We used to have a successful protest movement in New Zealand. Why don’t we have one anymore?

In 1980 I was 17 years old and the No Smelter campaign was one of the first political protests with which I became involved.

As with many issues the community was split down the middle with about half thinking it was a great idea and the other half dead-set against it.

Around the same time there were big protests against the Springbok tour and nuclear ships.

In his cell in prison on Robben Island Nelson Mandela heard the news that the Springbok/All Blacks game in Hamilton had been cancelled and has been quoted as saying – ‘It was as ‘if the sun had come out’.

This country stood up against racism – and we called it out as the evil bullshit it is.

Despite our small size our loud voice was heard all around the world.

We did our bit to end apartheid in South Africa and we should all be proud.

We also stood up against the doctrine of MAD – mutually assured destruction –that is if everyone had nuclear weapons no-one would dare use them. This was supposed to make the world safe from war. It didn’t.

In the 70’s and 80’s we tried to stop nuclear ship entering our harbours and when they did we tried to make sure they knew they weren’t welcome.

Between 1978 and 1983 opposition to nuclear-armed ship visits rose from 32% to 72%.This didn’t happen by itself. It happened because of an active vital protest movement and in 1987 our government listened to this movement and banned them completely.

These were proud moments in our history when enough people stood up for what was right and demanded change.

Now – over 40 years later- why aren’t we asking for change again?

This time it’s not just one issue or the other – we’re playing for everything – the whole shebang! The whole nine yards.

We are playing for the very survival of our ecosystem and our future as a species.

Where are the big protest movements when runaway carbon emissions are killing people everyday?

Why are we taking this massive risk with our future? What the fuck?

The climate catastrophe isn’t a matter that’s up for debate!

Anyone who says that any tweaks to the ‘business as usual’ model is going to haul our arses out of the fire during this terrible climate emergency is insulting every single reputable climate scientist on the planet – Not to mention all those people who’ve already died from heat-stoke, fires and floods, cyclones and storms.

In this country alone – last year the floods in the far north killed four people and Cyclone Gabrielle killed another eleven making 15 people who died last year from climate related events – which – even our drop-kick government admits were driven by runaway climate change.

The Government’s Treasury puts the damage from just these two events at around 9-14 billion dollars. How much did tourism bring into the country last year? Estimates are around 13 billion dollars. So we made a loss – in money as well as lives and livelihoods.

Business as usual is killing us – economically, emotionally and for real.

We all need to wake up and smell the coffee.

The climate crisis isn’t in the future – our own government declared one in 2020.

It’s freaking NOW! It’s already a runaway freight train!

Last year – 12,000 people lost their lives in climate disasters around the world – not to mention the millions of people who lost their houses and their business in the now ongoing floods and the fires and storms. Things are only just getting started but already animal species are becoming extinct by the day.

We are about to lose the hoiho – the bird of the year- as a direct result of the billions of tonnes of emissions of greenhouse gases we are pouring into the atmosphere every year.

But we have a government which is stuck in the past.

And people who think they can become an expert in a subject from watching a few videos on You Tube.

It’s no wonder so many people are confused.

I don’t claim to have all the answers.

But I am 100% convinced we are on the brink of a global catastrophe which will make ‘Mad Max Fury Road – look like a fucking tea party!

If I am wrong that would be fantastic! I really hope I am!

But right now we are driving full speed towards the cliff of our own extinction with our foot pushing hard on the gas pedal.

Where’s our insurance policy? There isn’t one, is there?

And we can’t fix this situation by ourselves.

We all stop thinking of ourselves as individuals and start fighting for our very survival as a species.

No one is immune and if we think we are safe in our little bolt hole down here wait till we become inundated with refugees whose islands are now under water. Whose land is too dry to grow food. Where wars for the remaining resources have forced them to move or die.

No one is safe!

The best way to try and turn things round is always to join a group of like minded people.

Together we are powerful!

I know it’s hard and scary to meet new people and do new things but our very survival is at stake.

But I want to be able to look my children in the face and have them know I did as much as I could to try and make sure they had a future.

If you want a sustainable future for yourself, your business, your family and your future the best time to step up was yesterday.

The second best time us now!

We need to look to those successes of the past and draw on them as a road map to the future.

Aramoana – we won!

Racism – we said no.

Nuclear ships and weapons and power – we told it to fuck off.

The climate apocalypse? ???????????

Yeah. Nah!

(NB – Yesterday I was convicted of trespass for blocking a trainload of coal at Dunedin Railway Station destined for Fonterra to burn to turn milk into milk powder for export –https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350425202/climate-protesters-may-face-60k-reparation-bill-over-train-blockade