Right now, we have an unprecedented opportunity and responsibility to create a new normal – one which creates a planet we would all feel proud to pass on to future generations, by holding people and the planet at its center. We must show our leaders that there is still momentum and that thousands of New Zealanders are here, ready to walk alongside our political leaders on this journey to the more beautiful Aotearoa that we know is possible.
School Strike For Climate NZ
Last week – on the steps.
We’ll be there, and we have a few signs to spare. From Civic Square the march will head to parliament. Come and join us.
Ecocide: The Earth needs a Lawyer.
Scottish environmentalist Polly Higgins chose to become a lawyer in her mission to resist the practices that are ending life around us. Her campaign is to see that Ecocide is recognised as a crime against humanity. Polly died in 2019 but the work she started, Stop Ecocide, is going strong.
Change the law, protect the Earth.
The rules of our world are laws, and they can be changed. Laws can restrict or they can enable. What matters is what they serve. Many of the laws in our world serve property – they are based on ownership. But imagine a law that has a higher moral authority… a law that puts people and planet first. Imagine a law that starts from first do no harm, that stops this dangerous game and takes us to a place of safety…
Polly Higgins, 2015
We’ve been contacted by the Stop Ecocide movement for help, so we’ll be adding their message and information to the things we bring to parliament. If you want to get more actively involved please get in touch: admin@fridaysforfuture.nz
We still have a little time left to complete our submissions. We’re
meeting at Aro Hall tomorrow at 10 am. We’ll use this time to share and
help each other with our personal submissions. We’ll also come up with a
plan for a shared submission.
We’ve heard through the grapevine that there are only 600 submissions
so far. That’s not a high number for something like this and we know
many will be created by the polluters.
Don’t be daunted by the size of this task. Yes, the report is big, but
you don’t have to address it all. That work has already been done, by
teams of lawyers, researchers, and advocates of all kinds. I’ll pop a
short list below, but there are plenty more and we can search them out
for ideas.
What matters is that you take a stand. In fact, the submissions by
ordinary people stand out more than you think. Your submissions don’t
need to be long either: better to focus on a shortlist of points, make
them personal, and get them to stand out.
I’m planning to be around there till 2 pm. That means there’s time
for people to drop by if they can’t make it at 10. Note there is no
particular schedule for this time. We’re just using the time to share
what we are doing and making sure everyone has what they need to make a
submission.
We should also produce a combined submission, so this is also an
opportunity to come up with a shortlist of points we’d like it to cover
and decide who will write it.
Hope you can make it, and more importantly, I hope you make a
submission. We’ll produce more stuff online with the little bit of time
left. One last thought on why your submission is important now:
A few of us have been watching the Hot Air
documentary. It gives a brief history of plans that came before this
one, along with the way they were sidelined by the polluters. This time,
it’s vital that the politicians know the people are watching and expect
better. The difference between this plan and the ones before it is you.
The draft for my own submission is here. Note that I WILL be making changes to it:
/It was easy in 1998 and 1989 to think that you could have a public
interest approach to dealing with greenhouse gases. Governments would
say we must get these emissions down, their populations would agree and
support that, and there would be no major lobby to block it./
I’m pleased to see the calibre of the CCC. I’m sure the plans they have
made improves on the ones that came before. Greenpeace, 350, the school
strikers and gen zero, will all be asking to raise your ambitions and I
agree with them.
My concern is that nothing in this report addresses that fact that every
plan before it was sabotaged. So much so that emissions more than
tripled since Simon Upton began the job in 1990.
And what is the point in another plan if it does not get to the core of
the problem: the government is still not prepared to act. Since 2015,
when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGf4maDU7Ps][Hot Air]] was
released, we’ve had a Green Climate Change minister, along with some
timid reductions to mining. Also, in that time:
– 2,400 square km of Taranaki land was opened for exploration (Megan Woods, 2019)
– More gas peaker plants have been created (Mangorei in Taranaki, 2020)
– The Crown Minerals Act continues to require that the Minister for Energy promotes petroleum products
– The Environmental Protection Agency is still expected to pretend carbon emissions are not happening
– Plans for low carbon transport alternatives continue to be scrapped
– Plans for Hydrogen are so driven by polluters that they overlook the
of existence electric rail and suggest creating new markets by burning
coal
In the 90s Simon Upton brought the head of Carter Holt Harvery into his
house to join discussions about carbon taxing. The shepard attempting to
rationalise with the wolf. And the wolves are still in the house. In
the introduction to your report you acknowledge the ECNZ. Those of you
with ties to Motu know that it’s former CEO, John Carnegie, is the now
head of Pepanz, J. Under ECNZ he was already making bizarre defense for
oil companies. In his new role he is now is the lead actor in Terrence
Loomis’ /Predatory Delay Diaries/.
The most powerful industries all make their profits from artifically
cheap energy. It’s a crowded house and this seems impossible, but what
else is there? They won’t change, that much is surely clear by now.
Through these times our strikers have been starving on the lawn of
parliament. After over 400 days of protest they are about to face their
third winter. We remain unconvinced by the declarations. We know that
not all treaties are honoured.
I say this with the greatest respect for what you have done, and for the
support you have extended to the activist communities. You can’t watch
Hot Air without seeeing the cyclic nature of this moment. This is an
addiction, held tight by a dysfunctional relationship. Until that
changes, the plans themselves are irrelevant. If you don’t speak to the
predators directly, then you will find you have been coerced into
enabling them.
This Tuesday the School Strikers will come to parliament. Please come along and support them. We have a bunch of spare placards and flags in case you don’t manage to bring your own. We’ll also bring some spare cardboard and pens if you want to make one on the spot.
The big announcement you’ve all been waiting for! It’s go time whanau… get your placards out, prepare your demands, and we’ll see you on the 26th of January at 12:30pm to demand, real, meaningful climate action!
— School Strike 4 Climate NZ
21 January at Parliament
As ever, you can join us at parliament any Friday. James joined us last week and pointed out that 20 countries are phasing out fossil fuels, yet Aotearoa is not one of them.
Countries phasing out fossil fuels.
There’s no question: a declaration of emergency means nothing without action and we are way behind in Aotearoa. It’s clear that we need to keep pushing for change.
It’s been 18 months since Ollie first appeared on the lawn of parliament with the sign ‘Declare Climate Emergency Now’. Since then, climate strikers have been outside parliament for one day in every too.
Finally, it was declared. There were many speeches in parliament, and one that shook the walls came from Kiri Allan:
The declaration included resolutions to convert government fleets and thermal emissions away from coal. It’s a start.
But the bulk of coal emissions continue untouched, the plans for gas exploration, extraction and continued use go on, agricultural emissions were not mentioned, and we continue to import diesel and petrol vehicles are many times the rate of EVs.
That’s the surface of this problem: the nation’s obligations and a Treaty partner, and issues of equity that press on the daily lives of people, preventing them from taking action, are continuing.
So we’ll continue. Ollie’s original sign is no longer needed: it has been offered to Te Papa, and if it doesn’t wind up there it may go inside the beehive. It’s time for new signs.
Upcoming International Events:
These arrived to us from Fridays For Future international. Check them out and let us know if you participate:
Webinar, Understanding the Paris Agreement
December 9, Wednesday, CET 20:00, Webinar, Understanding the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, with Jean Pascal van Ypersele, former Vice President of IPCC. All welcome. Sign uphere. Information here.
Global Action, Let us all #Fightfor1point5
December
11, Friday, and December 12, Saturday,
Global
Action, Let us all #Fightfor1point5 . Live up to the Paris
Agreement.
There are so many amazing people putting time and effort in to some how make things better; in beautifully infinite ways, approaches, and interpretations. It’s been a very strange year, and you all deserve a party ! We have some epic live music lined up including local musician James Hart and a full ceilidh band! We also have an amazing team making pizzas- bring a pizza topping, bring whatever beverages you want, put away your worries for a night and come have an awesome time 🙂 All are welcome, the more the merrier- come celebrate with us! If you have anything you want to share on the night- e.g kai, a poem, a game, babysitting services, great – but also feel free to just show up as yourself ! (very keen to offer babysitting though so do get in touch if that is something you can offer!!) The hall is fully accessible- let me know if you need close parking and we can reserve it for you. We will have vegan and gluten free pizzas- dietaries beyond that please get in touch and we will make sure we have kai for you!
Where to next?
Of course the Fridays will continue as ever, but we will have a get together soon of the regulars to talk about things to do in the New Year.
Till then, and as ever, we’ll see you on the lawn.
It’s been 18 months. Since May 2019, there has been a climate striker at parliament for one day in every two. On most days there was a little band of people: sometimes only one, and sometimes thousands.
We stood in sunshine, and wind and rain. We shared food, and we went without it. We sang and talked and argued and hugged and made plans.
We kept going and we won’t stop now, because making a declaration is only the start. It has to be honoured.
Join us in the gallery on Wednesday from 2pm, as we witness the moment. You can make a booking by email
This Tuesday, 13th October will be the 100th day of constant vigils at the base of the Richard Seddon statue. Since Ollie began, 17 months ago, there have been strikers at parliament for one day in every two. That’s hundreds, perhaps thousands of conversations with the public about climate change, covering every opinion and point of view you can imagine.
The E Tu vigil will have its last day on Friday the 16th, the day before the election.
Of course, that is not the end of our little team. The weekly (12:30 to 13:30) gathering will continue and we’ll have some conversations about the next steps to take.
With that in mind, here are some to check out and get involved in:
Stop the Minerals Forum (13-14 October)
People are gathering in Hamilton this Monday to participate in this action. They plan to disrupt the Minerals Conference.
This is a coalition of climate justice and environmental groups around the Aotearoa dedicated to disrupting the conference.
“The main sponsor of this conference is Bathurst Resources, which is in the process of applying for consent to vastly increase a coal mine in Canterbury, despite having already breached a number of consents for its current mine. Fonterra and the dairy industry will be burning this coal, while they continue to claim their industry is sustainable, largely ignoring the obvious renewable alternatives. It’s time to stop digging up fossil fuels and make the switch,”
Talley’s deepwater fishing division bottom trawls the ocean, a practive that destroys thousands of tonnes of coral every year. These take centuries to grow and are vital habitats for marine life.
And ask around on Friday for the fliers. Activists have been helpfully adding this information to Talleys products.
#TellOnTalleys flier
Other ideas:
Between the Flags
Ice is melting faster than expect in Greenland and Antarctica. It’s pretty surreal to think that a fair amount of sea level rise is already locked in and that decisions made today can affect the timeframes and extent of that rise.
If there’s one thing weirder than the fact that this is happening, its that we’re not talking about it.
So lets try and share this surreal moment with the city. Between The Flags is the staging of Existential Life Guards, turning affected foot crossings into beaches.
Come to Parliament on Fridays or keep in touch with us to hear more about this action.
Dirty Laundry
People might imagine we’re making decent progress on climate change. We’re planting all those trees, we have a Zero Carbon Act and there was that Exploration Ban. But what if there’s some dirty laundry we haven’t seen?
Dirty Laundry exposes those stories using familiar items, letting people know that there are stains that can’t be removed with GreenWashing.
Polluting industries have us locked in fossil fuels in complex ways:
Legislation also forces the Minister for Energy to promote petroleum products.
It also prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from treating them as polluters.
Last year, our government opened massive areas inTaranaki up for exploration
2019 OfferEPA
Come and see us at parliament on Fridays to talk about the things you’d like to do about climate change,
We bade a very fond farewell to Rick Williment. Cheerful and engaged to the end, we saw his energy levels decrease while a vicarious interest in the breakfasts of others grew. He produced many moving and beautiful posts on the E Tū blog , and sent us this back to the Vigil the day after he finished:
Rick leaving parliament
Dear David! I’m thinking of you there today in the wild wet turbulence! I broke my fast with so much joy and relief yesterday afternoon. An apple. A dried apricot! And in the evening I had a plate of asparagus and beans and carrots and courgette even though they aren’t in season, and avocado with cashew nuts even though they aren’t local. And actually I wept again and strongly. For the relief of it being over, for the privilege of having such foods, for those who don’t. I don’t think I’m a sentimental person. My heart is very open to those on the front lines of these climate/industrial-addiction-fuelled catastrophes 🙏🏻 Deep gratitude to you David, and to Ollie before you, and to all your courageous hearts. Thank you to all of us for standing up. E Tū!!!Dear David!
David and Rick as Parliament
The man who started it all, David Goldsmith, has returned to carry the Vigil this week and plans to return again on the 5th of October to see us up to the election. Local strikers have planned to keep going for the 10 days in between, so the daily vigil continues.
Any day between now and the election you can join us at parliament to offer your support.
Tomorrow is huge: please make it if you can.
There are other demonstrations, information sessions and street actions in the works. Please keep an eye out for them and we’ll let you know when they are happening,
He needs to return to work this week, so it’s the end of the strike for Rick Williment. We’ve been lucky to have him: weekends under the tree, lots of thoughtful blog posts, and endless questions about what everyone had for lunch. His last day is Tuesday 22nd, so come by and say hi to him while he’s around.
Our friend Hiroshi Watanabe returns to Japan next week: this Friday (18th) will be his last day on the lawn. Thanks, Hiro for your calm and constant support, we’re really going to miss you.
Next week: Extinction Rebellion Roadshow comes to town.
The Election Roadshow, an initiative of Extinction Rebellion (XR) and supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency, aims to put climate action on the agenda of the 2020 election. The Roadshow has the goals of promoting:
a declaration of a climate emergency,
a Citizens Assembly on climate, such as France and the UK have held this year, and
a green, sustainable, economic recovery from the pandemic.
Where to now for E Tū?
We’re not sure yet whether there will be another Hunger Striker before the election, how long the vigil will continue or whether it will remain at Parliament: there are a few conversations to be had yet to figure that out. It takes a group to keep this going, and it will depend on what everyone wants to do. Either way, the last 74 days of E Tū For Future have been an extraordinary and special time: we’ve captured interviews and images and stories, many of which you’ll find on the website.
Fridays will continue as usual and we’ll keep you posted when we know more.
Between those two periods are 46 Fridays, six of which were spent in lockdown.
Climate strikes have appeared on the Parliament lawn for nearly one day in two since May 2019. Sometimes there have been thousands of people, and sometimes only one or two. In this time we have had hundreds of conversations with hundreds of people; most of them supporting us and wanting to see change.
We talk about anything and everything. We know that conversations require an emotional investment and a willingness to listen, especially when we don’t agree. We don’t shy away from the shock or the grief of this moment. We are a public forum within the grounds of Parliament, where the facts are not in question. We know of no other.
Since we started the situation has gotten worse: no price signals for the highest emitters, exploration continues, laws drafted to prop up emitters remain unchallenged and industries that benefit are claiming the word ‘justice’ for their owners.
Misinformation is increasing, people are imagining that not only are more roads essential but that they might actually lower emissions. The tiny steps made by the highest emitters only serve to demonstrate how dangerous they are. And emissions continue to rise.
We know you are already working on this problem. We know there are many ways to do it. Your stories, and your presence, give us courage. We’d love to see you, especially this Friday.
This week saw the hunger strike role pass from Sue Boyde to Paul Nieman. This was a bit last-minute: Sue was experiencing some health issues and need to pull out, while Paul, who arrived that day to act as support, was keen to fill the space. Tim Musson was back in town for the week so he was able to help out during the day.
Paul will be with us until Thursday the 27, and on the following Monday Rick Williment will commence hunger striking.
Support for the next week.
We have some gaps in the Support Calender for the next week. I’ll check in with the regulars to confirm their times, but if you are interested in helping out please get in touch with us at admin@fridaysforfuture.nz, or drop by at parliament have a chat.
Short Film by Timon Zeiss
Flim-maker Timon came by to interview David when he was here. He sent up this amazing short piece. It was recorded on broadcast quality equipment so we would love to see it in the media.
The Dick Seddon Covid Tracer!
QR Code
In the last few weeks we’ve had to share the space with a few protestors who question the basic science around the pandemic. In order to make it absolutely clear that we support this government’s response to the pandemic, we thought it might be useful to attach a QR Code to King Dick while we’re with him.
So now you can install the app, and record your support of climate action at the same time!
