EDITOR’S LETTER
Our wonderful editor, Michele Crawshaw, is away with her husband Chris on a great American road trip, so it’s my turn for a spin in the ed’s chair. Like most Aucklanders, my morning commute is long and I fill my bus ride by listening to podcasts. Yes, this means I am like that annoying person in your friend group who is always saying: “I heard this great quote on a podcast.” But bear with me, because I did indeed hear this great quote on a podcast!
“Perfection is the enemy of progress,” said Winston Churchill. I have long been a fan of Winston’s quotes – my favourites being, “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” and every single one of his drunken party insults (none of which we can really print here).
But the perfection quote spoke to me, because it’s fair to say 2020 has truly arrived with a bang. The headlines dominating the world this past month have been terrifying, depressing and fast-moving. The fires raging through Australia; the fact that World War Three almost broke out, announced via Donald Trump’s Twitter; as we go to print, a deadly virus threatens to sweep the globe…
The news climate, just like the actual climate, can feel catastrophic at times, and it can be hard to know how to be useful.
When you can’t fix everything, why bother fixing anything? But that attitude solves nothing. We don’t have to be perfect to help make things better, we all just have to start somewhere. In our story about the devastating Australian fires (page 28), you’ll read about how communities sprang into action when it seemed all hope was lost. It’s a great reminder of how resilient the human spirit is, and how powerful we can be when we work together.
In our cover story, TVNZ presenter Renee Wright talks about the difficult reality of raising three small children in a world that’s shifting due to climate change. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, she says. “[But] it’s important for them to know they have to be aware, and do their bit, every day.”
That’s a good lesson for all of us. Over the summer holidays, my mother and I were looking through the roles available at Volunteering New Zealand. As Mum hits 65, she’s keen to transition from full-time work into part-time work, with a day or two a week dedicated to volunteering. There’s a plethora of jobs available, for every skill set, and I’m going to join her in finding a role that works alongside my full-time work. Whether it’s helping improve things in our homes, our friend groups, our wider communities or planet Earth itself, all we can do is be aware, and do our bit, every day.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead