Kia ora, welcome to our latest newsletter.
Below is a rundown of OraTaiao activities over the last 8 weeks and upcoming events, including our own noho marae at the end of June. We are also delighted to welcome our new coordinator, Danielle Newton, who is picking up the reins from Grant Brookes.
We continue to be dismayed by our current government’s wholesale assault on our environment, Te Tiriti, and Te Ao Māori.
We support the nationwide Toitū Te Tiriti Activation - Te Pāti Māori happening Thursday 30 May (today!), a revolution of Gen-T (Generation Tiriti) demonstrating a unified Aotearoa response of Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti working together.
The pushback against the appalling Fast-track Approvals Bill has been significant. Still, we have a foretaste of its anti-democratic nature in how a ballot system was used to limit the number of depositions during the Select Committee process.
Unfortunately, our current government is undermining the bipartisan approach to Aotearoa’s climate response which has been in place for the last few years, exemplified by the Zero Carbon Act. It is now crucial for civil society to stand against their efforts to sell out our futures and set us back decades. We strongly encourage any members in, near, or travelling to Auckland on Saturday, June 8, to support Greenpeace’s March for Nature.
Ngā mihi nui,
Dermot & Summer,
Co-convenors, OraTaiao: NZ Climate & Health Council
Contents:
1. Update on OraTaiao activities 2. National happenings 3. International news 4. Enjoyable essential reading
1. Update on OraTaiao activities
You are invited to the OraTaiao noho marae this June!
Image: Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae | Maia Centre and Marae | Unitec
We are excited to be hosting our biannual strategy planning wānanga on 29 - 30 June. Our rōpū is looking forward to coming together for a noho marae (marae stay) at Te Noho Kotahitanga marae located on Unitec's campus in Ōwairaka, Tāmaki Makaurau.
The noho will take place during Matariki, an auspicious time for remembrance, unity, celebration, and planning for the well-being of people and taiao.
We are currently inviting registrations of interest from our members. Members attending will be able to connect with like-minded health workers, learn more about the kaupapa of OraTaiao, and provide input into our strategic direction for 2024 - 2026 and beyond.
There is no cost to participate, beyond a small monetary contribution (koha) to the marae at the pōwhiri. If you are keen to join, but finances are a barrier to participation, please get in touch and we will see how we can support you.
Accessibility, accommodation, and dietary requirements will be catered for. Our kai over the weekend will be vegan and gluten-free.
If you are interested in attending, please fill out this brief form by Monday 3rd of June. We will host an informal online hui to whakawhanaungatanga and confirm your attendance and requirements in the lead-up to the wānanga.
A big thank you to those who have filled out our membership survey so far. Your voice and input are hugely valuable in informing our strategic direction. A reminder if you would like to contribute, click here to complete.
We look forward to seeing you online and kanohi ki te kanohi this June!
Health Professionals prescribe a dose of healthy activity
OraTaiao stands with students and supporters who continue to strike for climate justice. This is why we released a prescription for the School Strike 4 Climate on April 5th.
“Medication won’t be enough to treat this health problem. This is why we have written a prescription for everyone of every age and everywhere in Aotearoa, to join the School Strike for Climate”, says Dr Coffey. “We also know that a one-off action is most effective as part of an ongoing campaign, so we’ve included a few repeats.”
OraTaiao strongly supports all six of School Strike 4 Climate NZ’s demands: keep the ban on oil and gas exploration, Toitū Te Tiriti o Waitangi, end the fast-track approvals legislation, oppose mining and drilling, free Palestine, and ensure climate education is accessible for all. These demands will reduce our climate risk fairly, build resilience, and help ensure that Aotearoa's rangatahi are a genuine part of climate planning and decision-making.
Since the coalition government entered Parliament, Sophie Handford, the founder of School Strike 4 Climate, told Re: News she has seen whole new levels of “outrage, frustration, anger, and inspiration” from a new generation of students and young climate activists. “Now there is a real shift. This new generation of young people are not willing to be complacent because they've seen progress reversed and just how much negative action can happen in a short space of time.”
Against this backdrop, it is promising to see the growing coalition of climate advocacy groups with clear messages to our government, such as the Don't subsidise pollution: End Free Carbon Credits. You can sign the petition here.
End the fast track to destruction
The Fast-track Approvals Bill is a fast track to environmental degradation. Like many others, OraTaiao submitted to the Environment Select Committee, calling for the Bill to be rejected. We are seriously concerned about the intergenerational threats to public health. The undermining of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the rights of indigenous peoples pose significant harms we will not condone.
Momentum against the Fast-track Approvals Bill and further degradation of te taiao is mounting. We are seeing hīkoi to parliament and upcoming large-scale mobilisation, with the March for Nature on 8 June in Tāmaki Makaurau set to demonstrate peaceful public protest against the Government’s attack on all of the above. It is heart-warming to see the broad coalition of environmental and community groups getting behind the march and encouraging their friends to join. If feasible for you, we encourage our members to do the same! Contact us if you would like to connect with members of our Executive Board attending the event.
Photo by Li-An Lim on Unsplash
OraTaiao continues to call for active and public transport options
OraTaiao is here to support our members in building their resilience through these challenging times. We advocate for resilience in all its forms, including in our modes of transport. The Draft Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024/25–2033/34 is a throwback to a mid-20th century mentality in which the car is king. From a health, equity, and climate perspective, it is disgraceful. You can read OraTaiao's full submission to Te Manatū Waka (Ministry of Transport), prepared by Dr Dermot Coffey here.
Upcoming Webinar:
OraTaiao will be hosting a webinar focused on Palestine and health on Thursday the 13th of June with Dr. Ruba Harfeil, Dr. Arama Rata, and Dr. Donna Cormack. Keep an eye out for more details landing in your inbox soon.
2. National happenings
OraTaiao signs Open Letter to Parliament:
Honour Te Tiriti, Honour Te Taiao
Read the full letter here: https://350.org.nz/honour-te-tiriti/
The government has been held to account by a broad coalition calling on Parliament to fulfill its collective duty to protect Te Tiriti and Te Taiao.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi forms the basis for health equity and climate justice in Aotearoa. Attacks on Te Tiriti by the NZ Government undermine the relationships that constitute healthy environments and an equitable society. Māori stand to be disproportionately harmed by both new and ongoing systemic failures to enact Te Tiriti.
The undersigned environment and community groups state “We can do better than this, by supporting Matike Mai, a constitutional transformation based on Te Tiriti, and by protecting Papatūānuku.” OraTaiao joins in solidarity with these organisations taking a stand against all actions and proposals that seek to erode Te Tiriti in Aotearoa.
Matiki Mai can be read at: https://matikemai.maori.nz/matike-mai-aotearoa/
‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People’ - World Family Doctor Day showcases primary healthcare efforts to address climate change
Planetary health is featured as the focus of this year's World Family Doctor Day campaign. Climate change is a health issue, with family doctors witnessing these impacts firsthand and calling on world leaders to take urgent health interventions.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Te Whare Tohu Rata o Aotearoa took the opportunity to release their updated position statement on Climate change, health and general practice in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific. The current and projected effects of climate change on health and equity led the College to declare that general practice has a critical role in:
- Raising awareness around the impacts of climate change on health
- Social leadership and the promotion of lifestyle choices
- Advocating for climate policy that safeguards health
- Supporting health sector movement towards sustainable systems.
Dr Kim Loo, a leading Australian community climate activist, General Practitioner, and member of Doctors for the Environment speaks to similar issues in this great ChangeMaker Chat podcast.
Climate change, the built environment and health
Prof. Mike Davies is an academic at University College London and a member of the UK Climate Change Committee. He will give a seminar on “Climate change, the built environment and health”. For details and to join, see here.
Where: Online, and in person: 29 Brandon St, Level 4, Room 4 Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
When: Thursday 6th June, 12:15 – 1:00 pm
Climate change actions and biodiversity conservation in Occupied Palestine
Image from Dayenu: New Zealand Jews Against Occupation
Dayenu, Palestinian Youth Aotearoa, and Greenpeace are honored to host esteemed Palestinian Professor Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh in conversation with Dr. Russell Norman to discuss the effects of Israeli military occupation on the environment.
Where: Western Springs Garden Community Hall, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
When: 6th of June 7-8 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm
Major report calls for the rebalancing of our food system
Rebalancing Our Food System is a report commissioned by the previous Labour-led Government. Its key recommendation is to establish a National Food Strategy. Photo credit: Newshub.
The Public Health Advisory Committee has released a fantastic report calling for urgent change to rebalance our food system and the role that everyone has to play in it. The report highlights the connections between the food on our plates and our health, climate, and social issues. Experts are calling this a national crisis. The key recommendation is to establish a unified National Food Strategy.
With concerns that the Government will see this as too big and put it on the shelf, OraTaiao will continue to promote and work towards the actions identified in this significant report.
Dine with a Doc this June
Image of panel speakers supplied by Doctors For Nutrition.
Doctors For Nutrition is hosting a Dine with a Doc dinner and panel discussion on Tuesday 11th June at Khu Khu Eatery in Tāmaki Makaurau. The panel will explore the human and planetary health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. It will also speak to the challenges in encouraging New Zealanders to eat more plant-based ‘climate-smart’ foods. Grab your tickets and enjoy a healthy Thai-inspired vegan menu curated just for this event.
3. International news
Climate on the agenda at the World Health Assembly
At this year's World Health Assembly (May 27 - June 1, Geneva), Member States will vote on a proposed resolution on Climate Change and Health. This builds on the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health delivered at the UN climate negotiations last year. The Climate Change and Health Resolution sets a framework to promote and build climate-resilient and sustainable health systems. While not legally binding, it will set out the actions WHO Member States should be willing to integrate into national policies to protect human health from the impacts of climate change. Read more about it here.
Government inaction on climate change violates human rights
The climate crisis is a human rights crisis, and climate litigation across Europe and beyond is making sure that governments can and will be held to account for their lack of action. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that climate protection is a human right and that Switzerland has violated this. The lawsuit was brought forward by the KlimaSeniorinnen, a group of over 2000 older Swiss women, who argued that the government’s inaction put them at greater risk of dying during heatwaves, which have become hotter and more frequent due to the burning of fossil fuels. This ruling is a milestone for all generations in the struggle for a livable climate. Fundamentally, the success of this case will be seen through real-world mitigation outcomes. For now, we are grateful that where governments fail to deliver climate progress, human rights law seems to be a mechanism by which to demand better.
4. Enjoyable essential reading
Māori work in the climate change space ‘is like a round peg in a square hole’
Our co-convenor Summer is one of the co-authors of a newly published research article Climate change and mātauranga Māori: making sense of a western environmental construct. It is a must-read. The article highlights that the work of Indigenous people is largely invisible, except to themselves, and rarely articulated, working in places and grappling with concepts alien to their own. It calls for a more relational and reciprocal framing of climate and climate change, with the grounding of mātauranga Māori in whakapapa providing a point of connection to move towards practical actions. The authors acknowledge that Māori-led taiao initiatives are increasingly sought after, yet remain undervalued. The article calls for decolonizing processes and a collective voice promoting paradigmatic power shifts. This must challenge dominant understandings and resist systems and structures that maintain the current climate trajectory.
Gardening for our gut health
Photo by Te Pania on Unsplash
Research has found that gardeners have healthier guts than non-gardeners. For long-term health, we should design our gardens and playgrounds as edible meadows with microbial diversity in mind. Read more about why here.
This newsletter was written by our new coordinator, Danielle Newton.
Dani (Patuharakeke, Ngāpuhi, Scottish) has a background in community climate action, education for sustainability, and mahi tiaki taiao. She has worked across local councils, kaupapa Māori, and membership-based NGOs in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has recently moved to Motueka to embody her dream off-grid permaculture lifestyle. Dani loves spending time in the māra kai followed by the kitchen.
OraTaiao: New Zealand Climate and Health Council OraTaiao
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