The Auckland Times | Issue 185| October 15, 2019
Local News
Dear Jacinda, this is a climate emergency
We are tangata whenua,
lawyers, parents and
grandparents, retail workers,
church ministers, scientists,
mental health advocates,
business owners and
others. And yes, some of
us are activists who love
to sing. We would prefer
to be going about our daily
lives, spending time with
our families and enjoying
ourselves.
But, this is an
emergency.
Without action we face
widespread human misery.
We acknowledge your
Government for doing
more on climate change
than the previous one. We
celebrate the end of future
oil exploration permits as a
world first. We understand
the "political reality", but
the science is clear that it
isn't enough. We already
have enough oil to push
us beyond 1.5 degrees of
warming – the limit agreed
upon by the Pacific and
United Nations to prevent
a human catastrophe and
collapse of ecosystems.
Despite this, OMV (one of
the 100 climate criminals
responsible for 70 per cent
of global emissions) will
09
soon explore for oil in
pristine, untouched waters
near Otago and Taranaki.
The Austrian oil giant
could only do this because
MBIE extended OMV's
existing permits. MBIE
could only extend their
licenses because your
Government allowed it.
Fire alarms aren't just
noisy; they work.
The United Kingdom
was the first country to
declare a climate and
ecological emergency. The
British Parliament credited
the declaration to Extinction
Rebellion UK's non-violent
disruptions in April. In
Aotearoa, we have our own
proud tradition of strategic
non-violence. Without it, the
suffragettes wouldn't have
won women the right to
vote.
We commend the
Labour-led Government for
acknowledging the school
strikers, while National and
Act parties derided them.
But this isn't enough. On
Monday, you asked the
media why anyone would
support our disruptive
actions when thousands of
students had just protested
in the street. Like many New
Zealanders, seeing waves of
young people marching for
climate justice gave us hope.
But for us it isn't an
either/or. We support
and marched with the
school strikes. Yet your
Government's failure to
put in place the school
strikers' demands is
precisely why we back mass
symbolic action and civil
disobedience. We need more
than lip service.
As Greta Thunberg
says: "We don't need you to
congratulate us, we need you
to act."
OUR THREE DEMANDS
Extinction Rebellion
demands to the Government:
- Tell the truth and declare
a climate and ecological
emergency;
- Act now and halt
biodiversity loss and reduce
greenhouse emissions to net
zero by 2025, and
- Go beyond politics and
setup a citizen's assembly
on climate and ecological
justice.
We are consulting members
to develop a fourth demand
acknowledging tino
rangatiratanga and climate
justice.
While Extinction Rebellion
is a fire alarm, we can't be
the escape plan. The citizens'
assembly we suggest will
bring people with a range
of expertise together to
learn, deliberate and make
recommendations to act.
Similar to jury service,
members are randomly
selected from the population
and quotas are used to
ensure the assembly is
representative. Assembly
members hear balanced
information from experts
and stakeholders and work
in facilitated groups to
develop a recommendation.
They are run by an
independent body and are
transparent, inclusive and
effective. It was a Citizens'
Assembly that international
media outlet DW says
"broke decades of political
deadlock in Ireland to usher
in legal abortions and same-
sex marriage".
The Government
needs to transition to a
fully sustainable energy
network, withdraw OMV's
permits, and end fossil fuels
exploration.
It's time to draw the line.
On Monday, you told media
you drew the line on illegal
and violent action. Your
use of our campaign slogan
"Draw the Line" to spread
a mistruth is unfortunate.
Extinction Rebellion is
committed to strategic non-
violence and is inspired by
Parihaka and the Nuclear
Free movements.
Police Inspector
Wade Jennins told Stuff
on Monday that we "were
peaceful, did not damage
anything or threaten
anyone." He noted that we
thanked the police for how
they acted. No one was
charged with an offence.
We will take whatever
non-violent action is
necessary to protect our
future. Monday was just the
beginning and we are willing
to suffer the consequences
of further action. Sometimes
you have to get burnt to pull
someone out of a fire. But
it's worth it.
Because this is an
emergency.
Either we make history
or we're history. Like the
Nuclear Free movement
before us, we choose to
make history.
Ngā mihi,
Extinction Rebellion
Aotearoa New Zealand