School Strike for Climate is on today.
Twenty locations around New Zealand. Details on the SS4C website and Facebook page.
More information at the SS4C NZ main Facebook page and website.
Please choose life today and support the strike in any way you can: attend in person, share information on social media, talk to people you know today about why it matters.
Background on the Strike, from Re:
Sophie Handford founded Schools Strike 4 Climate (SSFC) NZ in 2018, and at the age of 17 rallied 170,000 young people in the September 2019 students’ strike.
She now acts as the “aunty/mentor” for a new generation of SSFC NZ leadership while also working as a councillor on the Kapiti Coast District Council.
With 20 SSFC protests organised across New Zealand for Friday April 5, Sophie spoke to us about the groups’ fears for climate action under the current government and how it is rallying a whole new generation to the cause.
Since the coalition government entered Parliament, Sophie says SSFC has seen whole new levels of “outrage, frustration, anger, and inspiration” from a new generation of students and young climate activists.
“There were a lot of young people who were complacent with the last government because they saw we had left-leaning parties in power that would take climate into consideration,” Sophie says.
“Now there is a real shift. This new generation of young people are not willing to be complacent because they’ve seen progress reversed and just how much negative action can happen in a short space of time.”
Policies a ‘step backward’ for the climate
While the 2019 strike saw record numbers, this Friday’s strike has more towns signed up, Sophie says.
Many young people are feeling inspired to action by what Sophie says is the coalition government’s “ignorance” and “lack of leadership” on climate issues.
The key policy SSFC is protesting on Friday is the government’s plan to explore removing the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration.
“We have more oil in our reserves than we can afford to burn anyway,” Sophie says.
“So wanting to drill for more is very concerning when the world is already on fire and Pacific countries have the shore lapping at their heels.”
But Sophie says the government’s three-month plan had many policies that would be a step backwards for the climate, including removing agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme, taking climate out of the draft policy statement on land transport, and exploring reopening the Marsden Point Oil Refinery.
While the government has proposed climate actions such as fast-tracking renewable energy projects, Sophie believes any gains made would be counteracted by these other policies.
“I have concerns about whether they’ll deliver anything positive,” Sophie says.
https://www.renews.co.nz/anger-and-outrage-students-to-rally-against-government-climate-approach/
The New Zealand Association of Scientists:
Support SOS (Save Our Science) Messages at #SS4C
Friday April 5 will see what organisers intend to the be largest School Strike For Climate #SS4C since 2019.
This occurs at a time when government support for research including much of the climate and environmental research in the $97m per year National Science is falling off a fiscal cliff. Many additional research programmes will end within 18 months. No clear replacements mean an end to many careers in vital areas of climate science when we need more work. Read more in a group statement from climate scientists.
To signal support for science in signs, pins and banners at #SS4C:
https://scientists.org.nz/news/13338462
• Please use #SOS #SaveOurScience
• Also your areas of science relevant to climate change, and design simple messages.
• Encourage groups of scientists to attend together to support the rangitahi youth – we will get separate message out to media about science.
Ora Taiao NZ Climate and Health Council:
MEDIA RELEASE, 3 April 2024
OraTaiao calls on all of Aotearoa to get active and take a stand for health this Friday, by joining the School Strike for Climate Strike to be held in at least 20 locations around the country.
“As health workers, we know that our changing climate is the biggest threat to human health and planetary well-being,” says Dr Dermot Coffey, OraTaiao co-convenor, “as well as the biggest chance to build a fairer, healthier Tiriti-founded future together.”
“Last year was the hottest ever recorded on Earth, and the first two months of 2024 smashed temperature records again. Events marking the first anniversary of the deadly Cyclone Gabrielle were hardly finished when a state of emergency was declared in Ōtautahi Christchurch, due to wildfires tearing through the Port Hills.”
“Medication won’t be enough to treat this health problem. This is why we have written a prescription for everyone of every age and everywhere in Aotearoa, to join this Friday’s School Strike for Climate”, says Dr Coffey. “We also know that a one-off action is most effective as part of an ongoing campaign, so we’ve included a few repeats.”
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Dr Coffey says “Students clearly understand climate science and maths, they demand real climate action now, and it’s time for us to join them. We must limit long term global warming within the humanly adaptable 1.5 degrees while we still can.”
OraTaiao calls on school trustees, teachers, parents, caregivers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and neighbours everywhere and from every workplace to join Aotearoa’s students to make this Friday’s School Strike our country’s biggest ever call for climate action.
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