Earlier this year, over a dozen of us CJT members and friends got together to strategize and brainstorm ideas for action this year. The aim is to make sure that we can grow strong together in the face of the ‘three-headed taniwha’, the ‘coalition of cruelty’ or whatever you choose to call the new government. One of the action is to reach out more to our communities, yes to you who are reading this so we stay connected and united, hence this newsletter and more to follow. We also want to reach out to more groups and people who are outside our own bubbles. If you have any connections or other suggestions of work that we should focus on, do let us know.

Reflections on Waitangi Day and Te Tiriti o Waitangi

This month climate justice activists from across the country joined the Waitangi Day commemorations and political discussions and hikoi. There is heightened concern that the new coalition government wants to move full steam ahead for more gold, coal, oil and gas mining, and open up our oceans for seabed mining – ignoring the urgent need to restore our life-supporting systems. To make things worse, the ACT Party leader is pushing ahead its ‘Treaty Principles Bill’, despite Māori’s staunch opposition with growing support from non-Māori. What a distraction and waste of time, resources and emotional energy when we urgently need to work together to deal with climate, ecological and social crises.   

Good news & wins

The Supreme Court has just granted Iwi leader Mike Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) the right to sue NZ’s seven major polluters including Fonterra, Z Energy and Genesis Energy, for “public nuisance and negligence for their contributions to climate change”. While the case against these polluters is yet to be won in the High Court, the win in the Supreme Court indicates an increasing role of legal mechanisms in holding climate wrecking companies accountable.

Last month, Greenpeace Nordic and Young Friends of the Earth Norway won their case against the Norwegian State, rendering the approvals of three oil and gas fields in the North Sea invalid. This legal victory is inspiring other court cases in the UK to challenge the legitimacy of continual oil and gas drilling during our climate crisis. We need Aotearoa NZ’s legal brains to take on such a challenge.

Energy Briefing

As promised, the new government is now set to lift the offshore ban on oil and gas exploration.  For that, it won the first Fossil of the Day award at the UN climate conference (COP28) in Dubai at the end of last year. Even with a lift of the exploration ban, the Ministry for Business, Innovation, Employment and Business (MBIE) is worried about dwindling investment and a tight electricity supply. In its Briefing for the new Energy Minister, MBIE put great emphases on “ensuring that climate change policies are aligned and do not undermine national energy security”, enabling offshore wind energy development, planning for so-called “transitional low carbon fuels” like methanol and hydrogen, and supporting carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS).  

The government is ignoring the fact that fossil fuels must stay in the ground if we are to avert the worst climate catastrophes. Rather than perpetuating business-as-usual, economic growth and wasting resources on false solutions, the government must enable real emissions reduction and energy solutions that support wellbeing of the people and papatūānuku. More than ever, we need to come up with projects that create synergies and co-benefits, not just be satisfied with the ‘least bad’ of a bad bunch. The crux of it all, we need to shrink our excessive energy and material consumption so we can regain our place as responsible stewards of the land, water and atmosphere.

Meanwhile, here are two petitions you can sign in support:

https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/petition/open-letter-oil-exploration-petition

https://action.greens.org.nz/saveoilandgasban

Palestine is a climate and social justice issue – 13^th February & every Saturday

Israel’s apartheid in Palestine is a microcosm of every social and climate injustice. Even prior to the last 4 months of relentless bombing, genocide and destruction in Gaza, Israel has systematically stolen and destroyed Palestinian land and water allowing the 700,000 settlers on illegal settlements in the West Bank  to consume 6X more water and other resources then 3 million Palestinians.

Connecting liberation struggles through the Palestinian led Boycott-Divestment-Sanction movement (BDS) recognizes international and corporate complicity in Israel’s settler colonial and apartheid regime. The BDS movement calls on supporters of Palestinian rights to join climate justice movements holding companies accountable for fueling environmental destruction and the decades long occupation.

In the middle of a genocidal war in Gaza where over 27,000 Palestinians have been killed, oil companies including BP have been awarded exploration rights off the coast of Gaza by Israel’s Ministry of Energy. Chevron ( Caltex) has been fueling environmental destruction in Palestine for decades and is complicit in the violent colonial occupation and apartheid. Over the last few weeks Climate Justice Taranaki has joined with Palestine Solidarity Taranaki in a campaign to picket Caltex and BP.

Palestine Solidarity Taranaki is holding regular rallies every Saturday 1PM at the Landing, Puke Ariki  https://fb.me/e/42YPnzqNb

There is also a National protest happening in Pōneke on Tuesday February 13^th meeting at Civic Square at 11PM  https://fb.me/e/4nCGfRWyS

 Ride and Shine February 2024

This is part of Aotearoa Bike Challenge, to encourage more people to ride the bike, learn new bike skills and win prizes – what a great initiative to boost health for people and the planet!  Register here: https://www.lovetoride.net/nz

Green Drinks New Plymouth – 28th Feb, The Hourglass

This is a bi-monthly event for socialising and networking with people interested in sustainability and environmental matters – last Wednesday of every second month 4:30-6:30 at The Hourglass, Liardet St.  A few of our members will likely be there if you’d like to meet us.

TTRL Seabed mining application hearing, 12-14th March, Hawera

The saga continues! A new Decision Making Committee is hearing Trans-Tasman Resources Limited (TTRL)’s application for consent to mine the South Taranaki seabed on 12-14 March, 16-17 April and 27-29 May 2024, in Hawera. The focus of the mining has now expanded from iron sand to vanadium and titanium and potentially other minerals. This is the latest development in the long-running legal battle that saw prior applications declined, then permitted, then appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, where it was again declined, but with the opportunity for TTRL to re-apply. That it is now back, effectively at stage one, says a lot about our legal system on the one hand, and TTRL’s persistence in the face of determined, wide-ranging opposition on the other. Local iwi, hapū, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, Greenpeace, Forest and Bird, various fisheries organizations, Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society, CJT and many others, continue to oppose the application.

For this latest Hearing, TTRL presented updated reports by their chosen experts on various environmental matters. Unsurprisingly, all of TTRL’s experts again concluded that, with conditions imposed, the operation should proceed. TTRL’s boss was reported to have admitted that the operation would ‘totally destroy’ the seabed, but the marine flora and fauna would recover quickly. The opponents’ expert evidence in large part disagrees with TTRL. A potential ‘wild card’ in the pack is the new government’s plan to introduce a ‘Fast-track’ Bill to Parliament on 8th March. TTRL may be hoping that will pre-empt this latest round, enabling the mining to proceed unimpeded by legal challenges. 

CJT’s long-held view is that there has been insufficient consideration of cumulative effects, of placing another decades-long mining disturbance in a rapidly changing oceanographic regime, as the Tasman Sea continues to heat and acidify. You are invited to come in support during the hearing. Please stay tuned for details or get in touch.

Ara Ake 2024 Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, 20-21 March, TSB Hawera

The national energy center Ara Ake is hosting a forum “to bring together Iwi, key sector stakeholders and the broader community to discuss the opportunities that offshore renewables present Aotearoa New Zealand”. The topics include: Domestic updates; Social licence considerations; Infrastructure challenges; Regulatory and commercial enablers; Regional leadership and transition planning. More details and tickets are available here: https://www.araake.co.nz/news-and-events/oref-2024/ Read our concerns for unfettered, large-scaled offshore energy development.

Climate Strike 5th April

“The Government will not get away with complete disregard for people, planet and future generations. We’re coming together, uniting, to stand up for environmental, indigenous and social Justice. We’re taking back the power”, says School Strike 4 Climate NZ.

We are calling on all Taranaki schools, students and teachers to support this day of action, and start organising. Get in touch if you would like any help, be it to bounce ideas around, get some advice or training on marshalling, using a megaphone,  writing a press release, or help in coordination… In preparation for the day of action, we will be hosting a Banner making workshop tentatively set on Sunday 24th March. Stay tuned for details or get in touch.