350.Christchurch – Failure is not an option
Admitting that your organisation hasn’t (yet) had major success might be considered marketing suicide but Graham Townsend and Charles Drace, spokespeople for climate activist group 350.Christchurch, know their goal is a long haul and super challenging.
“None,” is the provocative and not-so-facetious answer Charles gives when asked about his organisation’s carbon reduction achievements to date.
Lack of political leadership and public apathy, they say, are significant impediments to gaining traction on 350’s goal of lessening the effects of human-activated climate change.
“But that’s no reason to give up,” says Graham, a retired teacher who also experienced life in a developing country, namely Uganda.
A gnawing desire in both men keeps them pursuing the issue. The stubborn pair don’t believe it’s the right thing to do to “kick the can down the road’ and let future generations deal with the devastating effects of increasing carbon in the atmosphere and a warming planet.
“I’m not gonna stop as long as I’ve got health,” says Graham. “As Charles said, it’s just a duty, [this work] has to be done.”
350.Christchurch is affiliated with national body 350.Aotearoa and part of an international movement spread across 188 countries. The name 350 relates to the scientifically agreed ‘safe’ upper limit of carbon dioxide molecules in the atmosphere (a ratio of 350 carbon dioxide molecules per million atmospheric molecules).
A recent hui to evaluate and hone the regional group’s strategy has led to the crystallising of six key ways to help break New Zealand’s “political impasse” on climate action. These strategies include an on-going communication campaign, to keep climate-change in the media and public eye, and calling for people to make environmentally ethical choices in their daily lives (in areas such as transport).
They support other climate change groups with a similar ethos and aren’t averse to leading or joining in public demonstrations, although the pair admit that many of 350’s more strident activists have moved on to be involved with other climate action groups.
A leaflet drop campaign in the lead up to the 2023 general election exceeded the group’s expectations, with volunteers distributing pamphlets to more than 40,000 households throughout greater Christchurch. The maildrop, which featured a quote from world renowned environmentalist Sir David Attenborough, also garnered a few additional members with “new energy and new ideas”.
To admit defeat is clearly not an option for the pair. They continue to advocate for effective political leadership to tackle the accelerating climate crisis.
“What else can you do – give in and be complicit? We have to keep trying and plug away,” says Graham. “Even if it seems people don’t want to know”.
350.Christchurch has produced a promotional video, which can be viewed here.
