Urgent action needed to reap the benefits of a low-emission lifestyle in Canterbury

Waiting for governments to put in place the building blocks that will inspire the region to make the changes necessary to succeed in the global fight against climate change will only cost Canterbury the rare opportunity it exists today.

This is the message of Dr. Rod Carr, Chairman of the Climate Change Commission, at the Sustainability Showcase hosted by Christchurch City Council on Friday.

Speaking at an event on the University of Canterbury campus, Carr said it’s easy to think of climate change as having to do with someone else, another place and another time.

“But imagine what you would say thirty years from now if your children or grandchildren asked you: What did you know? [about the climate crisis]when did you know? what did you do And it’s really rewarding, but how did it get to this point?”

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Looking at the global impacts of climate change is certainly alarming, and there have been countless amounts of scientific evidence showing the magnitude of the problem.

“In this calendar year alone, there were 29 climate-related disasters, each costing more than US$1 billion,” says Kerr.

“If we don’t improve our outdoor fossil fuel burning soon, we will soon be living in a very different world.”

But just because it was a global issue that required global action, it was a unique opportunity for Canterbury to do good for New Zealand and the world as well as do good for itself. It did not mean that there was no

Carr noted that while Canterbury enjoys about 2,000 hours of sunshine per year, solar technology is rapidly progressing to the point where it can generate energy at 1 cent per kilowatt. The region’s wind power has provided even more renewable energy opportunities.

“The Infrastructure Commission estimates that combining wind and solar, geothermal and hydropower, New Zealand could generate three times the renewable energy needs of this century. Canterbury has some of that opportunity.”

Carr said understanding the barriers and enablers to spur faster deployment of renewables is key, and it’s important to do it now. “Because the rest of the world will spread quickly and there will be a global shortage of the skills and technology we need here. So keep doing it.

He said it is entirely under its control to make transportation in the region as environmentally friendly as possible.

“We need to be open to experimentation, and we need to embrace behavioral changes in our families and communities. He said.

“The health co-benefits of walking, biking and walking to the bus should be part of everyone’s lifestyle.

On the impact of agriculture on climate change, Carr said “blaming and shaming them” is not a constructive way to engage with the farming community. We needed to have constructive conversations about opportunities to contribute to carbonization.

“New Zealand’s agriculture contributes significantly to the foreign exchange we earn today, but sticking to the land-use composition of this region, let alone this country, is a big part of how the world produces protein. By ignoring the reality of what we will consume by the middle of this century, the unsustainable will not last.”

Yes, New Zealand’s emissions alone cannot make a difference in a changing climate, he said. is no excuse to reduce the vulnerability of

‘Don’t panic’ about Christchurch’s urban forests

Speaking of urban forests, Justin Morgenroth, associate professor of forestry at the University of California, said it’s a common misconception that urban forests are simply the remaining bush areas within cities.

It was certainly part of it, but urban forests are small forests such as trees and parks, trees planted linearly along streets, green corridors within cities, potted trees and vertical green walls. It also consisted of vegetation.

Morgenroth detailed the myriad benefits of urban forests, including improved air quality, carbon sequestration, improved water quality, support for biodiversity, and mitigation of urban heat island effects. He also improved physical and mental outcomes for people living in cities.

It was therefore a no-brainer for Christchurch to work to improve tree cover, which has been declining in recent years. It is down about 2% from 15.6% in 2016.

Christchurch City Council Parks Officer Andrew Rutledge says the city definitely needs to work to protect and improve the city’s green status, but there’s no need to ‘push the panic button’. said.

“There’s no need to panic about urban forests. It really matters to take your time, be sensible, do it wisely, and it’s sustained.”

He said he was wary of goals with “catchphrases”, such as Christchurch needing to become a “National Park City”, “Biophilic City” and “Green City”.

“I would argue that’s totally wrong, because a lot of people would think, ‘We’re fine, we’re a National Park City,’ when we’re really far away. From there, it depends on how you view the national parks, maybe instead of focusing on slapping labels on ourselves to make us feel better, we actually focus on what we’re actually trying to do. I think you should.

Rutledge said one of the council’s goals is to maintain existing canopy cover at a time when the city was under pressure to fill available space with housing. Care and maintenance are important to extend the life of trees, so it was important to consider protection measures for critical trees and increase the number of trees to be protected.

In addition, we had to choose tree species that were suitable for the expected future climate, and we needed to create space for these trees. He said it is important to consider trees as a vital piece of infrastructure in developing sustainable cities.

Offer a ‘good alternative’ for transportation

Professor Simon Kingham of the UC School of Earth & Environment and Chief Science Advisor to the Department of Transport spoke with Christchurch City Council Transport Director Lynette Ellis on how travel is changing in Otautahi.

Kingham said transport and road infrastructure not only affect climate change, but also road safety, people’s physical and mental health, and road user behavior.

According to Kingham, research shows that if you enable people to travel longer distances easier and faster, they can go farther. “Congestion can discourage some people from traveling.

Conversely, if traffic congestion is alleviated by opening roads, etc., demand will be created. “You don’t just move traffic. You actually change the demand for travel.”

Kingham said it’s important to give people choices. “Providing them with the right options will encourage people to choose to walk, bike or take public transport.

Mr Ellis said the council’s draft transportation plan will set the strategic direction for Christchurch’s transportation over the next 30 years. The plan identified three key challenges: greenhouse gas emissions from land transportation, road safety, and the relationship between transportation planning and land use and growth.

We have outlined a set of policies and actions to achieve accessible low-carbon cities and safe and livable cities.

Ellis said the council is working to achieve these goals through a variety of means, including reducing emissions by prioritizing sustainable and active transport, low-traffic zones and This includes implementing low-speed areas, improving public transport networks, bicycle networks, and walking networks. .