Friday, July 10, 2009



Climate change: a clear message

SignOn reports from last night's climate change target consultation in Dunedin:

The mood in the meeting was electric. 200 people packed into the Dunedin Centre and with only 100 seats, people were jammed in and pouring out the doorways. Once again, the audience was invited to stand if they supported 40% and all bar six stood up and waved the ‘40% by 2020’ signs that Sign On community organisers were handing out outside the meeting. Local sustainability educator Maureen Howard called for a motion to be passed for this meeting to adopt 40% by 2020 to loud cheers and claps and when she asked “…are there any objections?…” you could have heard a pin drop.
350 Aotearoa reports that that motion had near-unanimous support. They also highlight that much of the audience were young - people whose future is on the line, and who can expect to be living with the consequences of the government's policy for a long time to come. Unlike Nick Smith or the dinosaurs running the National Party.

Tonight its Queenstown. So if you're there and you care, turn up. Otherwise your voice will be taken by a farmer.