With the election looming, all eyes are on the national prize. Yet we mustn’t forget how many important decisions are made at the local level.
Local government plays a crucial role in many sustainability initiatives.
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Polls suggest Labour could win the upcoming election with an absolute majority. No need for a coalition partner then. Without New Zealand First and its self-proclaimed “handbrake for bad ideas” role, Labour could move on its campaign promises.
So what about the National Party?
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There are lessons in this Kiwi-Seychelles connection. Lessons for conservation, for tourism, and for business.
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We learned a lot during lockdown.
We learned we can do without our celebrities, sports heroes, and marketing sharks. But not without our health care professionals, reliable delivery people, and that friendly person at the grocery checkout.
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First we must acknowledge the devastation Covid-19 has caused – here at home and around the world.
Now we must tackle unemployment and get the economy moving again and wise minds are calling for inspiration-ready, future-thinking-ready projects.
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This isn’t the column I wanted to write.
I was back on my bike, back on the road again. Last year I cycled from Cape Reinga to my home in the Waikato. I was continuing the journey this year, heading for Wellington.
When I left home, the coronavirus – Covid-19 – had barely a toehold here. But that changed rapidly as I pedaled slowly along, everyday further from home.
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“Get out there and head for the mall – it’s your economic duty” was the headline in a comment piece by editor, Liam Dann, in the business section of The New Zealand Herald.
Stewart tries to get his economic questions answered[/caption]
It noted that after cutting interest rates to an all-time low, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr was calling for consumers to spend more and businesses to invest more. So Dann urged us on. “Get out there this weekend and have some fun, buy those new shoes,” he exhorted. “You’ll be doing your bit for the economy.”
Being averse to shopping, I dropped him a note instead.
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Sustainability. I rattle on about it regularly. It’s a big topic, broad and deep. When I read on the subject, I’m in search of new ideas. Always on the lookout for real answers to the challenges we face.
Two writers I have long admired are Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein. Both are authors and activists. Both are eloquent and inspiring.
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A movement of communities coming together to re-imagine and rebuild our world.
That’s the catch phrase and explainer for the Transition Network. The network grew out of the Transition Towns initiative established in the UK in 2006.The emphasis is on sustainability, resilience and local self-reliance in the face of a growing climate crisis.
“It’s a bottom-up, community-led action,” says founder Rob Hopkins.
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Never mind if we got to yawning at the mention of ‘global warming’ or ‘climate change’. After decades of denial and dallying we now get to call it a ‘climate crisis’ and an ‘existential threat’.
With more hui than do-ey, chain-dragging by the previous Government, lots of lip service, greenwashing by some, small positive steps by many, and outright opposition by others, the situation has only continued to get worse.
Well-informed and caring young people, and adults of all ages and from all walks of life, aren’t standing for it any more.
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