Act now! Write a letter.

I have recently finished reading George Monbiot's Heat: How we can stop the planet burning and found the final chapter particularly moving. I strongly encourage you to read this chapter, if not the whole book.

As Monbiot writes:
"I have sought to demonstrate that the necessary reduction in carbon emissions is - if difficult - technically and economically possible. I have not demonstrated that it is politically possible. There is a reason for this. It is not up to me to do so. It is up to you."

Monbiot goes on to argue that the internet is much to blame for our population's apathy. He acknowledges that the internet:
"... is marvellously useful, allows us to exchange information, find the facts we need, alert each other to the coming dangers and all the rest of it. But it also creates a false impression of action. It allows us to believe that we can change the world without leaving our chairs."

While I largely agree with Monbiot's take on the internet, there are of course positive actions one can do from the comfort of their chair. Writing a letter to our leaders is one such example. It doesn't have to be long or detailed. Not even well-researched. Just letting them know what you think is important in itself.

I have just sent a letter to John Key (J.Key@ministers.govt.nz) asking the following questions:
What is your government doing to mitigate climate change?
What policies/legislation has been passed by the present government to reduce New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions?
What do you plan to do to reduce New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions in the future?

I urge you to send a letter to the relevant Minister about something that you feel passionately about. Their email addresses follow the same format as the one above for John Key.

The politicians have to know what we think. They are, after all, meant to be serving us.

Not even the low-hanging fruit

Prime Minister John Key has signalled that he will have none of this pro-environmental palaver, at least not on his watch anyway.

In what was Minister for the Environment, Nick Smith's, FIRST proposed pro-environmental step since taking office some four plus months ago - to put a levy on plastic bags in supermarkets - the Prime Minister has stepped in to veto the initiative. While I do not agree with Smith's idea that the supermarkets keep the revenue coming from such a levy (the preferrable option in my opinion is to use the money for environmental projects), at least it shows that he was thinking in a way that indicates some consideration for the environment. Indeed New Zealand uses a reported one billion plastic bags per year, a figure that Key agrees is 'excessive'.

If this government cannot even agree on what is a clear example of 'low-hanging fruit', then the next two and a half years are going to be disastrous for New Zealand's environment and our input to the vitally important UN Climate Change Conference being held in Copenhagen, Denmark at the end of this year.

The imperative of action on climate change

At risk of being overly provocative, and, of drawing perhaps unnecessary attention to myself, I have come up with a new motto by which to lead my life:

"I'm not getting a job until the New Zealand government takes urgent, effective and genuine action on climate change."

My argument is that until the government commits to a future that fully addresses climate change, my time is best spent lobbying them to take such action. The reality is that if we continue on the path that we are on - i.e. all talk no action - then the world that our leaders will hand on to our, and future, generations is one that is destined for catastrophic climate change.

This is not a world that I want.

Therefore it is imperative that I (we) do what I (we) can do to change this situation.

Working out how best to communicate the magnitude of climate change and the need for action is an issue on which a lot has been written. I remember reading an article a couple of years ago published by Futerra, a UK-based communications company that specialises in corporate responsibility and sustainability. They recommend that:
1) you should not provide information without simultaneously providing the agency to act; and
2) you should not harp on about 'future generations'.

Although the people at Futerra undoubtedly know a lot more about these things than I do, I have to say that I find it hard not to break these two rules. For one I think that information is central to overcoming apathy. Besides, the reality about climate change is that we ALL presently have the agency to act.

Regarding the second point, I have just spent a night with a couple of friends and their young son - it absolutely guts me to think that this wee fella may inherit a world that will, by century's end, be largely unrecognisable due to our own and our predecessor's excess.

So, despite Futerra's best efforts, I will continue publicising information that may be frightening and/or overwhelming (on that note I highly recommend George Monbiot's "Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning"); I will continue arguing that we CAN and MUST act now; and I will continue to think and talk about our unborn children's futures.

Hide wants a few grand rather than safe drinking water

When a news article comes out reporting that Rodney Hide wants the goverment to review "... rules on drinking water ..." because the rules "... are costing councils and communities tens of thousands of dollars" I am immediately sceptical of his intentions.

In 2007 Labour passed The Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2007 which requires Councils and Territorial Authorities to comply with basic drinking water standards. Hide has now called for a moratorium on this legislation until a government review of the costs has been carried out - a task that he says should take a couple of weeks.

As the basis of life I believe you cannot put a price on safe drinking water. I therefore fundamentally disagree with Hide's actions, however, at the same time, Labour should check their facts and choose the right angle before attacking Hide's move.

Labour's water quality spokesperson Brendon Burns says that some 800,000 New Zealanders are drinking water that is not safe. On looking at the report to which Burns refers it appears that the figure of 811,000 is used, but that it includes people that are supplied with drinking water that
"... either failed to comply bacteriologically with the criteria of the DWSNZ [Drinking Water Standards New Zealand] or for which there are no data because they were self-supplied."

The number of people with self-supplied water which has not been tested is 333,000 while a further 365,000 people's water was not fully tested and therefore cannot be judgd either way.
This drastically reduces the number publicised by Burns. In saying this, I do not intend to take away from the fact that:
"... 92,000 were served by registered supplies with unacceptable levels of
E. coli." and "... 29,000 were served by registered supplies where water suppliers failed
to take appropriate corrective action once E. coli had been found."

My point is that Hide should be challenged for the fact that, for the rationale of costs of "tens of thosands of dollars", he seems to want to do away with the law that requires suppliers of drinking water to meet basic standards.

Yet again it seems this government is happy to undermine the health of both the population and our environment for the matter of a few thousand bucks.

The other great saviour...COMEDY

This morning is the first truly autumnal feeling morning we've had since my sojourn to Christchurch and I have to say there's something kind of nice about it. The crisp, fresh air (the winter smog has not yet set in!) the turning trees and falling leaves; in many ways autumn is the saving grace for Christchurch, a city that for me has very few redeeming features except family and old friends.

What I omitted from my blog of yesterday evening is that comedy is, much like music, a saving grace in times of political infuriation. For those who don't know, I am an ardent cellphone spurner and techno-phobe - the link a friend just sent me to a skit by Irish comedian David O'Doherty is well worth watching. It is, quite literally, LOL material!!!!!!!!!

The great saviour...MUSIC

In times of political ignorance, or, perhaps, rather its arrogance, music provides salvation. As the title of this blog suggests, Billy Bragg is a personal favourite of mine and it was while listening to "Waiting for the great leap forwards" this afternoon that his lyrics really hit a chord:

"Here comes the future and you cant run from it
If you've got a blacklist I want to be on it

Its a mighty long way down rock'n'roll
From top of the pops to drawing the dole

If no one seems to understand
Start your own revolution and cut out the middleman

In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
But this is reality so give me some room

So join the struggle while you may
The revolution is just a t-shirt away

Waiting for the great leap forwards"

I feel a protest brewing...we have one chance at this and our government is showing on a daily basis that it is simply inept at addressing the most pressing issues of our time. I don't want to look back in years to come and wonder "what if?" The time is now and we must act, so go and get your t-shirt, the revolution is coming!!!!

Slogans or solutions?

Since taking office in Novemeber 2008 the National-led government has made the following policy changes and funding allocations:

* Repealed the ten year moratorium on building new coal and gas fired power stations (see Brownlee's speech on NZ's energy future here);

* Re-newed and accelerated oil prospecting (see Brownlee's press release here);

* Abolished the Govt3 and Carbon Neutral Public Service initiatives (see Smith's press release here);

* Scrapped the ban on incandescent light bulbs (see the story from stuff);

* Invested hugely in road building initiatives with accompanying cuts in public and active transport (see the article relating to this here or read my blog "NZ's road of national significance").

Meanwhile, after a recent meeting with the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water, (Senator Penny Wong) New Zealand's Minister for Climate Change Issues, Hon. Dr Nick Smith, said "We know that failure to act on climate change is not an option" (see report here).

The press release detailing Smith's cuts to the Ministry for the Environment (11 March 2009) had the title "Government committed to real solutions not slogans". I sure am keen to know what the Minister's so-called 'real solutions' are if not mere slogans!

NZ's road of national significance

Before the 2008 election Dr Nick Smith repeated ad nauseam that environmental policy required a balancing of the environment with the economy. The recent work of the National-led government shows not even a hint of balance as environmental issues have been thrown, quite literally, by the wayside.

On 11 March 2009 the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change Issues (Hon. Dr Nick Smith) reported that the previous government had left a $26 million hole in funding for the Ministry for the Environment (see his speech here). He then cited this funding shortfall as the reason for cutting jobs at MfE, abolishing the Bioethics Council, and doing away with the Carbon Neutral Public Service and Govt3 projects. Now, less than 10 days later, the Minister of Transport, Hon. Steven Joyce, has announced a $4.5 billion increase in spending for road building (cited in The Press 20/3/09). Of course, it should come as little surprise that the funding of public and active transport projects has been slashed in the process.

It seems the only road of 'national significance' at present is that one that leads to run-away climate change and environmental destruction.

Rationale for a blog

"This is my voice,
There are many like it,
But this is mine."

It is with these words of Shane Koyczan that I introduce "Sketches from a Worker's Playtime", a blog that could be written by your neighbour or the person you bumped into as you pushed your way to the check-out at the supermarket. It does not seek to be ground breaking or earth shattering, rather, it is the thoughts of one, or many, but as I write them, they are mine.