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By Deirdre Kent

Yes, it’s an awful word but we won’t try and change it because there are already over 500 academic articles on degrowth. The movement is strong in Europe. This diagram shows the occurrence of key words in books since 2010.

We have recently started a group called Degrowth Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ). Our members come from concern about planned obsolescence, fast fashion, overpackaged food, aviation, too many cows, too many cars. Ordinary people in rich countries are saying we are “too developed”. Those who have been in climate action often suddenly realise you can’t reduce emissions easily in a growing economy.

[Read more…] about Degrowth – the word to hate and then accept

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.

[Read more…] about The continuing campaign for a safe crossing of Poplar Avenue

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??

[Read more…] about Feeling and responding to the climate and ecological crises

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.

[Read more…] about A plant-based diet and kerbside collection of food waste: More ways to cut emissions