#227: See it, be it

Mōrena, and welcome to your Tuesday. With just a couple of months until the general election (not that we're counting, or anything…), it's more important than ever to stay motivated and find inspiration where we can. I was recently reading aboutThe Carbon Wave, a book that goes behind the scenes of America's Inflation Reduction Act in a deeply personal way, with inspiration in spades – author and political science professor Leah Stokes helped the Inflation Reduction Act through its rocky passage to eventual success, whilecoping with a high-risk pregnancyalong the way. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022 and described as the biggest investment in emission reduction initiatives and renewable energy America has ever made. It included tax reforms, healthcare policy changes andextensive climate- and energy- related provisions and subsidies. Despite extensive Trump government rollback, the legislation kick-started a cascading clean energy revolution that is ongoing, and may even have shiftedvoting behaviour in some communities. One major example of this was the US$185 billion in private investment into building factories that produce electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries. Even under a president who has vowed to kill these, 9 out of 10 are still getting built. Not only that, but the popularity of these factories may be shifting political favour towards the Democrats, despite the majority being in strong Republican areas. Leah Stokes explains this as 'policy feedback' – policies build political support in a way that's hard to reverse, and her book tells a story of persistent advocacy alongside many others, and the tremendous effect this legislation has had on people's lives - creating a 'carbon wave'. In Leah's words, 'This story shows that by changing policy, we can reach far beyond our own small footprints and transform much larger systems. To make that law a reality, I had to work alongside thousands of other people … I hope the book inspires people to believe they are more powerful than they might think.' Last week's most-clicked link was thepetition to repeal fast-track mining applications. An Australian company is in the early stages of establishing a new fertiliser factory in Southland, powered by a coal mine. Greenpeace is concerned about the environmental damage of both coal mining, the dirtiest fossil fuel, and synthetic fertiliser, which contributes to more nitrate in the water and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Action:Add your signature to the open letter to ask this company to halt their build. Horowhenua District: Horizons Regional Councilis seeking the view of locals on how to better connect the community and support the district's growth.Action:Have your say!Your feedback will help shape future transport services and make sure community voices are part of this important conversation. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland:The Council is asking for submissions on changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan - the city's planning rulebook that sets out where new homes and businesses can be built. This is your chance to push for intensification that is built around walkable catchments, as well as stricter rules around climate mitigation and adaptation.Action:Share your thoughts in a submission by September 24th here. Take part in theClimate Club resolutionfor September! Maybe we sound like a broken record, but the days and weeks leading up to election day are when campaigns need the most help. Make it social:Volunteer for phone banking, door knocking, or social media campaigns with climate-focused organisations. Help elderly neighbours or people without transport get to the polls. Have conversations with undecided voters in your life about why climate action matters to you. Make it structural:If you have skills in design, writing, data, or organising, offer them to campaigns or advocacy groups. Help with voter registration drives in your community, and share resources about where and how to vote. We'll be sharing actions via Climate Club throughout this time, so get involved! Ngāmotu and Hāwera, September 9th-10th:Want to find out where your local candidates stand on climate policy and environment? Two local Candidate Debates are taking place before the general election. Action:Prep some questions and encourage someone you know to come along and stay informed.Debate location information is available here. You'vesigned the petition, now take the next steps to help protect Sams Creek and Te Waikoropupū Springs from future gold mining! Support the 'Save Our Springs' campaign which is urging the government to expand the Kahurangi National Park to include these areas and protect them from gold extraction. Retaining the structure and biodiversity of conservation land is important for climate resilience, and gold mining is known to be a highly emissions-intensive and polluting industry.Bonus Action, Upper Tākāka, September 13th:Save Our Springs is hosting a community gathering at Sam's Creek to come together, make our voices heard, and show how much Sam's Creek means to our community.Find out more here. Bonus (Bonus) Action, Pōneke Wellington, September 23rd:If you are in Pōneke, turn up to Parliament to support presenting the petition to the Government.Find out more here. Fix it, swap it, thrift it - and win $400. We're challenging Climate Club NZ readers to buy less new stuff, and rewarding you for it. Sign up, share a photo of something you've fixed, swapped or thrifted, tag us, and you're in the draw for a $400 Auckland op shop spend-up.Details here! September 15th:Climate Liberation Aotearoa is holding aClimate Emergency Meeting. Go along to hear climate activists and local people tell the truth about the climate crisis, and what we can do about it. September 14-20: TheBay of Plenty 'Climate Action Festival'is launching next week! A host of community events are scheduled that all look at how you can participate in climate action and reduce your carbon footprint! September 19th:March for Naturealong Queen Street. Help the environmental groups come together again to defend Aotearoa's natural environment. Take action alongside groups such as 350 Aotearoa, Greenpeace, Forest & Bird and others by marching against the Conservation Amendment Bill. If you're in Thames:Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki are organising a bus from Thames to the March for Nature!Register here. That's all for today, folks 👋🏽 Thanks for taking action. Bird is the word!! Enjoy voting in Forest and Bird's annual2026 Bird of the Year. You have until the 20th of September to have your say about who is the best in the business of being feathery and cool as. The major plus side is, it's excellent practice for getting your human votes in come November. See you next week, Jen & the Climate Club team Linktree|Instagram|LinkedIn|Climate Job Board|Donate