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If the weather’s looking iffy on a Parliament protest day, we decide on the morning whether to protest at Midland Park instead – which is more sheltered. If we change our location, we will update this post by mid-morning.

Climate groups around New Zealand are marching and protesting for climate justice again!

In Wellington, School Strike 4 Climate Wellington is organising this event (FFF only helping out a wee bit this time).

What are their demands?

Their demands are:

• Reduce emissions now – 50% real reduction by 2030, without relying on offsets
• Enable 100% transition to regenerative agriculture by 2030
• Prioritise Te Tiriti-centred climate justice
• Lower the voting age to 16

Actually, pretty much the same demands as we had for the 3 March climate strike!

Where and when

• Friday, 26 May
• Meet at Civic Square at 11am
• March to Parliament soon after, arriving around noon

Find a strike elsewhere in New Zealand

Visit the SS4C NZ Facebook to find all the strike locations.

There’s a perception that it’s too windy and wet to ride your bike regularly in Wellington. But cycling advocate Steve dived into NIWA’s Wellington weather stats from the last few decades. He found that – not only has the amount light wind been more than you’d expect, but it’s remained consistent into the present.

Steve made this infographic after studying NIWA’s weather data* for the year 2010, a typical year from Niwa’s data block of 1981 – 2010. During this 30 year period, the average wind speed was 18.9km per hour (categorised ‘Gentle’ on the Beaufort Wind Scale). The period from 2010 – 2023 has the ‘wind run’ (average wind speed) at 18.6kmh which shows the same conditions apply now.

A similar process was used to extract the rainfall data.

Readings from Centreport’s mast at Glasgow Wharf, and numerous clubs like the outdoor arts groups, corroborate these findings – you can’t use easels and watercolours in wind and rain!

*The information was from NIWA’s “Cliflo” data program, covering the period 1981-2023.

Was a lovely day on Friday 28 April – compared to the wet and dreary previous Friday – and it was great to see those who turned up to support our event.

Read Julian’s news report about this event. (PDF, 1.4MB)

Nobel-prize winning scientist Martin Manning spoke about how he and his colleagues published research on climate change decades ago – only to be met with very little action from governments.

Patrick Geddes told us how the big gentailers (generators and retailers of electricity) put profit before people and planet, ensuring fossil fuels are always in the mix.

Caz spoke about the need to transition to cleaner transport options (like buses, trains, walking and cycling).

Francesca implored Fonterra to change their mindset on what they produce, that is both profitable and less damaging to our environment (clue: plant-based milk). Simon Power from Fonterra was invited to attend but did not turn up.

Brielle lead us in a singalong of climate protest songs, showcasing her beautiful voice and guitar-playing.

Watch a short YouTube video featuring one of the songs.

Watch all the FFF Earth Day event videos. (All videos courtesy of EcoKiwi.)

And the plant-based installation moved from the park to the foyer of the building housing Fonterra’s Wellington office.

Here are some photos from the day.

The forecast for tomorrow (21 April) is for heavy rain around midday onwards. We want maximum enjoyment from the our early Earth Day event, so we’ve had to make the difficult decision to postpone it to Friday 28 April.

So we’re having a late Earth Day event instead – hope you can make it!

Tomorrow we’ll hold our usual Midland Park protest.

On Friday 21 April at 12.30pm, Fridays for Future Te Upoko o Te Ika is doing something a little different.

Earth Day is Saturday, 22 April, so on Friday 21 April we will be outside the Fonterra office in Midland Park. We’ll be :

• chalking messages to Fonterra
• hosting at least one Nobel prize-winning speaker
• displaying a plant-based installation and
• having a climate song singalong.

Of course, we’ll bring our protest placards too!

If you are in central Auckland on 22 April, head on down to the Gribblehurst Community Hub for Earth Day.

When: 22 April, 1pm – 4pm

Where: Gribblehurst Community Hub, 5 Cabbage Tree Swamp Dr, Gribblehirst Park, Sandringham, Auckland

More information on the Fridays For Future Tamaki Makaurau Facebook.

This event is organised by Fridays For Future Tamaki Makaurau and Holding Space Aotearoa.