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News from Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion Te Whanganui-a-Tara today served eviction notices on four leading ‘climate criminals’ in Wellington.
The climate and ecological crisis movement, Extinction Rebellion, says the eviction notices it served today on four coal industry bodies in Wellington, highlight the enormous damage the quartet are doing to the environment.
“The mining and burning of coal is the single greatest threat to the world’s climate,”
says event spokesperson Tim Jones.
“The activities of Bathurst Resources and Fonterra add millions of tonnes of CO2 to our atmosphere each year.
“In 2017, the emissions of Fonterra alone from burning coal were the approximate equivalent of the emissions of 185,000 cars.
“The mining sector lobbyist, Straterra, tells the politicians and the media it’s more important to mine coal than it is to have a liveable planet.
“And the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment plays host to New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals – a cheerleader and enabler of the New Zealand coal industry,” Mr Jones says. “All four entities are hiding in plain sight in the capital. They deserve to be exposed.”
Just a few days after two Greenpeace activists scaled the capital’s Majestic Centre, protesting against the presence of the Austrian oil giant OMV on the 20th floor of the building, members of XR today embarked on a ‘Coalest Little Capital Tour’ of the city’s business centre, leaving ‘eviction warrants’ for the four coal industry bodies.
XR spokesperson, Dr. Sea Rotmann, says that they had it coming.
“For too long we have had our eyes closed to the damage these fossil fools are doing to our planet and our future,” Dr. Rotmann, a marine ecologist with a PhD on human impacts on coral reefs, says. “100 companies, almost all related fossil fuel exploitation, are responsible for 71% of all greenhouse gases emitted. We have less than 18 months, according to top climate scientists, to stop our house from literally burning to the ground. Instead of asking individuals to do all the hard lifting, it’s time to go to the source – starting with the worst criminals, the coal industry and its enablers.”
Background information:
Extinction Rebellion is the world’s fastest-growing social and environmental movement. It exists in almost 60 countries. In New Zealand there are 20+ branches already.
The IPBES report tells us that 1 million species are at the threat of extinction due to human causes. Leading climate scientists warn us that we have less than 18 months before dooming our planet and its inhabitants to runaway climate catastrophe.
New Zealand is world leading in that almost 2/3 of its citizens live in councils that have already declared a climate and ecological emergency. XR Aotearoa New Zealand wants the New Zealand Government to:
1. TELL THE TRUTH
Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. ACT NOW
Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. GO BEYOND POLITICS
Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
