The interlockings of climate change, biodiversity, and social justice have come together in Be The Change, a new campaign launched last Friday in New Zealand by Greenpeace, Oxfam and Forest & Bird. The joint effort is injecting global warming squarely into NZ's mainstream culture.
These three organizations are each leaders in their sectors: Greenpeace for environmental issues, Oxfam for poverty and justice, Forest & Bird for conservation of New Zealand's native plants and animals. While the connection with Greenpeace is obvious, the involvement of groups whose focus lies on poverty and conservation shows that concerns about the widespread effects of climate change have spread to a wider range of organisations.
Forest & Bird CEO Mike Britten says that the organisation is only beginning to discover the widespread effects of global warming; it's the biggest conservation challenge ever faced. Britten says that climate change is already having a direct and noticeable impact on the NZ native ecosystem. In one of many examples, the rising ground temperatures are causing the native tuatara lizard eggs to hatch a greater proportion of males. Since the tuatara is a unique yet threatened species that has existed for millions of years, its' extinction would be a shameful blow to NZ's indigenous biodiversity. Increasingly unpredictable weather is also triggering beech forests to drop more seeds, supporting a greater population of rats, mice and stoats who threaten the nests of native birds.
Oxfam has a long relationship with climate change and counts its involvement with Be The Change as a way to prevent further climate-related catastrophes.
"We're concerned with the injustice posed by climate change, not only for future generations but for people in the developing world who're suffering the worst impacts -- especially those who are poor, vulnerable and least able to protect themselves," says Barry Coates, Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand.
The involvement of Oxfam and Forest & Bird in a climate change campaign is evidence that the widespread impacts of global warming are being acknowledged and prepared for across a diverse range of groups, and that an emerging spirit of teamwork will meet the impending challenges.
So what's the program? Be The Change is foremost a micro-action campaign aimed at generating small, positive changes on a personal level by thousands of people. Its' key elements are a tour bus and a website -- each an experiential piece of contact devised to allow participants to learn from each other.
The bus is a 1970's Bedford model, re-furbished and fitted with a new diesel engine. It runs on tallow based bio-diesel, a conversion which cost less than $100 in filters. Its' computers, data projector, outdoor sound system and assorted technology stalls are powered by a roof-mounted array of solar panels. The stalls include demonstrations of alternative heating methods, tips on how to use less energy, demonstrations of energy efficiency, and portals to the open-access ideas-board website.
BeTheChange.org.nz is a Web 2.0 style resource designed to encourage conversation about nifty and practical green ideas. It facilitates all the usual community site tricks -- profiles, blogs, conversations, in addition to "pledges," "stories" and plenty of easily digestible information pages.
The global movement to curb climate change and implement the many energy and other solutions that already exisit needs millions of leaders to give it mainstream appeal. In New Zealand, Be The Change takes it in that direction.
