Rotorua Climate Action Forum

11/09/2026

We have the power to make the changes necessary to respond appropriately to gloval warming. We have the solutions we need to act.

okay so the world is on fire and a few powerful men are dragging us all toward collapse. but you’re ready to fight back. here’s how:

1️⃣ speak truth

start with your circles. friends, family, workmates. share the full reality of what’s happening without sugarcoating it. this system is violent & unsustainable. the goal is to wake people up with clarity, care, *and* patience.

2️⃣ use your skills for resistance

whatever you do, you have power! whether you make music, build things, are proficient in technology, teach, or organise behind the scenes, your skills matter. use them to support movements, challenge the status quo, or build alternatives rooted in justice & ecology.

3️⃣ confront power directly

power will not give up willingly. join movements that are resisting fossil fuels, big ag and tech, corporate greed, & settler-colonial violence. disrupt the flow of business-as-usual. show up where it hurts them most, & stop asking for permission.

4️⃣ divest from destruction

move all of your money out of institutions funding war, fossil fuels, factory farms, & deforestation. ethical banks & credit unions exist. every dollar you remove is one less fuelling collapse. starve the beast wherever you can.

5️⃣ join or build a collective

collective power is our only hope. join a climate, Indigenous, environmental, or justice group that aligns with your values. or start one with others who are ready to fight. you don’t need to be perfect, just present & willing to grow.

6️⃣ live like capitalism is ending

radically reduce consumption. eat plant-based. grow and share food. cut ties with fast fashion & hyper-consumerism. build your life around regeneration, repair, care, & mutual support.

7️⃣ disrupt the machine

this system will not be reformed. general strike. mass boycotts, civil disobedience, blockades & strikes have always been the tools of the oppressed.

8️⃣ reclaim community & connection

the system wants us isolated and distracted. fight that by building mutual aid, sharing skills, supporting elders, raising kids together, and restoring kinship with the more-than-human world. invest your time in building community, join the earthly community at the link in ou

02/08/2026

30/07/2026

30/07/2026

🌏 EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY 2026 🌏

Today marks Earth Overshoot Day - the point in the year when humanity has used more natural resources than the Earth can regenerate in 12 months.

It's a sobering reminder that we are living beyond our planet's ecological limits.

And yes, that's Aotearoa NZ on the graph at 14 April 😢

We are seeing the impacts here in Aotearoa through more frequent extreme weather events, changing rainfall patterns, coastal erosion, declining biodiversity, and increasing pressure on our freshwater and natural ecosystems.

Earth Overshoot Day is not about making people feel guilty for every purchase they make or every kilometre they drive. None of us can live a completely impact-free life.

There's lots of small life-stylevactionscwe can all take. Reduce waste. Repair instead of replace. Reuse what we can. Support local producers. Protect our waterways. Care for the whenua. Every positive action helps.

But we should never lose sight of the fact that while individuals can make a meaningful difference, the greatest responsibility lies with those who shape policy, influence markets, and lead the industries responsible for the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving the change our planet needs will require courage, accountability, and leadership at every level. It's election year - vote for climate policy that supports positive, immediate and deep climate action.

As climate practitioners, community leaders, and whānau, we also know that lasting change comes from working together. By combining science, innovation, and mātauranga Māori, we can build communities that are more resilient, more sustainable, and better prepared for the future.

There is no Planet B. 🌿💚

30/07/2026

The world is no longer headed for the most catastrophic futures climate scenarios once warned about: but not because the science was wrong. It’s because people listened, and acted.

That is genuinely good news; but the new scenarios also tell us this:

📈 Not-so-good news - The new climate scenarios cover a narrower future, illustrating how human choices over the last 20 year have closed doors. While highest warming pathways are now less likely thanks to climate action over the last decade, our chances of staying below 1.5C without overshoot are now gone. And in a future where "every bit of warming matters" that means that some previously avoidable suffering will now occur.

🇺🇸 Good news - NPR’s Climate Solutions Week highlights local climate action across the U.S., from tribal wildfire resilience plans in Montana to geothermal heating in Denver and community solar in Portland. Climate solutions are still happening, all around us!

✈️ What you can do - If you’re travelling this summer, fly nonstop when possible, fly economy, take the train if you can, or simply slow down and stay longer in one place. Climate action isn’t only about technology. It’s about the choices we have every day - and share with others to make them contagious!

29/07/2026

"We have failed ...we are facing a disaster...solving the climate crisis is the biggest challenge homosapiens have ever faced...I don't want your hope ... I want you to act as if the house is on fire - because it is."

Greta Thunberg | Special Address, Annual Meeting of the World Econo...

26/07/2026

Political leaders know how to build a better New Zealand and respond to climate change. So, when will they just get on and do it?

He Pou a Rangi the Climate Change Commission has just released its latest 2026 progress report on our climate targets.

The verdict? The Government is falling off track, and not doing enough to meet its own targets. Progress stalled in 2024, and we need to double our actions to cut pollution in the next two years.

The good news is that there's no excuse for New Zealand to miss its targets: we have what we need to reduce our emissions and limit disruptions like floods, sea level rise, and deadly heat waves.

Rooftop solar and batteries pay for themselves in less than 10 years, while improving the cost of living and increasing community energy resilience. Accelerating EV uptake, public transport, and industrial heat pumps will also reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels. Nature-based solutions can protect communities from flooding and provide beautiful habitats for wildlife.

There is an election on 7 November. Politicians have a choice to provide a safer climate for us and for our grandchildren. We need to hold every politician to account, and demand that they implement the abundant solutions we have at our fingertips.

Nature can't vote, but you can.

Photo credit: Southern Plumbing

26/07/2026

Spot a new green bin outside your place? 👀 It's not early, it's organised!

FOGO bin deliveries begin next week, but there are no changes to kerbside collections just yet. Keep using your current collection schedule until 1 October. Then it's weekly FOGO pickups and alternating fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections.

Get to know the new green bin in town with our FAQs and handy guide: https://rlc.net.nz/FOGO