A new youth-led organisation, 'Generation Zero', has formed in New Zealand to pursue a carbon zero Aotearoa.
In Hamilton on 29th July they held one of several presentations in a road show traversing the entire country asking the question: What’s the hold up?
This article is my observations of that meeting.
Introduction
There was an excellent turnout of approximately 100-120 of all ages, not just generation zero.
The presentation was introduced by local councillor Daphne Bell from the Sustainability Working Group who lauded the young people for their initiative and passion, and urged all to vote for Sustainable Waikato candidates in the forthcoming local elections. Acknowledged were attending Hamilton Councillor Martin Gallagher, and Waikato Regional Councillor Paula Southgate.
A video montage was shown featuring the President of the World Bank, David Attenborough, President Obama, Gordon Campbell (Premier of British Columbia) movie personalities and Anne Salmond trotting out the usual climate change alarmist meme.
And, we were told, this view is shared by 97% of scientists (without mention to Cook et al, or other dubious origins of the figure) who say we need to keep temperatures to 2o to avoid ‘catastrophe’.
Keeping below 20 translates to a 20-40% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 and an 80-95% cut by 2050. So this is the genesis of the idea of 100% reduction being the goal, packaged as 100% Possible (campaign slogan) and the rest of the presentation focused on what the current sources of carbon dioxide emissions are and how they might be eliminated in order for New Zealand to be on the “right side of history”.
The current government’s various actions or inactions were listed to illustrate their backsliding on climate change action. Principal amongst these was the disastrous Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) crash in prices to $0.15 per tonne.
