“The Climate Camp is a place for anyone who wants to take action on climate change; for anyone who’s fed up with empty government rhetoric and corporate spin; for anyone who’s worried that the small steps they’re taking aren’t enough to match the scale of the problem; and for anyone who’s worried about our future and wants to do something about it.“

I’ve been wondering in the past few years why humanity was so will to make significant sacrifices in the 20th Century for causes such as gender equality, ending apartheid, anti-nuclear campaigns, gay rights to name a few, yet when we face what is arguably the most significant and likely threat to our survival on the planet as it is today we are timid, unsure and uncommitted.   As the younger generation we have some cause to be angry with the powers that have been ignoring  climate science for 3o or years,  but if we don’t take action now to alter our cause then we are equally responsible for the damaging centuries to come.   We can complain about the short-sightness of politicians all we want, we can be dismayed at the mis direction of economists, and we can be angry with the baby boomers for blowing the greatest generation of wealth we may ever know, but if we don’t take take responsibility to act when the time is called for then we are merely a silent part of the problem.

So when grass roots events like the NZ Climate Camp come along it is a great chance to educate ourselves and direct our actions positively.  Have a look at the nice website, and contact them if you have anything to offer.

Camp for Climate Action Aotearoa

I am also really suprised with how quiet and obidient the Maori Party is being about the removal of Maori Representation from the new Greater Auckland Council.  I can only think that they too have been promised something big to keep them quiet and this would have to be the repeal of the Seabed and Foreshore Legislation.  This would be classic Key, he gets to make seemingly pro-environmental and pr0-maori gestures which in reality are weak and don’t change the reality of the alternative agenda they are quietly running behind the scenes.

It is however a very difficult area.  It is young, under resourced and by its nature deals with disastorious situations.  NZ has previously maintained the noble goal of ensuring that our small contribution to the world of Aid is delivered effeciently and with the primary goal of poverty reduction.  Basically this means the money goes to simple things like providing clean water, safe accommodation, food. You know, all that stuff we completely take for granted.  This strategy has been widely praised and is inline with international best standards such as Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness that was signed in 2005. NZ has avoided much of the criticism and international scepticism that comes with aid from countries like the US and Australia who tie their Aid to their commercial and strategic interests.

New Zealand will now join those countries and make our AID programme responsive to our trade and political interests.  So first up we see NZ aid money been diverted to subsidizing flights to the pacific.  This is a fine idea and its great to be promoting NZ obligations to the pacific.  But lets be clear, this is money that would otherwise be helping people in the pacific deal with day to day issues of poverty.  Things like Maleria vaccinations, water pumps, grain, seeds…

Here’s two indepth articles recently published about this:

Josie Pagani:  If it’s not helping to reduce global poverty it doesn’t count as aid. 

Gordon Campbell: Murray McCully’s attack on New Zealand’s foreign aid programme