the rain came

Golden Bay/Mohua, here at the top of the south is a most amazing area. But today, after the rain there are slips and people who have had water streaming through their houses, there have been evacuations and roads cut. The road to town has a massive hole in it and is impassable and probably will be for a few days.

Stuff

Takaka township recorded 423mm of rain in a 24 hours period, making it "well in excess of a one in 100 year event", Civil Defence said. The previous 24 hour rainfall high was 256mm in August 1990.

Small communities have had their infrastructure lost and the cleanup has not even started yet.  I haven't heard of anyone hurt so that is good. A massive disruption just before the festive season. Yet on the world stage it wouldn't even rate a mention. Interesting to consider the macro and the micro - how a significant event for an individual is just that, same for a community too. When it all goes bad we will have each other, we will have community and connection and we will have to get on with the job, together. So we help pull people out of trouble - thanks mate, and we open our homes to people that need shelter, and we check up on people and make sure they are okay. We open up the marae and we hear about the people that have suffered loss and we prepare to help them. We are community.

We know about weather events related to global warming - they will become more severe, more random and more destructive. At every scale we will be going through more trials and tribulations and there is nothing we can do about that because the cycles and momentum of earthly change on ponderous scales have already started and they won't stop. But we can prepare and a big part of that is building community and connection. No doubt in calamitous times we are forced together but the more we practice, when we can, the better and we can learn from other communities about what works and what doesn't. Ultimately when it all hits the fan we do what we have to do to survive - we are all in this together.

plenty of questions

Some fair questions that need an answer from a Te Ata Tino Toa Press Release at Te Karere Ipurangi

“Using a free market solution to fix climate change problems created by the free market is intellectually unsound, why has the New Zealand government passed an emission trading scheme that has condemned the Pacific?” asks Sina Brown-Davis ( Ngapuhi / Samoa )

“Why would some Maori support the Dairy industry that has been irresponsibly polluting our rivers and environment before the lives of our cousins in Tuvalu, Kiribati, Tokelau and the other many small island communities in the Pacific?”

“Putting the interests of the dairy industry and tribal capitalists out to make a quick buck before the lives and homes of small island communities should be condemned around the Pacific and by Maori who believe in the values of whanaungatanga and whakapapa”. continued Sina.

There has been wide support within the global indigenous community that Indigenous Peoples rights needed to be protected in any negotiations that come out of Copenhagen.

This was articulated by the Indigenous Peoples caucus at the lead up meeting in Bangkok when they said

‘The recognition of our rights must be in accordance with international human rights law and standards including the UNDRIP and ILO Convention 169, among other human rights instruments. If there is no full recognition and full protection for Indigenous peoples’ rights, including the rights to resources, lands and territories, and there is no recognition and respect of our rights of free, prior and informed consent of the affected indigenous peoples, we will oppose REDD and REDD+ and carbon offsetting projects, including CDM projects.’

Previously the Maori Party had supported the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The New Zealand Governments position to date has been to oppose the inclusion of the Declaration in the agreements being negotiated at Copenhagen.

How do they intend to deal with this contradiction?

As with all of the good questions raised, there is a strong chance that they will deal with it by doing nothing and just ignore the questions.

sometimes, all I need is the air that i breathe and to love you

Sometimes... all i need is the air that i breathe and to love you, all i need is the air that i breathe and to love you, all i need is the air that i breathe...

Leaders of the world in copenhagen - hear our plea and make agreements to protect the most vulnerable people and ecosystems - please.



Sing it long and sing it loud brothers and sisters!