The Health group OraTaiao: The New Zealand Climate and Health Council has welcomed today’s launch of the report ‘Jobs After Coal’ by Coal Action Network Aotearoa (CANA).

“This report dispels the myth that coal extraction is necessary for jobs and economic security in New Zealand” says Dr Rhys Jones, Co-convenor for the Council. “But most importantly, this report reminds us of the risk of runaway climate change from continuing unrestrained fossil fuel exploitation.”

More than 270 healthcare professionals from around New Zealand have signed an open letter to the Prime Minister published in the Dominion Post today, warning of the threat to New Zealanders’ health from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

A group representing OraTaiao: The New Zealand Climate and Health Council, which consists of around 200 health professionals, is calling for an urgent revision of Wellington’s public transport plans. They presented their concerns to a panel of local mayors and NZTA in Wellington today.

The doctors say the current Public Transport Spine Study (PTSS) takes no account of the measures needed to counter climate change, and ignores the impact of different modes of transport on human health.

OraTaiao: The New Zealand Climate and Health Council is appalled that our government has now refused to join a second Kyoto commitment period. This ends a bleak week for climate action with changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme removing any pretence of reducing emissions.

The NZ Climate and Health Council calls on the government to listen to New Zealanders and take real action on climate change.

For a country like New Zealand, standing on the sidelines waiting for everyone else to act first is not an option. Council spokesperson Dr Rhys Jones says: ‘New Zealand is climate-exposed with our agriculture and fishing industries, and we need the cooperation of the rest of the world. But we cannot underestimate the chilling message we send if New Zealanders, as some of the highest climate polluters in the world and with plentiful natural resources, refuse to develop a low emissions economy.’

Doctors say the Government’s plans to downsize New Zealand’s only tool to combat climate change puts our country’s health at risk.

‘We’ve all seen the frightening footage of the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy this week’, says Dr Rhys Jones from the NZ Climate and Health Council. ‘If climate change continues unchecked, storms like this are predicted to become a regular occurrence. Yet our Government is pressing on with plans to water down our Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that will make it completely useless.’

The ETS Bill is likely to reach the committee stages this Tuesday 6 November, after having passed the second reading with a slim majority of 61 to 59. The Council is asking each of those 61 parliamentarians to reflect on the dangers to New Zealand’s economy, environment and health of rejecting a low emissions future.

The Council notes the majority of New Zealanders want action on climate change, according to the Horizon NZ survey released in August this year – and this number is likely to have swelled since witnessing the extreme devastation of Sandy and rising global food prices as a result of US Mid-West droughts.

‘Yet 61 members of parliament’, says Dr Jones, ‘plan to pass legislation next week that will lock New Zealand into a high emissions economy and bloat our government debt by tens of billions of dollars by the mid-2020s. Foresters have already warned that the planned changes will reverse tree planting efforts.’

Dr Jones says: ‘The reality is that is that our country has so many natural resources to grow food, plant forests and generate almost all our energy sustainably. There are also real health gains from low emissions lifestyles that enable New Zealanders to live longer, healthier and happier.’

‘New Zealand’s refusal to act responsibly, despite being amongst the highest climate polluters internationally, sends a terrible message to the rest of the world as we approach another round of international climate talks at the end of this month’, the Council concludes.

ENDS