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By Sahra Kress

It is no secret that nearly everyone who lives in Raumati South has come to see this missing crossing for a main cycle path as a scandal over many years. Poplar Avenue funnels traffic off a motorway, past a school, and around a blind corner with an adjoining main road, and walkers and cyclists have been expected to cross at their own risk. This campaign took shape as a result of too many frustrated conversations- complaints, expression of shock and even outrage- and the need to take direct action where previous submissions and requests to council had been ineffective.

By Rick Williment, registered psychotherapist, climate activist

The disciplines of psychology and psychotherapy have a contribution to make to humanity’s greatest collective struggle: the urgent, dire need to find meaningful responses to the rapidly escalating climate and ecological crises.  These crises that imperil so much that we love; so much that we belong to; so much that we depend upon.

How we language and represent these crises is significant to how we find our response.  There is a world of difference between framing our predicament as ‘climate change’, so scientifically accurate and neutral and observational, and Greta’s ‘The House is on Fire!!’, so emotive, so alarming, and so activating. How cool and factual should we be as our world fries before our eyes?  Could it be that we are compromised in our capacity and willingness to engage emotionally with these threats, and have our actions informed by our emotional life??  Are we stymied by our emotional avoidance??

By Paul Callister

Plant-based diets and better managing food waste provide ways of reducing emissions.

According to OraTaio: NZ Climate and Health Council co-convenor Dr Alexandra Macmillan a plant-based diet with less meat and dairy could transform the country’s health while also slashing emissions.  The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also promote switching to a plant-based diet to help fight climate change. In addition, they demonstrate that more people could be fed using less land if individuals cut down on eating meat.

The District Council is preparing its draft Long Term Plan, which maps out the next 20 years of their work in general and the next three in detail. Now is the time to influence their plans – by the time the draft is published there will be little flexibility left to respond to public pressure. Needless to say, it is vital that the council take the climate crisis into account.

LCK has prepared a letter describing what we think the council should put in the Long Term Plan. You can download it here:

We encourage members to put in their own submissions, emphasizing the importance of climate action before the end of 2020. You can do it on the council website here.

We are also going to present our letter at the Council meeting on Thursday 10 December at 9am. All welcome to participate and send a strong message to Council on the future we want for Kāpiti!

You can sign up to speak yourself by emailing Democracy Services (Democracy.Services@kapiticoast.govt.nz) or fill in the online form at the bottom of this page, by 12.00 noon the day before the meeting. However just being present to show support for LCK’s submission would be great too!