I don’t have great hopes for the climate talks in Paris, where the world’s rich countries (like NZ) are still disgracing themselves.
I have no hope at all for NZ under National, which is still stuck in a stupid fossil fuel mentality.
I do have hope for the people, organisations, and regions within NZ who are collectively taking action. I’m proud that my home of Dunedin (and the councillors I voted for!) is leading the way:
Council says yes to climate change resolutions
The Dunedin City Council voted in four climate change resolutions yesterday aimed at changing the way the city, and the country, approached the issue.
The resolutions, brought before the council by Crs Aaron Hawkins and Jinty MacTavish, state the council will:
• Urge the Government to adopt a tougher carbon emissions target.
• Support the Government in that goal by reducing Dunedin’s carbon emissions.
• Join the international ”Compact of Mayors” agreement to measure and reduce emissions across Dunedin.
• Ask the Government to place a moratorium on deep sea oil and gas exploration.
Cr Hawkins presented the resolutions by calling climate change ”the biggest issue of all time”. They were not radical resolutions, he said, and simply sought to commit Dunedin and pressure the Government into taking a more meaningful approach to the issue.
…
Cr David Benson-Pope brought cheers from the gallery for his speech on why Dunedin had to take a stand. ”Like it or not, colleagues, we are part of our community. In fact, we are supposed to be some of the carriers of the moral leadership.” ”There was no question what thousands of New Zealanders thought about the issue during the weekend’s climate change marches,” he said. ”They think this community needs to move. ”I agree with them, and I’m not reluctant to … tell the Government it’s time that they got real and re-established a degree of political integrity and moral fibre on this issue.’
The second and third points require further practical action from Dunedin. Good. I look forward to hearing about what we will be doing to reduce our emissions.
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