Climate change action

I am grateful for Simon Wilson’s opinion piece, “Emission Impossible?” ( NZ Herald, July 24).

Being aware that climate change has already destroyed people’s lives, homes, livelihoods and health, and the loss of millions of animal species, I feel enormous grief.

It is solely for this reason that I have chosen not to own a car. My commute to work is considerable and I do it by e-bike or a combination of e-bike and train.

I’m not a sporty person, but I love being out in the air and biking through green areas.

I’m not put off by the rain and cold. The only thing that puts me off is the aggression of some drivers — at least one a day — who see cyclists as an inconvenience and try to intimidate me. I’ll let you know that it works.

I feel scared for my life every day. I arrive home stressed. Like Simon Wilson, I feel a lot of frustration — sometimes despair — wondering how we are going to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 (with transport causing 43 per cent of this city’s emissions) if people continue to refuse to take up their small share of responsibility.

The debate about who is responsible for taking action on climate change has been an incredibly effective stalling tactic.

We are all responsible — governments and councils need to do everything in their power and everyday citizens need to do everything in their power — for one, by participating in the initiatives of the council to reduce traffic. Now. Today. Yes, you.

Lucette Hindin