Dear Mr Robertson

We sent a second letter to the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Climate Change, the Minster of Transport and the leader of the National Party.

We are still here outside your office Mr Robertson.
25 March 2022 is Fridays for Future’s World Action Day.

The catastrophic climate scenario we are now experiencing is the result of centuries of exploitation of people and planet, and a socio-economic model that is flawed and needs to be replaced. The everlasting-growth model based on cheap and dirty oil, primarily through corporations, governments, and the affluent from the global north and its colonies. It is destroying the Earth and many of its occupants (fauna, flora and people).

We need action now: political action to create a circular economy with zero waste, zero emissions and zero exploitation.

For 3 years, we as citizens who care about the climate and biodiversity emergency, have been standing vigil – first at Parliament, then for the last month outside your electorate office in Willis St.

We are protesting to demand a green budget that prioritises our environment and commits to an equitable system. A system that cares for the marginalised and where the corporations and those responsible for pollution pay for cleaning up and creating green options.

Put on your green Hat Mr Robertson and deliver a budget embedded in nature!

We want a redistribution (and in most cases, a collectivisation) of wealth and political power. This must be inclusive and acknowledge the wisdom of people’s assemblies, and fully include indigenous knowledge as part of Te Tiriti both at local and national levels.

We are the people; hear our voice. We are the people; hear our choice.

We choose for an economic model embedded in protecting nature.
Invest in Papatuanuku.
Care for planet and people.

    #PLANET AND PEOPLE, NOTPROFIT

With the utmost sincerity,
Fridays for Future Aotearoa (Wellington)

22 April 2022 is Earth Day

Because of Omicron we will not to do a special action for 25 March (the Fridays for Future Global Day of Action).

But we are  connecting with climate groups in Auckland and Wellington to organise something for Earth Day 2022. The theme for this year is “Invest in our planet“.

Please come to the virtual Climate Justice potluck on 31 March

The second climate justice potluck will be an online Zoom for everyone’s health, safety and wellbeing.

The aim is to get together, share our mahi and ideas, and organise an event for the upcoming Earth Day (April 22nd).

When: 5:30-6:30pm, 31st of March (Thursday)
WhereZoom link here (Meeting ID: 824 7291 4306 Passcode: 136950 ) 
Agenda:
5:30pm – Karakia and introductions/updates from individuals/orgs
5:50pm – Moving towards an Earth Day event and actions to get there
6:25pm – Closing 

The climate justice potlucks are hosted by 350 Aotearoa, Generation Zero, Fossil Free State Sector and Sustainability Trust.

If you can’t make it to the climate justice potluck but want to do some action for Earth Day, get in touch with us!

Can you care about climate change and fly, without being a hypocrite?

We will all have our own answer to that question. According to a recent study, the answer might be “yes”.

It says that people in well-off countries can help avert climate breakdown by making six relatively straightforward lifestyle changes:

  • Eat a largely plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste
  • Buy no more than three new items of clothing per year
  • Keep electrical products for at least seven years
  • Take no more than one short haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years
  • Get rid of personal motor vehicles if you can – and if not keep hold of your existing vehicle for longer
  • Make at least one life shift to nudge the system, like moving to a green energy, insulating your home or changing pension supplier

Something to think about, anyway! Read the Guardian article.

Why are we here?

TO:

  • the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern
  • the Minister for Finance, Grant Robertson
  • the Minister for Transport, Michael Wood
  • the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw
  • the Leader of the National Party, Christopher Luxon

Mr Robertson, have you noticed us standing outside your office every Friday of late?

WE WANT A GREEN BUDGET!

Since the petrol price is up, seize this moment to put in electric busses on priority lanes and subsidise e-bikes to go to work and get around our streets.

Act now to reduce the cost of living for struggling families and our emission levels from Transport in one go.

We have but a narrow gap from 2022-29 to reduce to net zero.

We hear about measures for Covid; measures to support Ukraine.

What we need most is fortnightly updates on what the government is putting in place to combat the climate crisis and create a fair, low energy, circular economy.

BE A HERO ACTION NET ZERO

XR Aotearoa Event Wednesday 26 October 2021

by Francesca Pouwer

A number of us from FFF took part in the rolling action of dancing cows making their way around the capital in protest of industrial agriculture and its effects on the environment, animal welfare and human health.

After that we went to give moral support to fellow rebels who had glued themselves to steps at Parliament grounds all night as part of the Te Tiriti demands for declarative democracy. The protesters said to NZ Herald: “Our aim was to draw attention to Te Tiriti-based climate assemblies, which we believe is one of the only ways to genuinely address the climate crisis without further ignoring colonisation, capitalism, imperialism.” Read the full article here:

We started off with a fun event: disco dancing in front of the Railway station at 8.30 am to the commuter crowd’s attention and it was shown live on Breakfast TV with John Campbell.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F7cm_fFisCaa7K2SNvofJzJwD8WHHMKx/view?usp=sharing

From then on the focus was on the major culprits responsible for industrial agriculture in Aotearoa: MPI, Fonterra and Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Ltd).

At all three locations we requested that a representative come down to meet with us but no one came out. At MPI we were actually told someone would meet us but after half an hour we realised it would not happen.  On leaving ,we ‘posted’ a ‘massage’  through the massive glass doors in an act of rebellion. ( Video by glass doors of MPI)

At Fronterra we entered the hall and despite being told there was no public access the cows went ahead with their dance to let it be  known they are on strike and have had enough of being live milk machines for Fronterra.

( video of dancing cows in hall Fronterra on XR wellington facebook)

The Pamu event stays with me the most because it brought home to me the extent of industrial farming here in NZ. XR had invited environmentalist Angus Robson along and he provided the aerial photographs for a mud and cowshit  display assembled at the doorstep of Pamu.

(Two photos from gallery)

Angus has been on a mission to expose the horrors of ‘winter grazing’ but really it is Mud Farming. 

Greenpeace Youtube Video on Mud Farming: https://youtu.be/9sJZgQ3yNTA

The worst thing is Pamu farms are government-owned assets. So while the government is making all sorts of regulations to reduce environmental harm and ultimately stock numbers, they do not lead by example on their own industrial  farms. 

https://fb.watch/937H8j-gh3/

https://fb.watch/937H8j-gh3/

Please sign the Greenpeace Petition ‘HEALTHY FARMING, NOT MUD FARMING’:https://petition.act.greenpeace.org.nz/agriculture-intensive-winter-grazing