350 Aotearoa McKibben Tour 2009

World’s Leading Climate Activist in New Zealand

Wellington, 27/4/09: World-renowned climate activist and author Bill McKibben will visit your town during the next week as part of a tour encouraging communities to take action on climate change. His whirlwind tour will see him give public address in eight centres over five days, as well as meeting with politicians and NGOs, galvanizing support for a global day of climate action in the lead up to December’s international climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

McKibben wrote his first book The End of Nature in 1989. It influenced many leaders, and provided the impetus for An Inconvenient Truth – the film that won Al Gore a Nobel Prize. More recently, McKibben established 350.org, which is now a global movement working to raise awareness about, and action on, climate change.

‘350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet’, says McKibben. ‘Climate science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.’ The current global concentration of carbon dioxide is 387ppm and rising at about 2ppm each year.

On his tour, McKibben will be exploring what it means to genuinely deal with climate change. His most recent book, Deep Economy, advocates a big role for local-scale economies in moving communities towards a secure, sustainable future.

He will also be encouraging individuals and organizations to stand together as one planet on October 24th 2009 to call for a fair global climate treaty that will put the world on track to 350ppm. This day of action is timed to influence what many have called the most important international negotiations ever – December’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will decide the shape of the global agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

McKibben will be giving public addresses in Wanaka, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Raglan, Hamilton, Waiheke and Auckland.

Bill McKibben’s website: www.billmckibben.com

The global 350 movement: www.350.org

350 Aotearoa: www.350.org.nz

For more information about the tour, please contact 350 Aotearoa’s spokesperson Aaron Packard on 027 351 9994.

Public address dates and times:

DUNEDIN

Public Address 1 - Monday April 27th (hosted by the Centre for Science Communication), 5.30pm St. David Lecture Theatre, University of Otago.

Public Address 2 - Thursday April 30th (hosted by Sustainable Dunedin City Inc.), 12 noon Dunedin College of Education Auditorium.

WANAKA - Wednesday April 29th (as part of the Lake Wanaka Festival of Colour)

Public Address with Gareth Renowden - 10.30am, and again (alone) at 2.30pm. Infinity Crystal Palace, Lake Wanaka. Bookings on the Festival of Colour website.

CHRISTCHURCH - Friday May 1st (in association with Sustainable Otautahi | Christchurch)

Public Address - 9am Conference Room 1, Christchurch Community House.

NGO Morning Tea - An informal meet-and-greet will follow at 10am.

WELLINGTON - Friday May 1st (hosted by the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences)

Public Address - 6pm Lecture Theatre 2, Rutherford House, Victoria University.

RAGLAN / WHAINGAROA - Saturday May 2nd (hosted by Transition Towns Whaingaroa and WEC)

Public Address - 7.30pm, Raglan Town Hall. Entry by koha.

HAMILTON - Sunday May 3rd (hosted by the Hamilton Environment Centre)

NGO Morning Tea - An informal meet-and-greet, 11am, at a Hamilton cafe. By RSVP only – contact the Hamilton Environment Centre to register interest (envirocentre@paradise.net.nz).

WAIHEKE - Sunday May 3rd (hosted by Transition Waiheke)

Public Address - 4-5.30pm Te Huruhi School Hall. Entry by koha.

AUCKLAND - Monday May 4th

Breakfast Address - 8-9am Waitakere City Council Chambers. By RSVP only - contact Strategy Admin on (09) 836 8000 Ext. 8409, or by email strategyadmin@waitakere.govt.nz (hosted by Waitakere Inform Challenge and Inspire).

Public Address - 12.30-1.30pm Room OGGB4, The New Business School (Owen G. Glenn Building), the University of Auckland (hosted by NEXUS).

ENDS

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