Stand up and fight

Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, October 19th, 2022 - 19 comments
Categories: climate change, sustainability - Tags: ,

Joanna Macy, elder of the transition movements based in life-affirming models of our future, has a threefold model of this great moment of change we are in:

  1. Holding Patterns (think conventional protest movements)
  2. Alternative Structures (eg Doughnut economics, community gardens, regenerative agriculture)
  3. Shifting Consciousness (eg the applied philosophies of deep ecology, ecofeminism, ways of knowing based in systems thinking).

Lots of ways to do climate action.

If you can’t be an activist, offer then support.

If you disagree with climate activists or a protest, don’t just naysay, bring something else to the table. Argue the issues, hash it out, but use regenerative politics, not tear-them-down-because-I-don’t-like-them politics. Help build something better.

If activism turns you off, join any of the myriad of regenerative movements that are transitioning now.

The Powerdown

Regenerative agriculture

Food Forests

Local food

Doughnut Economics

Permaculture

Repair revolution

Slow Fashion

What could possibly go right?

Hope Punk

Retrosuburbia

Ways out of the climate crisis

What if…?

Don’t give up. Don’t retrench into reactionary blocking. We have more choices for action and transition, and creating regenerative and sustainable systems, than ever before.

If you want to understand more about direct climate activism and what is going to be happening going forward, please read this thread from NASA climate scientist and long time activist Peter Kalmus,

Shout out to the New Zealand climate activists out here as we speak.

Image from Kt Shepherd: sunflower seedheads as mulch and habitat.

19 comments on “Stand up and fight ”

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  1. adam 1
    19 October 2022 at 11:44 am

    A little music to get you in the mood.

  2. arkie 2
    19 October 2022 at 11:56 am

    Tautoko weka!

  3. Robert Guyton 3
    19 October 2022 at 2:40 pm

    1:12 – 1:17 (from the soup-chucker interview)

    Oh, yes!

    • weka 3.1
      19 October 2022 at 7:59 pm

      I've been thinking about doing a post around that quote (Roger Hallam has been using it). My concern is that in five years if things haven't changed enough, this narrative will be used to justify giving up.

      As opposed to pull out all the stops now and go hard. For obvious reasons.

      Am interested in your thoughts on this. I'm already seeing people pulling back from action, people who I though would have been moving forward.

  4. Ad 4
    19 October 2022 at 3:54 pm

    We're just in last quarter of completing NZs largest windfarm, and turning our energies to dedicated busways around Queenstown and pushing cars out of the town centre.

    It's more Stand Up And Get To Work.

    • Poission 4.1
      19 October 2022 at 7:16 pm

      Distributed residential solar has installed 24.2 mw (by July) this year with 32mw last year av install now 5.3kw and on target to beat 300mw by 2025,with no capex cost to NZ grid.

      Commerical and industrial will be around 20mw this year with around another 100mw in tenders for next 12 month (mostly embedded onto site)

      Significant savings will start to appear in transmission and distribution losses.At no taxpayer cost.

      • Ad 4.1.1
        19 October 2022 at 9:20 pm

        That's excellent for those who have the money for their own home system.

        I must admit my granny and granddad in Kerkeri had one the size of a medium window and it did their hot water no matter what.

        I prefer to support whole grids in my work. Otherwise like any utility it's mostly the rich that get to drop out (tiny house videos aside).

        • Poission 4.1.1.1
          19 October 2022 at 9:56 pm

          NZ has around 2% of housing with distributed Solar (rising to 5% by 2025) Australia has around 30% and a policy to increase (along with smart grids)

          Here with electricity demand growth in residential (not industrial) as space and water heating changes to electricity from solid and gas,outweighing efficiency gains from the changes in housing stock a higher local input should be encouraged.This is for changes in work flows (such as working from home) and increased home solar will lessen hydro daytime generation for other users.

          This also negates the need for land purchases for large scale solar such as Meridians 105 hectare solar /battery site by marsden point.

          The large projects are more for substitution of process heat,and solid fuels,as well as Hydrogen for transport etc.Large pipeline of projects though around 27gw.

          • Ad 4.1.1.1.1
            19 October 2022 at 10:29 pm

            I struggle to see the point of private house solar for NZ. Why pay and own the asset?

            Australia has less than 30% renewable electricity generation on a good day, so most don't have a renewable choice.

            New Zealand has 82% and get to 84% end of next year. Harapaki, Lodestone, Turitea and the big Todd one on the Napier-Taupo road will get us a long way to 90%.

            If one believes off-grid fits ones' politic well hey who am I to judge.

            The vast majority just want to flick the switch and pay the bill like they do for everything. That's also quite good for those wanting a renewables utility for their Super.

            • Poission 4.1.1.1.1.1
              19 October 2022 at 11:36 pm

              Distributed generation reduces both the need for excess network transmission,with solar it reduces both distribution and transmission loss around 3000 gwh (2021) which is higher during daylight hours and summer,which is higher then the total wind generation of 2616 gwh in 2021.

              This lessens the maintenance costs,transmission costs etc.Refunding the gst on an estimated 500mw of domestic solar would cost the government 75 m$,and transfer capex into peakload storage.

              • Ad …
                20 October 2022 at 1:09 pm

                Look call me a sceptic and I don't presume to be an energy analyst. I'd be happy to encourage solar household but your points aren't encouraging.

                A really high energy distribution loss in solar isn't a ringing endorsement.

                Also putting the CAPEX onto individual households for battery storage, panel replacement, maintenance isn't a selling point.

                Also we are actively discouraged in NZ from feeding solar into the grid. Not nice.

                Also call me suspicious but the idea that putting costs onto households will enable the state to make savings elsewhere in the system, well, the EA is charitably opaque in ruling Transpower's AMP, and I very much doubt there's anyone in MBIA who understands that attribution methodology. And I can guarantee that the consumer won't be saving any money.

                Good on people who want to front up with solar panels. Who knows I may do it myself. But I will be under no illusions that either myself or the system will be saving CAPEX with it.

                • Poission …
                  20 October 2022 at 1:34 pm

                  Transmission and distribution loss from nz generation is 3000 gwh,greater then the annual wind generation of 2600 gwh.

                  distributed solar has no distribution loss for what is used on site,the excess that goes into the local distribution system reduces loss on the local network,and reduces load on the transmission network.

                  The lines charges (including transmission) are to increase substantively over the next 6 years moving from around a third of the bill cost to over half,and the additional capex for generation will have electricity priced at the last project cost,and for areas with high transmission costs such as the west coast or nelson (around 10$mwh extra) it should be a targeted policy.

                  The other part with distributed electricity is it lessens risk due to grid failure from either AF8 or a cook strait event.

                • Poission …
                  20 October 2022 at 2:02 pm

                  Today with its high solar application South Australian electricity spot price is -66.86 mwh, (also wind) due to production exceeding demand by 30% ,the flows into Victoria and from there to Tasmania see spot prices of 0.02 mwh.

                  The problem is with storage and efficiency and reducing load,negates capacity constraints.

            • Poission 4.1.1.1.1.2
              20 October 2022 at 12:04 am

              New Zealand has 82% and get to 84% end of next year

              We are running at 86% renewable last 52 weeks ( 84.9g co2 /kwh) last 7 days 94% renewable (42.8gco2/kwh) for comparison Germany 50% 383gco2 (includes nuc) netherlands 56% 216gco2

        • Tiger Mountain 4.1.1.2
          20 October 2022 at 8:56 am

          “Live, or be, the change you want” as the saying goes. It is unlikely to be about perfection or pleasing others.

          I like my EV whatever the whingers complaints, because it is smooth and quiet, has the torque of some of my old V8s, and I cruise past gas stations with, yes, a ‘sod you lot’ thought or two. Plus we live in a reasonably remote area and if the gas pumps were pulled, which has happened in the past, it is a 25km drive to the next lot.

          The bonus would be a solar array to charge car, am looking at it right now. We have small one for hot water cylinder.

          Charges, no pun etc., of elitism are a side show at this stage.

  5. Roy Cartland 5
    19 October 2022 at 4:04 pm

    Nice dose of motivation Weka!

    May I suggest an energising tune:

    https://youtu.be/pqRD8BrRkDk

  6. Mac1 6
    19 October 2022 at 6:04 pm

    Weka, I agree. Don't back down. Make a real choice.

    Two reasons. First, get the young engaged. If they turn out we win.

    Second, the bloody Nats will change what they don'r like, anyway. Their billboard says it- "We will repeal and replace Three Waters". (Doesn't say with what, btw.)

    A real choice between policies in action which reflect social and ecological realities, and reactionary blah!

  7. MickeyBoyle 7
    19 October 2022 at 11:27 pm

    I must admit that I've given up. Climate change has unfortunately become a political issue, which means at least half the populace isn't interested in changing anything.

    I do not believe there is the political or societal will to make the changes necessary in the near term. We treat the planet as we treat each other.

    That is why we must do everything to adapt. Sadly we are not going to stop what's coming. It's not in our nature.

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