Responding to Climate Change – TODAY 2-3pm April 21st: A short film viewing, presentation and discussion. St Aidan’s church (Iona Centre), 89 Miramar ave, Miramar Hosted by A Rocha Aotearoa NZ (part of A Rocha world-wide), maintaining hope around a complex issue

Update from NIWA’s chief scientist

NIWA’s chief scientist speaks about this past summer and great explanation of where we’re up to and where we’re headed. Mitigation now is far cheaper than adapting to the sea level and potentially relocating 6.6% of New Zealanders (due to sea level rise ) if we don’t reduce emissions asap. Seas could rise by 1.5m by 2100 if we keep to ‘business as usual”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights

Westpac report concludes it make far more financial sense to reduce emissions now than sort out the damage later(30 billion dollars sense) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12025160&ref=twitter

a GOOD NEWS story….

Brazil has abandoned plans to open Renca reserve to mining, a 46,000 square km Amazon forest.

The world need all the forest it has, to absorb carbon from atmosphere, so it’s Public pressure WORKS! Avaaz petition signed by 1.8+ million and advocacy with key lawmakers did the job.

The Guardian:   Campaigners welcome U-turn on Renca reserve but threat still exists as Brazil president has close ties to mining industry

Brazil’s Renca reserve is roughly the size of Switzerland and home to some of the world’s richest biodiversity. Photograph: Fabio Nascimento/Greenpeace

Tuesday 26 September 2017 15.04 BSTFirst published on Tuesday 26 September 2017 15.01 BST

Amazon conservation groups have hailed a victory as the Brazilian government announced a U-turn on plans to open up swaths of the the world’s biggest forest to mining corporations.

Roxborough – 40mm in 3 hours. These extreme events are what we can expect more of.

This past year has seen so many unprecedented weather events, which on their on may not be attributable to Climate change, but experts are confidently saying the scale and frequency signifies exactly the changes expected by a warming planet. Wetter in some areas, drier in others, and warmer seas providing greater moisture to fuel the storms and cyclones.

One attempt to quantify the costs of damages due to climate events was abandoned as the costs rose so high, but this is only more reason for the world’s citizen’s to work together to avert the acceleration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.  It isn’t rocket science to see the costs are huge: Damages to roads, infrastructure, private homes and in loss to businesses, power and water outages, insurance premiums, disease spread etc.

Lets show the future generations that we are willing to take this seriously. Lets not allow thoughts of the enormity of the issue to slow us down, nor our short-term personal aspirations distract us from necessary efforts. See other pages on this site ‘What can be done’ and ‘ Staying motivated ‘

 

Protest to US Secretary of State in person Tuesday 6 June 12.30-1.30

Opportunities to speak to the US sec of state aren’t common. This is about justice for all. People across the globe are suffering and the highest emitter of greenhouse gases is not wiling to be part of the solution. The viability for Pacific islands to inhabit their homes, famine in Africa and the forecasted homelessness of 30 million in Pakistan are some of the effects we will see should we fail to act together. The Paris climate accord is a key vehicle to progress action.

Just for fun- White man behind the desk

Join protest against US Sec of State visiting NZ this Tues 6 June- see Events page

Opportunities to speak to the US sec of state aren’t common. This is about justice for all. People across the globe are suffering and the highest emitter of greenhouse gases is not wiling to be part of the solution. The viability for Pacific islands to inhabit their homes, famine in Africa and the forecasted homelessness of 30 million in Pakistan are some of the effects we will see should we fail to act together. The Paris climate accord is a key vehicle to progress action.

Health and climate change

Interesting clip from The Lancet emphasising the far-reaching health implications of climate change and benefits of changing to clean energy solutions.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWhoe9xTC4A

NZ Zero Carbon Act to honour Paris agreement

Generation Zero has begun drafting legislation for New Zealand based on the UK’s successful 2008 Climate Change Act. The Zero Carbon Act will establish a legally-binding framework that sets an emissions pathway to the long-term goal of being zero carbon by 2050. It will require that the government implement policies that meet the pathway, and set up an independent expert body to recommend actions and monitor progress.  http://www.generationzero.org