War on climate change

(especially in Marlborough and Canterbury). The number of tropical cyclones are not expected to increase but storm intensity is. Drought severity is expected to increase in most parts of the country except the west and far south.

So, what will this mean? Hotter and drier conditions will impact agriculture and terrestrial ecosystems. Drought, and flooding due to intense rainfall will impact farms and communities. Other expected changes not covered in the NIWA report, such We would be cowards not to.

The difference with WWII is that we are doing this to ourselves, by our own industry and lifestyle. If we stay on this course, we will be consuming the future of generations of Kiwis to come. What excuse will we give to our children and our grandchildren?

So, what does a mobilisation ask of us? During WWII, mobilisation of New Zealand asked a lot. The nation had one priority. Foodstuffs, petrol and tyres were rationed to provide supplies to the war effort. Civilians were ‘‘man-powered’’ into jobs that needed filling, putting women in the labour force in significant numbers for the first time. Factories and fortifications were built, farms were expanded and new industries were established.

Food production was critical to the war effort. People worked hard, worked together and focused on the war effort.

Mobilisation against climate change asks for far less. In order to reduce our emissions, we need to change our lifestyles – what we eat, what we drive, what we do for work, how we utilise our land and where we go for vacations. The government has made a start in changing the economy using market forces, with the Emissions Trading Scheme.

There is much more needing to be done and the country is waiting for the new Zero Carbon Act to be enacted and the Climate Commission to be established. While we wait for these changes to kick in, we can also make a start. Many already have. It won’t be easy but Kiwis have done it before and come out better for it.

This month, as we reflect on the sacrifice and heroism of the ANZACS, we can also take a moment to think about the challenges to our generation. What are we willing to do?