Heads in the Sand – Kiwis send strong message to our climate negotiators

Heads in the Sand events have been held at 12 beaches today from Ahipara to Invercargill, including events at four beaches in Auckland. Those taking part called on John Key and the New Zealand Government to take their heads out of the sand and treat climate change seriously.

As nations meet in Lima, Peru, to plan an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions, many hundreds of Kiwis put their heads in the sand to symbolise the Government’s complete lack of action on climate change.

In Christchurch, 220 people went to New Brighton Beach to show their concerns about Government inaction. As local MP and event speaker Megan Woods commented, “sea level rise will get real here!”

The Mission Bay event in Auckland was addressed by climate scientist Jim Salinger, who warned:

“The British government in the 1990s decided which areas of the coast would be protected, and which abandoned to the rising seas and storm surges. It is time for the New Zealand government to make similar plans for sea level rise.”

In Wellington, close to 100 people braved driving wind and rain to send a clear message to the New Zealand Government that they have to not only take action on climate change themselves, but stop putting roadblocks in the way of international climate agreements.

The NZ Government has set a target to reduce emissions by 5% by 2020, falling far short of what is needed to keep warming below the internationally agreed 2 degrees. Even that target is not binding, and there are no government measures capable of achieving it.

“Instead this government has accelerated oil drilling, coal mining and fracking for gas; ignores renewable energy; is building massive new motorways instead of rail and public transport; and refuses to set any efficiency standards for vehicles” said Coal Action Network Aotearoa spokesperson Jeanette Fitzsimons at the Mission Bay event.

“The sole climate change measure promoted by this Government is an ETS so weak it actually pays companies more free credits to increase their pollution,” she said.

The spotlight has been on New Zealand in Lima with countries asking penetrating questions about our pathetic targets and lack of measures to achieve even those, as this report from the Lima negotiations describes: http://hot-topic.co.nz/nz-pushing-the-world-to-go-beyond-2-degrees/

The responses have made even the replies Ministers give to questions in Parliament look informative and clear.

The nationwide Heads in the Sand events, organised by Coal Action Network Aotearoa, were supported by Oil Free Aotearoa groups, Generation Zero, 350.org, Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, ECO, Auckland Coal Action, Coal Action Murihiku, Climate Justice Taranaki, and Action Station.

There were Heads in the Sand events in Ahipara, Auckland (Browns Bay, Mission Bay, Waiheke and Bethells Beach), Taranaki, Wellington, Motueka, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and at Invercargill’s Oreti Beach.

For more information:
The Coal Action Network Aotearoa blog: https://coalactionnetworkaotearoa.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/images-from-heads-in-the-sand-events-today
The national Heads in the Sand NZ Facebook page: www.facebook.com/events/1542095289341789

ENDS

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