Be The Change Blog

We’ve had a bit of down time at the Be The Change nerve centre over the holiday period but we’re now charged up and back on the job!

Last year’s bus tour was a great success. We talked to a lot of people, found some great stories and signed up a bunch of new members.

We’ve got some great stuff planned for 2008 but to set the scene let’s first take a moment and look back to December 07 at the UN Bali climate negotiations.

Kids on the busIt's been something of an odyssey. For close to 6 weeks we've been on our bus trundling slowly north from Bluff in the deep south to Kaeo in the far north. All the way we've talked to people about climate change and the need for action. We've visited a bunch of schools and done a succession of open days with our on board solar cinema and web centre. We've talked to a lot of people. We've been saddened by climate impacts already taking a toll on the environment and people's lives but also encouraged by the number of people already aware and active on climate solutions.

The bus in kaeoWe've travelled the country from Bluff to Northland looking for stories and talking to people about the need for action and why taking action is important.

It's difficult sometimes. Talk of climate change can become abstract - especially in the cites where environmental subtleties and the forces of nature are less apparent - but today in Kaeo we came face to face with raw human pain and suffering caused by global warming. Sure, we all know that on some level that the modern lives we lead come at a cost but what is the cost and who will pay?

It's hard to quantify but today we visited the Te Huia Marae and talked with the people of Ngati Kahu about price they have paid.

London - Day of ActionThe weather cleared and yesterday, Sat December 8th, was a gorgeous day in Auckland. When the Be The Change bus crew set up our open day exhibition in Weston Park, we were also kick-starting the day of action globally.

Aucklanders came to visit the bus and enjoy the Climate Rescue Carnival, but also to take part in the human banner. Our ‘Climate SOS’ yesterday was our part of the collective voice that called out to the UN Climate Conference taking place in Bali at the moment.

Over the last day tens of thousands of people around the world have repeated this message. Ten thousand people marched in Germany, ten thousand in Taiwan, two thousand in Uganda, six thousand in London despite the rain… and the list goes on.

Giant Human Banner - Climate SOSAs part of a Global Day of Action on climate change, Be The Change hosted a Climate Rescue Carnival in Auckland.

At 0630 our banner team met at the park to sketch out the gigantic words we later wanted to fill with people and then crossed our fingers that we'd have enough people to fill the 6 meter high letters!

Sure enough (and much to our relief) the crowds started arriving shortly after midday. We had the bus set up, lots of stalls, good food, organic coffee and some great live music from Steve Abel. Then at 1pm the AK Samba band started up with their fantastic percussion performance and led the crowds down the windy paths of Western Park to the big fields.

We're down at Western Park, the sun is shining, the organic coffee is flowing and the face painting has begun. It's going to be a great day so come on down, listen to some music, check out the bus and help us make a giant human banner ...

Full bus: Be The Change visits Manurewa High in South Auckland.We have had a busy couple of days doing school visits. We went to Manurewa High School and spoke to over 500 year 10 students. It was an awesome opportunity for us to speak to so many kids and hopefully reach many more people through word of mouth, and students spreading the message of everyday climate saving actions to their whanau and friends.

It’s said that a week is a long time in politics. The burning question is whether two weeks is long enough for governments to finally wake up, smell the carbon and confront the biggest problem facing the world.

We'll find out soon.

The United Nations climate negotiations have begun in Bali. The most important two weeks in (climate) diplomacy in the last decade are now under way. In an opening address David Mwiraria, Kenya's environment minister, spoke these words.

Awareness about climate change has grown. It's still growing. As we continue to come face to face, on a more regular basis, with the impacts of climate change, our awareness will grow more still.

A couple of weeks ago, we received a very welcome email from Anne Bennett, Manager of the YWCA in Hamilton, asking if we had anywhere to stay while we were visiting. One thing led to another, and I’m now writing from a room in their hostel just out of the centre of the city.

BTC meets the YWCA: The Be The Change bus parked outside the YWCA Hamilton, where climate saving activities are the norm.