Another Strike for Climate post Covid

Kaitaia College students marching at last year's School Strike 4 Climate. Picture / Peter Jackson

Climate change has largely been knocked off the media radar by Covid-19, but the organisers of School Strike 4 Climate plan to return it to the spotlight tomorrow, with even greater fervour than in the past.

"Covid-19 has rapidly changed our way of living, connecting and working," SS4C organiser Oli Morphew said.

"It's also had an effect on the kinds of tools movements like School Strike 4 Climate NZ are able to use to mobilise New Zealanders for climate justice. For this reason, SS4C NZ is approaching the International Climate Strike on Friday a little differently, and is moving online.

"The importance of continuing momentum to show love for this one planet we all call home has never been so clear," he said.

"We must come together, online and standing in our own driveways, as we've shown we can do so well for each other during the stages of lockdown we've just endured. Let's do the same for our Earth and to #UnitebehindClimate."

A Facebook event had been created to establish a network of New Zealanders who would be uniting behind climate in some way, shape or form tomorrow, including links to petitions and letters, and was quickly gaining traction. The message had been shared with unions, businesses, students and various networks around the country.

People throughout the country would be taking to their driveways to draw their vision for a green post-covid New Zealand. Others would be painting those visions on protest signs and for display to the world from their windows, similar to the Covid-19 lockdown's Great Big Bear Hunt.

"Whether it's flourishing native bush, 100 per cent renewable energy, or even something as simple as a kid riding their bike in a car-free city, let's see it," fellow organiser Coco Green-Lovatt said.

"New Zealanders tell stories of how we were the first to give women the vote, the first to go nuclear-free. Once again, we have the eyes of the world on our small nation, and the opportunity to show them not just how to beat Covid-19, but how to create sustainable jobs to bounce back into a healthier, happier planet.

"Our leaders face a choice in the fight against the covid recession. For our children, we must follow the path of protecting people and Papatuānuku, not power and profit. We are not only the generation that will face the effects of the climate crisis. We are the ones who will be paying off the debt generated from the economic stimulus."

She exhorted everyone to get involved in tomorrow's demonstration in whatever way they were able to, from 9am to 6pm.