Why a roadshow?
This is a critical time for Aotearoa. Science warns us that the climate and ecological crisis will soon become irreversible, profoundly affecting every single person and all our natural ecosystems.
We need leaders who are committed to follow the science on the climate and ecological crisis. Parliament must use the post-COVID stimulus package to do what is required to address this crisis and protect our future, guided by principles of sustainability, equity and regenerative economic and social policies.
The state of emergency has demonstrated that we can do the unthinkable: follow the science, close down the country for weeks. We kicked the virus.
We need a similar response to the climate and ecological crisis and to follow the science.
This election is an opportunity for us to elect a government that will declare a state of emergency, follow the science and set a target for zero emissions by 2030, establish a citizens assembly on climate to make binding decisions, in 2021.
Join us these elections for the Election Roadshow, a country-wide movement by Extinction Rebellion Aotearoa New Zealand. Follow the roadshow below and like us on Facebook to keep up with events in your area!
Election Roadshow timetable
| Day | Location – North Island | Location – South Island |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 – Monday September 14 | Cape Reinga, 9:30am | Bluff |
| Day 2 – Tuesday September 15 |
Whangarei, 9:00am | Queenstown, 11:00am |
| Day 3 – Wednesday September 16 |
Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau): Devonport, 12:30pm | Dunedin (Ōtepoti), 11:00am |
| Day 4 – Thursday September 17 |
Tauranga, 2:30pm | Oamaru, 11:00am |
| Day 5 – Friday Sepember 18 | Hamilton, 2:30pm | Christchurch (Ōtautahi), 12:30pm |
| Day 6 – Saturday September 19 | New Plymouth, 1:30pm | |
| Day 7 – Sunday September 20 | Whanganui, 10:30am | |
| Day 8 – Monday September 21 | Palmerston North | |
| Day 9 – Tuesday September 22 |
Hawkes Bay, 1-4:30pm | Westport, 12:30pm |
| Day 10 – Wednesday September 23 | Masterton, 3:00pm | Nelson, 12:30pm |
| Day 11 – Thursday September 24 |
Carterton, 10:00am | Blenheim, 2:00pm |
| Day 12 – Friday September 25 |
Wellington, 12:30pm | Wellington, 12:30pm |
Roadshow in Hamilton and Christchurch
The Election Roadshow for Climate, an initiative of Extinction Rebellion (XR) supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency (ACE), has been making waves in Hamilton and Christchurch, in its attempt to put climate and ecological change at the forefront of this election.
The Roadshow, which started concurrently from Bluff and Cape Reinga on Monday (September 14), is promoting three election issues: the declaration of a national climate emergency; a Citizens’ Assembly on climate next year; and a green post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
In Hamilton, the North Island contingent of the roadshow set up a “climate cafe” in Garden Place where coffee was served alongside discussions of the climate and ecological crisis. Caril Cowan, one of the Extinction Rebellion roadshow members interviewed Thames resident, environmental activist and mother Sheena Beaton. Sheena has been involved in environmental activism for fifteen years now, and in that time has worked primarily with Greenpeace. Perhaps her most daring action took place eleven years ago when she climbed the Sydney Opera House to hang a banner that begged the leaders at the COP 2009 conference to “Stop the politics & Sign a Climate Treaty NOW!”
Sheena is currently working as the Coordinator of Thames Coast Kiwi Care; a community led kiwi recovery group based in Te Mata. As Caril interviewed her it became clear that climate change and ecological extinction are both deeply personal and emotionally charged issues for Sheena, who worries about the future that her children are inheriting.
“We should be honouring and protecting and doing everything we can to protect our habitat as a species,” says Sheena. “I can’t even bear to think of the future for my children, because it doesn’t look anything like it should.
Sheena is already seeing the effects of climate change in Thames, particularly through her conservation work with Kiwi.
“Just the droughts that we were experiencing last year, those sort of climate change related effects have massive detrimental impacts on our wildlife. And in Thames and the Coromandel we’re very vulnerable to sea level rise – I’ve had a really hands on experience with that. In the storm of January, 2018 I was living in a waterfront rental property in Te Puru. I went out to go to work and the waves were coming over the seawall and crashing onto the grass. As the day went on and the tide rose there was literally waves breaking on my front porch. This is what climate chaos looks like. The cost of the cleanup was astronomical, the Thames Coast road repairs alone ran into the millions. My neighbours who had lived on the Thames Coast for over fifty years had never seen a weather event of this magnitude before.”
Sheena wants the incoming government to hear that we’re in an emergency.
“It is difficult, because everyone needs and expects all the social services we rely on to be a priority but at the end of the day everything else will be irrelevant if we don’t have a habitable country or world to live in.”
In Christchurch, activists gathered by the Cathedral Square chalice and heard from local resident David Goldsmith, a father of three who recently completed a month long vigil outside of parliament and a twenty-one day hunger strike. The hunger strike was a radical move undertaken by David to try and raise awareness of the climate and ecological crises happening in New Zealand and around the world.
“It’s not just climate change. It’s a climate and ecological crisis and ocean acidification all put together. We’re out here and the sun is still shining and the birds are still singing; it’s difficult to face this reality that we’re in a crisis, but the science is astonishingly clear.”
During David’s vigil there was one fact that stood out to David above the rest: that if all climate heating emissions are taken since the industrial revolution began, we have doubled those since 1990.
“In the last thirty years we have doubled all our emissions. We know the science but we’re not acting. In fact, we’re doing the exact opposite. We need desperate change because this is a desperate situation.”
The roadshow continues in New Plymouth in the North on Saturday and Westport on Tuesday.
For more information, contact Mathias Corwin, Election Roadshow Media Coordinator at [email protected] or 0204 022 7232
Roadshow in Tauranga and Oamaru
The Election Roadshow for Climate, an initiative of Extinction Rebellion (XR) supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency (ACE), has been making waves in Tauranga and Oamaru, in its attempt to put climate and ecological change at the forefront of this election.
The Roadshow, which started concurrently from Bluff and Cape Reinga on Monday, is promoting three election issues: the declaration of a national climate emergency; a Citizens’ Assembly on climate next year; and a green post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
In Tauranga, the North Island contingent of the roadshow visited Moturiki (Leisure Island) where they interviewed local resident and environmental activist Mary Dillon about her concerns for the future of the planet and, a little closer to home, the future of Tauranga. Tauranga is a special place for Mary who has lived here for 77 years. Mary has been a city councillor for 21 of those years as well as the Deputy Mayor for six years. She is currently the Chairperson for Envirohub, an umbrella organisation for all the conservation, green hands, and sustainable living groups throughout the Bay of Plenty.
“I think one of the special things about the Bay of Plenty is that it’s called the Bay of Plenty. We all came here because of that; because it was a plentiful place. And we stay here for the same reason. One of our tasks going forwards is to ensure that it remains this way. And I don’t think we can do that by constantly taking resources from the earth and not putting anything back.”
Mary is conscious of the urgency of the response needed to address climate change.
“We’ve still got time, but we don’t have a lot of it. If we haven’t made big steps by 2030 then we’re putting ourselves in the position of having to pay huge costs. Inevitably, these costs will fall on the people who are least able to bear them.”
Caril Cowan, one of the Extinction Rebellion roadshow members asked Mary what she thought needed to happen by 2030.
“We need to reduce our carbon footprint by 50%,” said Mary. “Tauranga is one of the worst emitters in all New Zealand when it comes to transport emissions. We have to change the “one person one car” culture. We have to manage our water, manage our waste, manage our biodiversity. All those things are part and parcel of saying that we need to rethink the way we live.”
When it comes to the way Mary thinks this culture change might happen, Mary is clear:
“We need a movement, like we had for Women’s Suffrage, or the Springboks tour, like we had for the Save Manapouri campaign. It needs to be individual by individual, street by street, community by community and then it becomes part of the way we live. We need to change the way people think. If we can’t get climate change right then the rest of it isn’t going to matter much.”
In Oamaru, activists gathered outside the iconic Steampunk museum and heard local organic farmer Jim O’Gorman, who has had gardens at Kakanui for 25 years, talk about the weather changes he has observed.
“We have a cool temperate dry climate here but this year has been particularly dry” he said. “I’ve measured 280 mls of rainfall for the year so far, well short of the average expected 650 mls.”
Jim went on to express his concern over the warm winters and how this has been affecting his crops.
“This winter was the warmest on record and I’m seeing aphids, white fly, green fly black fly and other pests already. I’m not able to grow brassicas at all any more, the white butterflies are like a snowstorm in the summer”.
Jim has also observed the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and says it’s getting more difficult for the forecasters to warn farmers of stormy weather.
Gail May Sherman, who moved to New Zealand from the US thirteen years ago, told the crowd that she had witnessed pine forests in her home state of Colorado being decimated by pine beetle. She said pine beetle had always been controlled by cold winters but now the warming climate meant that was no longer happening and the forests were dying.
The roadshow continues in Hamilton in the North and Christchurch in the South.
For more information, contact Mathias Corwin, Election Roadshow Media Coordinator at [email protected] or 0204 022 7232.
Climate roadshow calls in at Devonport and Dunedin
Today the Election Roadshow for Climate moved to the big cities, Dunedin and Auckland, after strong starts in Cape Reinga and Bluff on Monday.
Blue sky greeted the Dunedin roadshow crew outside the city’s iconic Railway Station in Dunedin. The South Island roadshow crew, Phil Saxby and Jen Olsen, alongside locals Nick Beekhuis and Jill Corson stood to talk about impacts of climate change and the need for the climate to be on to the election agenda.
“Time is running out worldwide,” says Phil Saxby. “We can’t save the planet on our own, but we can set an example in our region of the Pacific for zero net carbon by 2030. We are calling for a nationwide emergency declaration and a Citizens Assembly on Climate in 2021.”
Local speakers Nick Beekhuis and Jill Corson were applauded for their call for urgent action and a Citizens Assembly on climate. “South Dunedin is already threatened by sea encroachment yet the city is planning a hospital right here, only 2 metres above sea level,” said Nick.
Jill Corson spoke about the need to involve the public in the difficult choices facing this country. “A Citizens Assembly is a way to take controversial issues away from the politicised environment and the short-termism of Parliament”.
On the other end, the Election Roadshow arrives at Devonport Beach to a windy and cloudy afternoon, looking out upon the Hauraki Gulf. Two climate activists spanning over sixty years will welcome the Roadshow – Jill Whitmore, who is 74 years old and been an environmental activist for decades; and Ruby, a 13 year old who has recently begun their activism.
Jill Whitmore, described the current climate situation as, “We are in the final stage of an action story, and you don’t know whether the heroes of the story will survive or not. It is up to us, and we have the power to change what will happen and write the ending.”
Jill continued on to talk about New Zealand’s target net-zero, “Zero emissions by 2050 is way too late and that it needs to be brought forward, even 2030 is too late. We need to get to the net-zero emission by 2025. I know we don’t have a magic wand at our disposal, but we need to act now.”
Ruby, the 13 year old activist, said “We are in the midst of an environmental and youth mental health crisis. These crises are interconnected, and if we continue to destroy the environment, we will continue to destroy the mental and spiritual health of our young people.”
Ruby continued on to say that “I don’t want to be the tokenistic young person in these conversations, and politicians don’t need to see our faces to know this climate crisis will affect us and future generations. The science and evidence is clear, now is not the time to continue to collect evidence to work out if this is a crisis, now is the time for action.”
The Election Roadshow, an initiative of Extinction Rebellion (XR) and supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency, aims to put climate action on the agenda of the 2020 election.
The Roadshow has the goals of promoting:
- a declaration of a climate emergency,
- a Citizens Assembly on climate, such as France and the UK have held this year, and
- a green, sustainable, economic recovery from the pandemic.
“Over 1400 governance agencies across 30 different countries have declared a climate emergency,” says Mathias Corwin, a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion. “In New Zealand, we have 76% of our population living in jurisdictions which have declared a climate emergency. It’s time for us to declare it at a national level.”
“The government has set aside billions of dollars for economic recovery from Covid-19. Every cent of that must be invested in clean infrastructure, green jobs, and helping New Zealand transition away from fossil fuels if we are to have any chance of fulfilling our commitments to end the climate crisis,” said Extinction Rebellion Roadshow member Caril Cowan.
For more information and media enquiries, contact Mathias Corwin, Election Roadshow Media Coordinator at [email protected] or 0204 022 7232.
Roadshow in Queenstown and Whangārei
The Election Roadshow for Climate, an initiative of Extinction Rebellion (XR) supported by Aotearoa Climate Emergency (ACE), is well on its way to put climate and ecological change at the forefront of this election.
The Roadshow, which started concurrently from Bluff and Cape Reinga yesterday, is promoting three election issues: the declaration of a national climate emergency; a Citizens’ Assembly on climate next year; and a green post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan.
In Queenstown, activists gathered at the iconic Cardrona Hotel to hear Dr Jim Salinger speak about glacier retreat in the Queenstown Lakes area, as well as his involvement in the New Zealand Intergenerational Climate Ambassadors, a group representing all generations including the Solid Generation (pre 1946), Baby Boomers, GenX, Millennials and Centennials. The group is calling on the next Government to accelerate climate action.
“The climate crisis is major, global, and perpetual – until we do something about it,” says Jim. “Since the late nineteenth century the white icing that has capped Queenstown-Lakes and Southern Alps has been rapidly disappearing. There once was about 120 cubic kilometres of Aotearoa – Land of the Long White Cloud. But alas Aotearoa is fast becoming Aoteapoto – Land of the Short White Cloud! By 2019 we only have about 30 cubic kilometres remaining of permanent ice – this disappearing ice represents a mere quarter of the former glory of the Southern Alps. The last two heatwave summers gauged and burnt off a huge amount of this ice.”
In Whangārei, the North Island contingent of the roadshow interviewed local resident and environmental activist Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn about her concerns for the future of Northland. Catherine belongs to Te Rarawa Ngāti Kuri peoples of the Far North of the North Island and her career has seen her working on policy analysis, environmental defence policy and indigenous rights advocacy with the United Nations.
“The climate emergency has to be the biggest problem that humanity is facing right now,” said Catherine. “For our communities this means instability, it means water insecurity, it means food insecurity and disruption to society. A lot of people are concerned with employment and jobs, but without a habitable environment jobs become a moot point. There’s a lot of mahi to be done; building community resilience, civic reform to keep our elected officials accountable, education of the issues, and social injustice to address.”
Catherine is concerned for the future of Northland.
“We are experiencing storms that are meant to be one in 500 year events more and more frequently, more like every five or ten years. And these storms come after months of drought. We have to adapt to this as the new normal. On top of this the agricultural industry has depleted the health of our soils and as a result the nutritional value of our food is declining. Things are all happening at once. We have to get back into balance with Nature.”
Catherine has expressed her support for the idea of a Citizens’ Assembly.
“The Citizens’ Assembly is a good tool to allow people to influence political decision making in between elections. It has to be a system that complies with Te Tiriti o Waitangi standards. We have to think about what’s fair and equitable for everyone to participate in the conversation moving forward and building solutions for the climate crisis.”
The roadshow continues today in Auckland in the North and Dunedin in the South.
For more information and media enquiries, contact Mathias Corwin, Election Roadshow Media Coordinator at [email protected] or 0204 022 7232.
Climate Roadshow ready to go – South Island Crew Bio’s
Extinction Rebellion (XR) activist Andrew Sutherland and Aotearoa Climate Emergency founding member Phil Saxby are joining forces to form the South Island contingent of the XR Election Roadshow for Climate.
Andrew and Phil will start their 11-day journey from Bluff on Monday 14 September, and wind their way up the South Island (Te Wai Pounamu) via most of the main centres to arrive in Wellington on Friday 25 September, where they’ll link up with their counterparts from the North Island outside Parliament.
As a lifelong environmental activist and father of three, Andrew believes that the climate emergency is the most important issue that humanity currently faces.
“I’ve spent most of my life trying to make a positive difference to the environment – everything from starting a Greenpeace branch to recycling initiatives,” says Andrew. “But everything that I’ve worked for will pale into insignificance if we don’t start acting with real urgency on climate change.”
Phil, who has worked for many years in the health sector and was one of the founders of the Electoral Reform Coalition, has similar concerns.
“We have known about global warming for decades, but most countries have not been willing to redirect their economies into a sustainable, low-carbon future,” says Phil. “We can’t change the world, but we can set a good example in the South Pacific by decarbonising our economy as fast as practicable. It won’t be easy unless we can foster a general public consensus on climate policy – for example, by holding a Citizens’ Assembly on climate, as France has done this year.”
As the roadshow travels the country, it will focus on giving local voters feedback on where various parliamentary candidates stand on the issues of the climate and ecological emergency. The roadshow will also be promoting a sustainable economic recovery from Covid-19, as well as the need to institute a Citizens’ Assembly that honours the unique knowledge and role of Māori as tangata whenua through meaningful partnership, to give the NZ public a voice in responding to the climate emergency.
The North Island Roadshow crew will start from Cape Reinga at the same time (September 14). Their rendezvous in Wellington will coincide with an International Day of Action on climate change.
Climate Roadshow ready to go – North Island Crew Bio’s
Two Auckland women are coming out of retirement to form the North Island contingent of Extinction Rebellion’s Election Roadshow for Climate.
Caril Cowan (70) and Dot Austin (65) will start their 11-day journey from Cape Reinga on Monday 14 September, and wind their way down the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) via most of the main centres to arrive in Wellington on Friday 25 September, where they’ll link up with their counterparts from the South Island outside Parliament.
After a career in health and education, and a lifetime commitment to activism that began with the peace movement against nuclear weaponry in the 1970s, Caril believes action on climate change is so urgently needed that she cannot stand by and simply watch it unfold.
“I have seven grandchildren. Unbridled greed has created a global threat that will severely impact their quality of life, unless we act now,” Caril says.
Dot, having recently retired after 46 years in nursing, has similar concerns.
“I cannot stand by and tell my children that I did nothing to stop the mass extinction of human and animal species,” Dot says. “This threat is real and immediate, and we have to do our best to make this issue this election’s major concern – because it cannot wait another term.”
Both were drawn to join Extinction Rebellion by the group’s focus on climate change and its kaupapa of nonviolent civil disobedience.
As the roadshow travels the country, it will focus on giving local voters feedback about where various parliamentary candidates stand on the issues of the climate and ecological emergency. The roadshow will also be promoting a sustainable economic recovery from Covid-19, as well as the need to institute a Citizens’ Assembly that honours the unique knowledge and role of Māori as tangata whenua through meaningful partnership, to give the NZ public a voice in responding to the climate emergency.
The South Island Roadshow crew will start from Bluff at the same time (September 14). Their rendezvous in Wellington will coincide with an International Day of Action on climate change.