Being mindful of future generations is among the most hopeful and important ways that concepts of integrity and sustainability merge to overcome the myopia of short-term thinking. The school strike for climate (#SS4C) in Wellington and around the nation have embodies this.
My highlights thread from Friday’s SS4C has gone a bit viral on Twitter, but many of my favourite people have left that social networking website for good reason. Let me reproduce and upzone that thread here.
When we say listen to the youth… um… wow!
I’ve learned to love a good protest, and #SS4C in Wellington shined. Messages have science and justice behind them. It was so good to *listen* and then look at how they fit together. It wasn’t just kōrero & signs - waiata stood out! #SS4CNZ#SOUNDUP! 1/6
This is the last verse of the gorgeous waiata - ka rawe!
Is this more what you expected?
It wasn’t as big as 2019… but the messaging was sharper and the weather was another stunner. 2/6
As expected @TamathaPaul was “lightning in a bottle.”* This was her deepest point, worth preserving since it reflects her bounce from rangitahi lead to councillor and now MP for Wellington Central. 3/6
*wording I thought this article used, but you get the idea, with newly elected Green Councillor Geordie Rogers behind Tam Paul with Greens Regional Councillor Thomas Nash.
TBF, the intial student speakers were lightning in a bottle too! Meanwhile, in support there were a lot people who care. Among them was @naturevision (Forest & Bird CE Nicola Toki) with some pro signage. 4/6
And from @nzscientists (New Zealand Assoc. of Scientists), Lucy & I were there to support the rangitahi youth messages, listen and also keep raising the connected #SOS#SaveOurScience message, as cuts to climate science and related areas proceed. https://scientists.org.nz/news/13338462 5/6
Students make the connections in across climate change issues
That fits (largely in #4) into the #SS4CNZ’s succinct demands, which were well woven into the kōrero and visual display. They capture the long reach climate change and climate justice. https://ss4cnz.com/demands 6/6
Unfortunately a line I repeatedly heard rolled out by media hosts as well as commentator and pollster from the right, David Farrar, on RNZ’s The Panel was that these are the incoherent demands of far left activists. There should have been pushback on air.
These commentators should have listened to the student speeches. The students’ demands all reflect the reach of climate change impacts and climate justice, and made that point clearly. The made this choice and communicated it well. They are not an unorganised set of activist demands.
Overall, the #SS4C events continue to give me hope – that positive, coherent messages will prevail.
Humour also needed?
It’s also hard to have integrity if we can’t laugh at ourselves. April Fools Day seemed a little thin on my social media channels this year. Here were a few of my picks.
Lucy and I also did a 3 minute video for NZ Association of Scientists. We’re emphasising that hazards posed by undermining the integrity of our research systems. It didn’t go viral, but people I’ve asked do think it’s funny. Are they just being nice?
Thank you! I do feel hopeful. Wonderful to see you all in action! Perhaps your understanding of the climate science and how to create priorities from that information needs to be splashed across all the platforms to continue to address the apparent ongoing confusion regarding climate change. Many thanks for this post!!
Thank you! I do feel hopeful. Wonderful to see you all in action! Perhaps your understanding of the climate science and how to create priorities from that information needs to be splashed across all the platforms to continue to address the apparent ongoing confusion regarding climate change. Many thanks for this post!!