money, it’s a winning day for the minor party.”

This is a call out to individuals from communities all across Aotearoa to join in organising an ongoing project which aims to start a Peoples Movement actively addressing the Root Causes of Climate Change

Join us at Parihaka for a weekend of tasting and devouring, information, discussions and workshops on climate chaos and climate justice. The bases of the gathering is to share skills, up skill and take action. Some of the workshops are on topics such as permaculture, collective organising and direct action strategies. For more information please contact: climatecampnz[at]riseup.net http://www.climatecamp.org.nz/HOME.html

What is a Climate Camp?

Climate Camps have been successfully held in several countries. Each camp has generally covered the following themes: direct action, education, direct democracy, sustainable living and building a movement to effectively tackle climate change by both resisting climate damaging activities and developing sustainable solutions. The camps are a place for anyone to take action on climate change; for anyone who’s fed up with empty government rhetoric and corporate spin; for anyone who’s worried that the small steps we’ve been encouraged to make in our personal lives aren’t enough to match the scale of the problem; and for anyone who’s worried about our future and wants to do something about it.

How is this organised?

Previous camps have been organised in a community based and collaborative way. Before and during camp regional groups [Auckland group / Whangarei group / nelson group / Christchurch group / new groups] work and organise by making decisions together and sending prooposals to one another. This is different from coming as a representative of an organisation, and is far more democratic, sustainable and conducive to building a peoples movement. There are already many regional and issue based working groups up and running that you can join, maybe there’s one in your area, if not feel free to get in touch and start one up yourself.

Hope to see you at Parihaka!

So what are our options in terms of economic transformation? Not being an economist I feel overwhelmed. I lap up the complaints against the un-level playing field of the IMF and World Bank structural adjustment regime, and see the flaws around power in the putative free market approach of the WTO, but don’t see how the entire economic system could be transformed or redeemed. Those in the greatest position to transform the system are those most advantaged by maintaining it. Even well thought out and engaging books like ‘Being Consumed’ by William Cavanagh - a fantastic theologian who is also an economist of some standing – doesn’t seem to get much beyond suggesting fair-trade tea instead of normal.

For a Christian response I can see two directions to explore. At one end of a spectrum is the idea that the church is called to be a gathered body of believers who live in such away among themselves that they bare witness to the present reality of our future hope – life characterized by the kingdom of God. A counter-cultural community living ‘now’ in light of what is ‘not yet.’ In this case local currency alternatives within church communities might be the best approach. Time-banks and or green-dollar systems would form the heart of our economic engagement, creating the space where it becomes possible to simplify, become less busy in isolated work places, and step out of consumerism. The church community holds out a new hope, people are drawn to participate in this kingdom living. For want of a label this might be called an Anabaptist approach. The danger is that we become so separated that we cease to be a witnessing community and become a reclusive community that doesn’t engage with the suffering around us.

At the other end of the spectrum we work to transform all of society, to make the current system more in keeping with the ideals of the kingdom of God. Perhaps characterized as a Reformers approach. In this case we may need to be involved in an entire remake of the current economic system globally that may have created unsurpassed wealth, but without conscience has also created unsurpassed environmental destruction and global wealth disparity. The danger of this approach is that we become so involved and complicit in the system that there is no distinctive in the believing community; we look no different than the culture we are immersed in.
Somewhere along the spectrum may be response that is both pragmatic and faithful. Any assistance would be appreciated.

• The second biggest killer of children under five worldwide is the lack of clean and accessible drinking water.
• Nearly 5,000 children die every day as a result of water-related diseases including cholera, typhoid and malaria.
• Just $1 can provide a child with safe drinking water for 30 days.  

What’s the Tap Project about?

This is the second year that New Zealand has taken part in The Tap Project (also running in the US) and already a record 300+ restaurants and cafes across the country have signed up to participate, including a number of major chains (all listed on our website: www.tapproject.org.nz).  

In the lead up to World Water Day on 22 March, the campaign celebrates the clean and plentiful tap water Kiwis are lucky enough to enjoy, while helping UNICEF provide safe drinking water for the world’s poorest children, with this year’s proceeds going to specific projects in Laos. 

Five easy ways to get involved

It’s really easy for everyone to get involved and a great way to make a life-saving difference to the futures of thousands of children.

1. Dine out or have a coffee at participating establishments and make a donation whilst there – all venues listed at www.tapproject.org.nz/restaurants.html
2. Make a donation online at www.tapproject.org.nz or by texting TAP to 833 ($3 automatic donation)
3. Join the Facebook group and help spread the word about the Tap Project. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11175254404
4. Get your school or workplace involved by running water-themed events or activities, e.g. donations for drinking water from the water cooler. Download free education resources at www.tapproject.org.nz
5. Come to UNICEF’s World Water Day events:  On World Water Day - Sunday 22 March, local councillors will join a water challenge to coincide with Wellington’s dragon boat festival. On Sunday 5 April, an attempt will be made in Auckland to break the Guinness World Record for the largest ever simultaneous squirting of water pistols.   

Celebrity support

Many New Zealand celebrities are supporting the campaign, including Mike McRoberts, Alison Mau, Jay Reeves and Amber Peebles.

Further Information:

• For news, videos, online donation and useful info and links: www.tapproject.org.nz
• Media enquiries: david@unicef.org.nz (David Youngmeyer)
• General enquiries: carolyn@unicef.org.nz (Carolyn Shivanandan)
• UNICEF NZ: www.unicef.org.nz

Pledge and Reward scheme:

NEC is introducing a voluntary Pledge scheme whereby Nelson individuals, households, businesses and eventually schools can make pledges to reduce their carbon emissions in key area such as Energy, Transport, Water, Waste, Food and Biocapacity. The Pledges are at different levels - from no cost or effort to more cost or effort. The greater the effort the greater the Reward. These Rewards have to be compatible with the idea of sustainability and be goods or services provisioned locally and so support local business. The purpose of the Reward systems is to encourage and incentivize long-term behavioural change towards sustainable life-styles.

The launch of the CRRS:

The NEC and the Nelson City Council will be launching CODE:RED on 13^th  March 2009 in Nelson’s Founders Heritage Park.

From 3 pm there will be a Community launch in the Energy Centre- an interactive “how to” expo around the key themes above. It is not a trade show but rather a whole of community awareness building and, hopefully, behavior changing event. The idea is also to demonstrate to people that there is a great deal happening locally in terms of ideas, technology, experience and production in the sustainability arena. Each display will have a themed Pledge above it so that attendees can make a pledge to eg “Reduce my energy consumption by…” on the day and qualify to enter a prize draw. There will also be lots of fun, music, theatre, quizzes and prizes to be won by the whole family.