WELLINGTON PROTEST: Midland Park, outside Fonterra’s office at 157 Lambton Quay, at 1 pm on Friday 28 May.

New Zealand’s largest company, Fonterra, is the major culprit in New Zealand’s most critical environmental and climate problems.

Fonterra, and its farmers, profit from dumping their pollution and waste, for free, into our atmosphere, water and soil.

This is the cause of worsening climate change, unswimmable rivers and undrinkable waters, along with poor animal welfare, tropical deforestation, loss of amenity and biodiversity, and health risks to Kiwis, from premature and breastfeeding infants, to adults risking gastrointestinal illness, including colorectal cancer.

Put simply, Fonterra is at the centre of a web of destruction caused by too many cows, in the wrong places.

Between 1990 and 2019, dairy cattle numbers increased by 82% nationally, from 3.4 million to 6.3 million. Dairy cattle increased almost tenfold in Canterbury (from 113,000 to 1.2 million).

The thin, dry and stony soils of Canterbury, the Mackenzie Basin and Otago are totally unsuitable for intensive dairying, which exists  only through unsustainable inputs of irrigation water, synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and imported feed such as palm kernel.

Photo: Duncan Brown

Intensive dairying also produces copious quantities of two dangerous climate-changing gases, methane and nitrous oxide, in addition to the carbon dioxide produced by Fonterra’s powdered milk factories, which burn about 500,000 tonnes of coal every year.

The waste water from those factories is dumped onto neighbouring, cow-free, “ghost farms”, and is so polluting that farmers and their neighbours dare not drink from their wells, nor eat from their veggie gardens.

New Zealand’s animal overstocking is so bad, that New Zealand risks having trade barriers imposed on us by more environmentally-aware countries, especially since agriculture remains outside the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Fonterra’s toxic rip-off of New Zealand’s environment and people must stop!

We call on Fonterra and its farmer owners to reduce cow numbers by 50% nationwide, and reduce them to 1990 levels in the worst-affected regions of Canterbury, the Mackenzie Basin and Otago.

We also call on Fonterra to stop burning coal by 2027, not a decade later as it currently proposes.

AUCKLAND PROTEST: Victoria Park, cnr Halsey & Fanshawe St, opposite Fonterra HQ at 109 Fanshawe St, at 3 pm on Friday 28 May.

WELLINGTON PROTEST: Midland Park, outside Fonterra’s office at 157 Lambton Quay, at 1 pm on Friday 28 May.

To join the nationwide protest movement, contact your local elected officials, newspapers and trade unions; post on social media and support groups such as:

Coal Action Network Aotearoa (CANA):  www.coalaction.org.nz

Aotearoa Water Action (AWA): www.aotearoawateraction.org.nz

Extinction Rebellion (XR):  extinctionrebellion.nz/christchurch/water-campaign/

The post Protest Fonterra, New Zealand’s Worst Polluter, this Friday, 28th May 2021 appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

EDS hold an annual Climate Change and Business Conference that is a bellwether event for climate awareness and action in NZ.

Presentations from this year’s conference are available here.

The following are my personal highlights from the sessions I attended and reflect my own interests (there were many simultaneous sessions).

The keynote sessions on the first day, however, contained a shocker – previous IPCC climate models may be seriously underestimating the amount of heating caused by carbon emissions.

This was announced by the Director of the VUWAntarctic Research Center, Prof. Tim Naish, whose presentation is here.

In view of its importance, I will do a separate post on this topic.

DAY ONE:

Tim Naish (VUW Antarctic Centre) expects that the next IPCC report will warn that BAU will lead to 6-7 C of warming this century, rather than “only” 4 C;

James Shaw said the ZCB and ETS bills are “imminent”;

Scott Simpson (National’s climate change spokesperson) performed poorly when questioned by Rod Oram, and appeared to be terrified of the farming bloc;

Sustainability Mangers from Z, Contact and Auckland City Council, plus the Watercare CEO, gave strong presentations on the need for authentic corporate cultural change and to avoid any hint of greenwash.

DAY TWO:

Anne Smith, Environmark:
We can’t adapt our way out of this; the order of priority for business has to be Measure, then Reduce, and finally, Adapt; there is only one measure of success – a reduction of GHG in the atmosphere.

Sean Weaver, Ekos:
We need climate resilient landscapes; farmers are much more at risk of suicide than urban climate activists; permanent forest sinks are better than than production forests, but economics dictates a mixture of native and exotics, e.g. eucalypts.

Tourism (various speakers):
Tourism = “travel without purpose”; cruising is 3x more damaging to the climate than flying; the average tourist to NZ travels 13,000 km; climate change is destroying tourist industry assets, e.g the Bahamas; “flight shame” is on the rise;

Climate change is also a cultural crisis, so narrative is key; Boeing has 8 years of production in back orders alone; domestic tourism = 40% of the $40 billion NZ tourism industry; annual visitors to NZ = 3.9M; annual Kiwi outward travel = 3.1M;

Jacinta Ardern, PM: Climate change is not going away and, although she’s proud of what the coalition government has and will achieve, there is more to do.

The post EDS Climate Change and Business Conference 2019 appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

Protesters today greeted mining conference delegates on their field trip to the North Island’s largest coal mine near Huntly calling for New Zealand to rapidly phase out the use of coal to help stop climate change.

The 15 protesters – from Auckland Coal Action, Coal Action Network Aotearoa and other groups, held anti-coal banners and signs, as around 30 mining industry executives arrived at the mine at 10 am this morning.

coal activists at Rotowaro mine 2

The delegates from the AusIMM mining conference, which begins tomorrow in Tauranga, have spent the weekend on field trips to mine sites, being dogged by protesters at every stop. Yesterday, six activists were arrested in the Karangahake Gorge.

The Rotowaro coa mine, near Huntly, is jointly owned by BT Mining (Bathurst Resources Ltd and Talley’s Energy), and supplies the Huntly Power Station, New Zealand Steel and other customers. Other mines in the area supply Fonterra.

“The need to rapidly phase out coal use to protect the environment has now become extremely clear, and is an essential step to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of holding global warming to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels,” said Auckland Coal Action spokesperson, Peter Whitmore.

“New Zealand has an abundance of wind and sun energy that can be captured. With today’s technologies and the advent of wall batteries, more insulation and energy efficiency, coupled with our hydropower, we should be turning away from coal, not digging more of it up – and we should be shutting down Huntly this year, as originally planned.”

Just down the road from the Rotowaro mine is the Kopako1 mine, also owned by BT mining, which supplies coal to Fonterra’s three big coal-fired boilers in the Waikato. The mining delegates will head to the Kopako 1 mine after Rotowaro where they will be greeted by more protestors. 

Fonterra is New Zealand’s second-largest user of coal after NZ Steel.  Kopako1 was re-opened in 2015, after local protests stopped Fonterra from starting its own coal mine at Mangatawhiri.

“Coal mines right around the country are being re-opened or extended because of dairy expansion,” saidCoal Action Network Aotearoa’s Jeanette Fitzsimons. “It feels like we are going backwards on coal, which simply has no role if we want to address climate change.  Our model of industrial farming is unsustainable.”

Both groups called on the Government to put a hefty enough price on coal so as to create a disincentive to use coal, which was still too cheap as the costs of its impacts – from health effects to climate change – are not factored into its price.

A few days ago, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said in a key speech, “If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us… We need to put the brake on deadly greenhouse gas emissions and drive climate action. We need to rapidly shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels. We need to replace them with clean energy from water, wind and sun.”

“We need to listen to Guterres, and the many others who have given this message,” says Whitmore, and start taking immediate and effective action.”

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Mark your calendar – on Saturday 8 September find a Rise for Climate event in a city or town near you (or create one!).

Real climate leadership rises from below. It means power in the hands of people not corporations. It means economic opportunity for workers and justice and dignity for frontline communities that are the hardest hit by the impacts of the fossil fuel industry and a warming world.

This September, cities, states, businesses and civil society from around the world are gathering in California for the Global Climate Action Summit.  Local leaders are now leading the fight against greenhouse gases as governments drag their feet. We need to achieve: a fast, fair and just transition to 100% renewable energy; an immediate end to new fossil fuel projects; reforestation for carbon absorption; and an end to unsustainable land and water use.

Before the Summit, 350.org are planning thousands of rallies in cities and towns around the world to demand our local leaders take effective climate action and Rise for Climate!

We are at a crossroads. By acting together, we can end the era of fossil fuels and save the climate we all depend on.

What’s happening in Aotearoa?
You are warmly invited to the 350 events in the main centres.
Not near a major city? Why not set up your own event?!  350 Aotearoa can give you heaps of support & helpful resources
– contact Claudia Palmer claudia@350.org.nz

Check the 350 Aotearoa Facebook page for the most up-to-date info in all centres.  Links go to their Facebook events.

• Auckland 350 is calling on Auckland Museum not to take dirty money from the coal industry. Rally Sat 8 Sept, 10:30am. Auckland Museum A. The Auckland Domain, Parnell, Auckland
• Wellington 350 is calling on the City Council not to hire out council–owned conference facilities to the Petroleum Summit. Rally Sat 8 Sept 2:00pm. Civic Square, 101 Wakefield St, Wellington
• Nelson 350 is launching a new 350 fossil free action group for Nelson. Rally Sat 8 Sept 12:00pm  Church Steps, 45 Selwyn Place, Nelson
• Christchurch 350 has 2 events, on Friday and Saturday:
  1) Spotlighting Local Climate Leadership – Transitional Cathedral, Friday 7 Sept, 7pm – schools, churches, unions etc
  2) Trees for Climate – rally at Victoria Square, Sat 8 Sept, 1-3pm – seedlings, speakers, music….
• Dunedin 350 is getting together to celebrate their successes to date and plan the future. Meet Sat 8 Sept at 1pm at the Octagon, Dunedin.
• Invercargill: 1-2pm, Wachner Place, Invercargill. Bring a/some symbols to help share about your commitment to stopping climate change. Contact Jenny Campbell, 027 351 0180, jennycam@xtra.co.nz

Enjoy!  The antidote to despair is taking action together and there are many ways to do this.

Torfrida Wainwright

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The campaign to end the mining and burning of fossil fuels in Aotearoa has had a major win with the Government’s announcement of an end to new offshore oil and gas exploration. But that still leaves plenty of existing permits – and so far, despite some encouraging words early in their term, the Government has done nothing concrete to prevent new and expanded coal mines.

That’s why we’re really encouraged that our friends in 350 Aotearoa have announced two major events with Bill McKibben in early May – plus livestreams for those who can’t attend in person. Below is the announcement from 350 Aotearoa, but first – if you want to set up a livestream event in your community, here’s how to make a start:

Livestreaming

The Auckland event will be livestreamed starting at 7pm on Monday 7 May. You can follow this at home via the Auckland Facebook event,

Check out 350 Aotearoa’s Facebook page for updates on livestreaming venues.

350 Aotearoa Fossil Free Acceleration Tour Announcement

Tena koutou,

It’s a great pleasure, on such a landmark day for us in the climate movement, to announce the Fossil Free Acceleration Tour with Bill Mckibben, this coming May.

350 Aotearoa sees the government’s announcement to end offshore oil exploration as a massive win and a motivating catalyst for more work, and more change to come. 350 is committed to a fast and just transition to a world powered by 100% renewable energy for all.

At such a pivotal and exciting time in the climate movement, we are excited to welcome Bill McKibben to Aotearoa, and strengthen relationships with other progressive movements and organisations that share in this vision too.

This tour will be a huge opportunity to accelerate and promote all the amazing work that has gone into the fossil free movement so far. I warmly invite you to join us at our events and kindly ask that you spread this announcement through your networks.

Ever since the release of his first book ‘The End of Nature’ 25 years ago, Bill McKibben has become one of the world’s most notable commentators on climate change. Since co-founding 350.org, he has turned to grassroots activism, participating in the Fossil Free campaign, a powerful movement of citizens which demands:

1. A fast + just transition to 100% renewable energy for all.

2. No new fossil fuel projects anywhere.

3. Not a penny more for dirty energy

In January 2018, he was instrumental in New York City’s motion to sue five major energy companies for damages from climate change, and their decision to divest US$5billion from fossil fuel projects. Following this success, Bill McKibben is now making his way to Aotearoa on his global Fossil Free Acceleration Tour.

We encourage you to come see Bill McKibben speak alongside local leaders in the climate movement on the following dates:

Wellington, Sunday 6th May, Embassy Cinema at 7pm. Tickets available here.

Auckland, Monday 7th May, Town Hall Concert Chamber at 7pm. Tickets available here.

Keep updated through our Facebook events:

Wellington: https://www.facebook.com/events/199374854004160/

Auckland: https://www.facebook.com/events/127618811423227/

350 Aotearoa understand that we have a responsibility for ensuring a safe, dignified, and welcoming environment for everyone. If you have questions regarding accessibility, or any other queries regarding the Fossil Free Acceleration Tour please get in contact.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Nāku nā,

Claudia Palmer
Tour Manager
350 Aotearoa

The post Updated Livestream Details: Fossil Free Acceleration Tour with Bill McKibben: Wellington, Sunday 6 May, and Auckland, Monday 7 May, Plus Livestream on 7 May appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

Our Climate Declaration

at any of four video-linked locations on Sunday, June 18^th, 2017, from 3 to 5pm

The aim of our Declaration is to bring people together around a short, simple narrative describing a future New Zealand that protects the climate. We aim to stimulate a national movement, supporting concerned citizens to develop climate action plans in their groups for work, learning, leisure and worship.  It outlines the bad stuff we have to stop doing and the good things we have to pursue. We believe that with the force of numbers, we can achieve a secure future for Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Keynote speakers include

Prof James Renwick, leading climate scientist and lead author with the IPCC

Drs Alex Macmillan and Rhys Jones of Ora Taiao (climate and health)

Sir Alan Mark, ecologist

Robyn Malcolm, actress

local musicians

local school students

Venues and contacts

Auckland: Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Rd Grey Lynn; patbaskett@xtra.co.nz

Wellington: Preservatorium – Cafe and Cannery 39 Webb St; brucepaul39@gmail.com

Christchurch: XCHC Exchange Christchurch  376 Wilsons Rd Nth; lucette@teamdevelopment.nz

Dunedin: Centre for Sustainability, Otago University, Castle St; ralph.adler@otago.ac.nz

For people far from these centres it will be possible to watch it live streamed on your computer. Details later on our website. 

Convener Dr Joanna Santa Barbara

www.ourclimatedeclaration.org.nz

The post You are invited to the launch of Our Climate Declaration on Sunday 18 June appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

• Already know you want to take action? Find and sign up for the New Zealand action nearest you.

Help seize the moment. Join one of these Global Divestment Mobilisation events happening near you between May 5 and 13.  They’re organised by people in your community to highlight the deadly climate impacts being driven by the fossil fuel industry and call on our local institutions to take a moral stand by breaking off their ties with this industry.

In our region, the biggest new planned coal project is the Adani Group’s proposed new giant Carmichael coal mine in Northern Queensland. Despite the massive additional greenhouse gas emissions this project would cause, the Australian Government is bending over backwards to try to ensure that it goes ahead.

Banks have an important part to play in funding – or deciding not to fund – such climate-destroying projects. Late last week, campaigners on both sides of the Tasman secured a major victory when Westpac rewrote its coal project lending policy to effectively rule out lending to the Adani project – the latest of a number of banks to directly or indirectly with draw from funding the project. We know that the pressure New Zealand activists have put on Westpac over their funding of coal projects played a major part in securing this victory.

Logo of the joint 350 Aotearoa-Coal Action Network Aotearoa “Westpac – Dump Denniston Coal” campaign, 2014

But the project is far from defeated yet, and so Australian activists are calling out for international support to help step up the pressure. Here are link to the actions you can take part in – RSVP to your nearest action for full details:

Auckland, Wednesday 10 May: http://act.350.org/event/gdd2017/13519/

Wellington, Tuesday 9 May: http://act.350.org/event/gdd2017/13521/

Christchurch, Sunday 7 May: http://act.350.org/event/gdd2017/13522/

Dunedin, Friday 12 May: http://act.350.org/event/gdd2017/13520/

The post May 5-13: Join The Global Divestment Mobilisation! appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

• When the Prime Minister’s own science adviser produced a report highlighting the serious degradation in New Zealand’s fresh water quality, Environment Minister Nick Smith called its conclusion “simplistic” in Parliament (see his second answer to Question 4).
• The Prime Minister refuses to acknowledge the scientifically proven link between climate change and the greater frequency of extreme weather events such as cyclones.

And so it’s high time for people who support science – including climate science – to speak up in its defence. On Saturday 22 April, you can do just that. Here is the information you need to take part.

NZ Marches for Science

Website:  https://www.marchforsciencenz.org/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/marchforscienceNZ/

On Saturday 22 April (Earth Day) Marches will be held in the following centres – click on your nearest centre’s link for event details:

• Auckland
• Palmerston North
• Wellington
• Christchurch
• Dunedin
• Queenstown (we don’t have any details for this one yet, sorry)

There is info about each of the marches on the website and Facebook page.

The New Zealand marches will be the first in the world.

The aims of the NZ marches are:

• To highlight that science is international
• To acknowledge that good scientists can be political
• To promote greater inclusion in science

Science includes social as well as physical sciences.

In a world of “alternative facts”, science is under attack. Spend a little of your time next Saturday helping to defend it.

The post Join The New Zealand Marches for Science, Saturday 22 April appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

In Aotearoa, there will be actions in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. All of the actions will adhere to a strictly non-violent kaupapa and will be accessible for all with different levels of involvement available.

When it comes to the future of our planet, it’s fossil fuels or us. So we encourage everyone who can to get involved in these actions. You can sign up for actions here: https://nz.breakfree2016.org/ and you can also join each action on Facebook:

Auckland: https://www.facebook.com/events/1133726439991775/
Wellington: https://www.facebook.com/events/159524387777137/
Christchurch: https://www.facebook.com/events/1702837439985045/
Dunedin: https://www.facebook.com/events/1066761856715041/

The post It’s Time To Break Free From Fossil Fuels appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa.

You could be part of the global People’s Climate March. In over 160 cities around the world (London, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney to name a few), people will be marching to demand that their governments work to find solutions to the challenges posed by climate change. People, organisations and companies are working to find solutions – now we want our governments to take action to reduce carbon emissions. As world leaders gather in Paris for the climate summit we’re sending a clear message that we need more action.

This is your chance to be part of a global phenomenon and the largest climate march in New Zealand history, and in the world.

Events will take place in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin, Nelson, Wairarapa, Napier/Hastings, Invercargill, Rotorua, Marlborough, Ashburton, Whanganui. You can find full details at peoplesclimatemarch.org.nz. All marches will be family-friendly opportunities for anybody who cares about our planet to march with like-minded folks.

Coal Action Network has been busy working with organisations, including Caritas, the World Wildlife Fund, First Union, 350 Aotearoa, Action Station, Greenpeace, Unite, Generation Zero, the PSA, the Maritime Workers Union, the P3 Foundation, Forest and Bird, the World Wildlife Fund and Oxfam New Zealand to make this happen; Harvey is part of the Wellington organising group and Jeanette is representing CANA on the Auckland committee.

There are many more groups than the ones listed who will take part.

We’re looking for individuals who care to come and take part. If you are in Auckland, look for the black and orange CANA banner and march with us.

Sir Geoffrey Palmer said recently, “Never think that democracy doesn’t work. It does. But the citizens have to made a lot of noise!

Please come. Bring home made signs and banners and your whole family. Make your voice heard.

As Naomi Klein said in This Changes Everything, “to Change Everything, we Need Everyone”.

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