Issue 21 - Climate Crisis

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Editorial

03 05 - 11

News

12 - 13

Tino Rangatiratanga is the Key to Climate Justice

14 - 15

Ipukarea

16 - 19

Accounting for the Future

23 - 25

Artist Profile / Centrefold

26 - 29 Carbon, compost, and soil critters 30 - 32

Columns

To Be Frank (30), Rice to Meet You (31), VUWSA (32)

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Culture Review (34),

36 - 38

Entertainment

About Us Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

Complaints Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the Editors in writing (editor@salient.org.nz).

If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, VUWSA, or the University.

Sink your teeth into it!

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Editorial

It might not feel like it, but doing your bit matters Thinking about the climate crisis makes me anxious at times. Like, can’t sleep, can’t eat, head-achy anxious.

This is a documented phenomenon, especially among young people.

Anxiety presents itself in many different ways. It can look like denial, worrying what people will think if you do the ‘wrong’ thing, feeling powerless, having trouble expressing your emotions, and isolation. A lot of these elements appear in this whole climate-anxiety situation.

I get the dull thud of fear when I read news. I worry that I’m responding in the wrong ways, that I’ll be judged.

I’m sort-of-vegetarian but still put milk in my tea and eat chicken. I don’t take the bus everyday. I’ll swear off McDonald’s because I don’t want to support capitalism’s right-hand, but then feel wracked with guilt when I cave over a chocolate sundae.

I worry that if I bring up climate change it will be too much, too hard for others, and most of the time I don’t even know where to start. There’s a point in climate discussions where someone goes “yeah, we’re fucked” and it hangs there in silence. Worse, a lot of people still think climate change is made up, kinda like how people think anxiety is too. I really don’t want to argue about whether anxiety and climate change (or both of them combined) are real or not.

I am preparing for the reality that our world will not look the same. That the coastlines I knew as a kid will change at a rate they are not meant to. It is a crisis, and it feels like nothing is changing at a rate fast enough to compete with the consequences of years of environmental exploitation. This will take radical leadership changes in the public and private sectors— it’s corporations who hold the power. It’s understandable to believe that it doesn’t matter what you do because it makes 0.0000000000000[……]01% of a difference.

However, I don’t think knowledge of this should justify ignoring climate change altogether and excusing our own responsibility in this journey. I’ll give you a few reasons.

Ignoring the climate crisis doesn’t make it go away, and it won’t help you if you are experiencing anxiety in relation to it. When we face issues in our lives, it’s empowering to acknowledge them, talk about them with others, and to take steps to cope. It’s empowering to focus on what you can do, even if it’s just a little.

What we are facing will require managing our resources differently and making lifestyle changes. We can do this while we wait for structural change. This looks different for everyone and it’s up to each of us to do what we can, based on our circumstances. It’s important not to put other people down for their choices, because while we’re fighting with each other about which milk is more sustainable, we lose sight of the bigger issue at hand— companies are fucking us all over regardless of how we take our tea. That being said, if you can swap out body wash in a plastic bottle for a bar of soap, do it. Do your recycling carefully (wash things properly). Compost, think about how you can reduce your household waste.

Repair things rather than throw them out.

Another thing we can do is support activists, and especially tangata whenua led kaupapa. Many people don’t identify as activists but contribute by working within their communities. While some of us are feeling doomed, others are dedicating their lives to protecting the earth. Both are acceptable responses, but it’s a bit of a slap in the face to say no one is doing anything without acknowledging the people who are leading, advocating, and innovating (and have been doing so for a long time).

When we believe our actions don’t matter, we deny the power that we do have. It also just sucks feeling like you can’t do anything?? So, I present to you the Climate Crisis Issue. A package of environmental doom appropriate for a crisis, shared with hope, because we are not alone in our grief.

Sally Ward (she/her) and Matthew Casey (he/him) Brought to you by Peoples Coffee

www.salient.org.nz

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Letters and Notices

News

VC Retires / Hardship Fund / Ngāi Tauira Exec

Ban Conversion Theropy / COP26 No Recycling / VUWSA 2022

Vice Chancellor Grant Guilford Announces Retirement Salient Staff

On Friday, 10 September, Professor Grant Guilford announced that he is retiring from his position as vice chancellor of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. This will come into effect on March 4, 2022, concluding an eight-year tenure.

Professor Guilford took over from Pat Walsh in March 2015. Guilford has been the ninth head of administration in the University’s history.

Salient asked Guilford what he was most proud of as VC. He referred to “the creation of the Ngā Hoe a Kupe scholarships [...] established in 2020 from endowed funds derived from the heavily contested sale of the Kaori campus. They are aimed at growing the participation and success of Māori and Pasifika Source: Farmers weekly students, and those from refugee and low socioeconomic backgrounds in Wellington.” There are up to ten of the Scholarships available at a value of approximately $50,000 each, directed at Year 13’s from a there has been no establishment of time frames for list of eight local schools. the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor but the University Council will commence this process shortly.

Another proud achievement for Guilford is the “great progress towards carbon neutrality.” This work has been The University Council has “engaged” Perrett Laver acknowledged through his reception of a Green Gown who, according to their own website, is a “leading Award (GGAA) for leadership in 2015; Sustainability international executive search firm finding outstanding Exchange explains that “through his decisions and leaders bringing diversity and vision to ‘purpose-driven’ actions Professor Guilford has raised the profile of sectors in over 70 countries globally.” sustainability at Victoria.”

He told Salient that his decision to depart is because he “always felt that eight years is about right in these types of leadership roles—and eight years is up in March. It has been a privilege to serve the staff and students of Te Herenga Waka but I feel it will soon be time for new leadership to build on our current momentum and take advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead.”

Alongside this decision they are “endeavouring to ensure that there is meaningful engagement with our Māori communities as part of the appointment process. The Te Aka Matua committee of the University Council will oversee and provide advice as required, including [in regards to] the role description, the desired attributes of a new Vice-Chancellor and the search process.”

The email says that “It is also the expectation of the Controversies under his leadership include the proposed Council that we will appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor, name change of the University and uncertainty surrounding taking into account the likely timeframes associated redundancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. with the appointment process and Professor Guilford’s retirement date of 4 March 2022.”

In an email sent to University staff on Friday, 10 September on behalf of Chancellor Neil Paviour-Smith, www.salient.org.nz

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$20M Hardship Fund: Why VUWSA and Chlöe Swarbrick Say It Isn’t Enough Niva Chittock (she/her) and Matthew Casey (he/him) Minister for Education Chris Hipkins announced $20M of further funding to the Hardship Fund for Learners on 8 September 2021. According to funding allocations displayed on the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC) website, Te Herenga Waka will receive $442,136.29. VUWSA and Chlöe Swarbrick argue more could be done to support students.

According to the TEC, this fund “helps tertiary education organisations provide temporary financial assistance for currently enrolled tertiary learners” who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund was first established in March 2020, when the country experienced its first Alert Level 4 lockdown.

TEC describes “hardship” as “any suffering, deprivation or financial challenge faced by a learner due to the COVID-19 pandemic that is interfering with a learner’s ability to progress with their study.”

This fund may also be used for technological costs, which were previously split into a separate fund.

Each tertiary institution receives a percentage of the $20M total based on the amount of money they had left from last year’s fund, and the decile of the schools the first-year students have come from since 2017. It is then measured against the total amount of funding the institution gets to ensure a minimum amount of support is met for everyone.

Students need to make an appointment with a student financial advisor who will then assess their situation and help them complete the relevant application forms.

A Victoria University spokesperson confirmed that “students learning remotely can still access the Hardship Fund. The Student Finance Advisers can meet with students by Zoom or phone [...] the Hardship Funds will continue to be distributed using the existing system.”

VUWSA President Michael Turnbull stated that VUWSA will help to circulate the relevant information to students on their website and social media.

Turnbull does not believe that the recent announcement offers enough financial support to the majority of students.

“It is definitely beneficial for those who are suffering from severe financial hardship. But more needs to be done to make sure that the vast majority of students are supported throughout this time, especially given the impacts on employment and income.”

Traditionally, VUWSA has a seat on the panel which decides how grants are given out. But in Alert Level 2 and above, the role is solely performed by the University, which Turnbull says is to help speed up the process.

This is something that Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick believes needs to be different. “The thing Tertiary institutions distribute the funding, following a that would have the biggest impact is if student procedure under a ministerial mandate. associations were required through the Government processes providing this to tertiary institutions, [to be] In order to get the grant at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria directly involved in the distribution of this funding to University of Wellington, students need to show students.” evidence of being negatively impacted financially by the COVID-19 Alert Level changes.

An outspoken advocate for students and one of the leading voices on student accommodation rent freezes, This includes, but is not limited to: a change in Swarbrick believes there are other options that could employment, additional costs incurred by studying off- be beneficial to a wider number of students. campus, increased living costs (such as power), and difficulty covering weekly necessities. “[The Green Party’s] preference would be for a guaranteed minimum income. Failing that, universal student allowances, which obviously includes

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postgraduate student allowances […] at the very least, the lever that the Government can pull—which was pulled last time around—would be to double courserelated costs.”

The University spokesperson noted that some money from this fund has been set aside for the Hardship Fund Equity Grants too, which have wider criteria than the main Hardship Fund.

Last year, course-related costs were doubled to $2000 for all students whose university enrolment began during 2020.

Should a student have a successful application, they will receive their payment in two instalments across the Trimester.

Swarbrick has set up a petition to put pressure on the Government, which she hopes will get more money in the pockets of students.

Applications for Trimester Three Equity Grants are now open until October 18. You can find the link to the criteria and application forms at: www.wgtn.ac.nz/ scholarships/current/hardship-fund-equity-grants

“I think the main reason the Government thinks that they could get off the hook with this ‘real buildups’ announcement, is because they didn’t expect that a quarter of a million students across the country would organise and fight back. And I guess that’s what [the Green Party is] trying to facilitate.”

The original copy of this article was published online on 9 September 2021. This version has been updated to account for University responses received by Salient since the initial publishing.

New Ngāi Tauira Executive Elected

Salient Staff

On Tuesday, 8 September, Ngāi Tauira—Te Herenga Waka—VUW Māori Students’ Association hosted their 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM). During the meeting they elected a new executive. The new CoTumuaki have been announced as Kelly Mitchell (Ngāti Māhanga) and Mason Lawler (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Maru) The AGM was hosted via Zoom and chaired by 2021 Co-Tumuaki Katelynne Pōtiki-Clune (Ngāti Porou, Waikato-Tainui, Tapuika, Ngāi Tahu )and Safari Hynes (Rangitāne).

Mitchell told Salient that “the AGM was a really well-run and heartful event. I think it speaks to the importance and success of the organisation to have so many attendees from outside of NT as well as many alumni.”

in classes or work. I know this happens and I want it stamped out.” She adds that she intends on being “the kind of tumuaki who focuses more on behind-thescenes work and getting what needs to be done, done, so that the rest of the kōmiti has the freedom and resources to enact the kaupapa they want.”

Other news that came out of the AGM was the hiring of a full-time administrator. According to the AGM minutes, Pōtiki-Clune said that “coming into role, our main focus was the infrastructure and our long-term sustainability to ensure the best for our tauira, now and in future.”

Mitchell is “focused on sustainability, momentum and outreach”, saying that they have “huge shoes to fill [next] year; the work of the kōmiti over the last few years, and especially in 2021, have resulted in some monumental progress—particularly in our relationship with VUWSA.” They want to make sure that momentum “Hiring this administrator allows us to increase the potential and capacity to do more within the University “does not go to waste”. and for our tauira. For future kōmiti, a focus must be placed to stay on top of what mahi this role is exactly “I’m a keen advocate for the success and rights of covering, to ensure this role is doing the right and tauira Māori, and so please contact me at any point if necessary mahi.” you are experiencing issues (racism, anti-Tiriti chat) www.salient.org.nz

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VUWSA and UniQ Backed Bill to Ban Conversion Practices

By Azaria Howell (she/her) A Bill prohibiting conversion therapy passed its first reading in Parliament, supported by all political parties in Parliament other than National. Now, the Bill is in its select committee stage, where Members of Parliament will hear from individuals and interest groups.

The Bill seeks to outlaw conversion therapy practices for those under the age of 18, with no religious exemptions being made. Under the current Bill, anyone who practices or encourages conversion therapy will recieve a maximum of five years imprisonment.

The Bill has received over 100,000 submissions, making it the highest number of submissions a Bill has received in history.

The Victoria University Students’ Association support the Bill to ban conversion therapy—they say it will lead to better societal outcomes for members of the rainbow community.

VUWSA Welfare Vice President Ralph Zambrano told Salient that the students’ association strongly supported banning conversion therapy and were happy

to see the legislation go through Parliament. “We welcome the law change, with the absence of religious exemptions, and believe that is a step in the right direction for righting the wrongs of our past.”

Zambrano added that this would have a positive impact on the rainbow community, “VUWSA believes making the practice and encouragement of conversion therapy an offence will move us towards a safer and more inclusive society where our rangatahi can be who they are.”

UniQ, Victoria University’s Rainbow Students’ Association, agreed that the change would be welcomed. UniQ told Salient they were “wholly and unreservedly supportive” of banning conversion therapy, seeing it as a “desperate need” in the rainbow community.

“Many of us, and the people around us, have been subjected to these terrible practises, and therefore an enormous portion of our community have been carrying the burden of religious trauma. This Bill sees to finally end this”, UniQ President Rosie van Beusekom added.

COP26: Climate Discussions Continue through the COVID-19 Pandemic Maia Ingoe (she/her)

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, is set to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November. New Zealand’s representative, Minister for Climate Change and Green party Co-Leader James Shaw, will be stepping outside of the nation’s borders for the first time since the pandemic began to travel to Scotland.

The international forum for delegations to come together and discuss international action was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 2021 conference is going ahead and calling representatives from all countries to attend.

The intergovernmental panel on climate change released their sixth assessment report in August, providing damning evidence that the world’s climate change efforts thusfar have not been enough, as global temperatures

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are expected to exceed the Paris Agreement limit of 1.5 degrees within the next two decades.

The report, labelled as “code red for humanity”, signals that huge emissions cuts in the next few years are crucial to avoid the worst scenarios. The UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres is urging leaders to ensure that COP26 is a success.

With Auckland set to lower into a Level 3 lockdown after five weeks of Level 4 on September 21, the timing for Shaw’s international travel isn’t ideal. In Scotland, the location of the conference, the COVID-19 infection rate has risen to its highest level since the pandemic began.

Opposition MP and Leader of the ACT Party David Seymour has labelled Shaw’s delegation to Scotland as “hypocritical” since the Green Party opposed an

in-person Parliament during the nationwide Level 4 lockdown. In a press release, Seymour stated that Shaw’s trip was causing unnecessary carbon emissions during a climate emergency, and would take MIQ spots from New Zealanders desperate to return home.

for MPs to travel right now, putting our communities at risk.” Said Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidosn.

“If he was serious about public safety—he would cancel his trip. If he was serious about the climate emergency—he would cancel his trip. If had any compassion for overseas New Zealanders who are desperate to get home—he would cancel his trip.” said Seymour.

The New Zealand delegation to COP26 has long been in planning: a speech from Minister James Shaw in March detailed plans to bring a developed Emissions Reduction Plan that sets out the pathway to a carbon-free 2050.

The COP26 conference has no online option for Shaw to attend virtually.

Salient has contacted James Shaw’s office for comment.

During Level 4, the Greens opposed an in-person Parliament, citing the advice from the director-general of health. “Parliament could be sitting virtually like select committees have been. There is no good reason

Recycling Sent to Landfill During Level 4 Lily McElhone (she/her)

153 tonnes of recyclables were sent to landfill during the two weeks Te-Whanganui-a-Tara was in Level 4. While co-mingled recycling (plastics, cans, and cardboard) were collected from the kerbside, it was sent to landfill after Wellington City Council closed the Seaview Recycle and Transfer Station as it was deemed unessential.

Recycling is sorted by hand, and the Council chose to protect staff by minimising people’s contact with waste and sending it straight to the tip. The Council issued a statement, explaining “Whilst this may be frustrating, we can’t argue with a measure that essentially has their workers’ health and safety at heart.”

EnviroWaste, who are contracted by the Council to provide waste management services, opted not to collect glass recycling while there was COVID in the community. This is because of the highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant, and because a large portion of domestic glass recycling is bottles that may carry saliva residue.

Some households stockpiled their glass waste until services resumed at Level 3. The Council urged people not to store their co-mingled recycling until it could be sorted “for health and safety reasons.”

had not put measures in place to store the recyclables until sorting was able to continue, but did not hear back at the time of writing.

What has changed since the 2020 lockdown, however, is the ability to operate sorting facilities under Level 3.

According to the NZ Herald, the Seaview facility has During last year’s lockdown, recycling services were been equipped with perspex screens between sorters, unable to resume until Level 2. Salient approached “high-grade” masks, and an optical machine sorter for Wellington City Council for comment on why the Council plastics which automates part of the process. www.salient.org.nz

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Opinion: VUWSA’s 2022 executive election is about to get underway, and it’s time you sat up and paid attention.

Niva Chittock (she/her)

Victoria University of Wellington Student Association (VUWSA)’s 2022 executive election is about to get underway, and it’s time you sat up and paid attention.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of VUWSA’s roles:

To state the obvious, they are our external representation. They portray the ‘Victoria student’ Traditionally, we don’t have great participation in these to the wider Wellington community. This extends to elections. Out of my flat of five VUW students, just one nationwide platforms and VUWSA is often approached knew they were happening. Disclaimer: they work for the to give comments on behalf of all of us. Due to our University. location, we are the association that does the most work with the national student association (NZUSA) as well, Yes, not being on campus due to COVID probably hasn’t presenting a unified student front to Government on helped with the advertising of the elections, but this is issues like a universal education income. by no means a scapegoat.

Another obvious role is VUWSA’s voice at the Comparing our participation to other universities around University’s decision-making table. By ministerial the country paints a stark picture. We have the lowest mandate, the University has to (at the very least) voter turnout when compared to UoA, Otago, and UC. consult with VUWSA on how our Student Services Levy is spent. Given that each student contributes Our stats suck.

University of Auckland

2020 Student Population* 43,000

Number of Voters in Student Participation as Association Election** a Percentage 4743 11%

University of Otago

20,721

2951

14.2%

University of Canterbury 18,771

4265

22.7%

Victoria University of Wellington

2429

10.8%

22,438

* Numbers taken from each university’s 2020 Annual Report. **Most recent election data was used. For UoA and VUW, this was 2020; for the rest, 2021.

(Just FYI, if we had UoA’s number of voters, our percentage would be 21.1%. Even if we had Otago’s numbers, our percentage would be 13.1%).

Why should you care? Well, this is a contest we want to be the best at. VUWSA does a heck of a lot for us and voting for their executive is the best way to influence its actions. The more voters there are, the more powerful and accurate VUWSA’s voice is. They’re more likely to be taken seriously by the University and have clout with the student body. It’s a win-win.

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around $871 to this annually, it might be a good idea for you to know where your money is going. Other causes VUWSA has influenced are the development of a University-wide sexual harassment policy, and discounted public transport for students.

Academically, their role includes training and supporting class representatives. It’s a part of the wider consultation surrounding learning environments.

VUWSA campaigned for all lectures to be recorded long before COVID-19 existed.

On the social front, any new clubs on campus are set up jointly under VUWSA and Recreation Services. They provide support and funding while uniting all the clubs together, helping to create joint events, inter-club communication, and attract new members.

When checking out the candidate profiles in this issue, it might be worth keeping the following points in mind.

VUWSA’s four core values are representation, democracy, engagement, and accountability. It’s great if candidates mention these, but it’s even better if they have a plan to actively demonstrate these values. For example, if the candidate speaks about engagement, who have they reached out to during their campaign (UniQ, PSC, Ngāi Tauira, Vic Muslims, etc.)?

See if they mention some of VUWSA’s current campaigns and its constitution. Do their ideas fit within

VUWSA’s guiding principles? Have they looked at what is already being done?

Finally, VUWSA is not a political entity. It is a neutral, non-partisan space that establishes its own stance on issues based upon the voice of the student majority.

Candidate policies are the best indicator of the future direction of the association, not political spectrum positions.

Voting opens next Monday, 27 September at 9 a.m. and closes on Friday, 1 October at 11 a.m. Every VUW student will have the voting link sent to their student email inbox when voting opens.

Even a vote of no-confidence will make a difference, especially with six roles uncontested this year.

There are no excuses. Vote.

Tweets of the Week

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Tino Rangatiratanga is the Key to Climate Justice in Aotearoa Organisers and activists everywhere in Aotearoa were shook when the Tāmaki branch of School Strikes 4 Climate announced they were disbanding, claiming they were a “racist, white-dominated space”. This came as no surprise to indigenous, brown, and black organisers across the country who have experienced racism and classism within the environmental movement for a long time. Lots of people asked me “why does it matter who leads these movements when climate change is happening now?”

Tamatha Paul (she/her) Ngāti Awa, Waikato Tainui Wellington City Councillor

Yes, climate change is happening all around us right now. I struggled to make it through the latest assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It told us that our previous predictions around global warming were, in fact, conservative and it’s a whole lot worse than we could have expected.

It is undeniable that human activities are responsible for climate change.

- The years 2011-20 represented the hottest decade in over 125,000 years.

- Freak flooding and extreme weather conditions are set to increase. We’ve already seen some devastating, deadly floods in China, the United States of America, and Europe this year alone.

- Global ice caps and ice sheets are melting at an alarming rate, with the moana absorbing 20-30% of all carbon acidification. This is resulting in ocean acidification, which is having an impact on all ocean life, not to mention precious kaimoana!

- Global Mean Sea Level Rise will definitely increase by 0.7-1.1 METRES by 2300.

- In Aotearoa, the North Island will endure sustained, severe droughts. In the South Island, extreme heavy rainfall events will cause endless flooding.

Worst of all, it is the poorest people in the world, who have contributed the least to this catastrophe, that will experience the earliest and most devastating impacts of climate change.

Climate change was founded upon imperialism and fuelled by global capitalism. The extraction of fossil fuels from the earth has happened through the violent, forced displacement of indigenous people from their ancestral whenua. Islands throughout Polynesia have been looted to mine phosphate which is then used in farming (likely on stolen land) which not only significantly contributes to climate change, but significantly degrades our waterways. Climate change due to capitalism is expedited through the exploitation of black and brown people’s labour.

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As well as this, there are some problematic and straight-up dangerous views in the climate activism space. There are people who genuinely believe that the key to solving climate change is banning all cars except electric vehicles, shutting down all the power plants and farms overnight, sterilising poor people thereby preventing them from having children, and banning refugees and migrants from coming into the country.

How are cleaners supposed to get to work? How are whānau supposed to put food on the table?

Why should we put an end to our whakapapa by not having children? How could we turn our backs on people who have been forced from their homelands?

It is morally reprehensible for marginalised peoples

Tino Rangatiratanga is the Key to Climate Justice in Aotearoa

to be scapegoated by those who have benefitted the most from capitalism. So why is it important that indigenous, black, and disabled activists lead the movement against climate change? We have been most deeply affected by the acts of violence that have created human-induced climate change in the first place. The stakes are higher for us because we will be hit earliest and hardest by the impacts of climate change. We know how to resist capitalism and imperialism because our very survival depends on it.

Most of all, we have known this whenua, cared for and healed her as our own Mother, since time immemorial.

My tīpuna left clues weaved through pūrākau, pakiwaitara, and ingoa tūturu which reminds me that the natural environment is something we learn to live in harmony with, not something that is there to be managed. They left tikanga that helped us to correct our own behaviours and interactions with the world around us. My tīpuna would spend hours, days, weeks, years in wānanga, observing the world around us.

Decisions would be made in order to yield enough for the whole iwi, and subsequently, discipline would be exercised to allow for replenishment.

Our tīpuna, both tangata whenua and tangata tiriti, left us a lot of clues as to how we might walk backwards into the future in order to radically reimagine the challenges ahead of us and the opportunities that await.

At a constitutional level, we must entrench Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This is because tino rangatiratanga and the rights to self-determination of hapū across the motu is absolutely critical in the protection of our natural environment. We cannot leave environmental justice up to whoever the government of the day is. We need non-derogable, inalienable rights for the whenua and those who care for it. An indigenous approach to the “management” of any “resource” must be underpinned by manaakitanga. That is, everybody has everything they need and the whenua has tikanga set around it to allow it to replenish. It’s actually not that long ago that we lived like that here in Aotearoa.

We can already see tikanga Māori emerging in the colonial justice system; in the Ellis case, tikanga Māori was recognised by the courts to exist and be applicable within the common law. Not to mention the granting of legal personhood to Te Urewera Forest and Te Awa Tupua. Māori leaders are innovating these changes within the law, it only makes sense that Māori lead our climate movement, as we understand the potency of tikanga Māori for fundamental change.

We’ve got to stop shaming people for their individual choices. Most people will make the choices that are convenient and affordable for them, so we have to advocate to make the choices that are best for the climate the most accessible choice.

We are a wealthy country and there are enough resources to increase the choices available to people (hint: tax the rich, stop building highways).

For example, people should be given more choice to live in warm, secure housing situated close to where they work; accessible, affordable and reliable public transport; safe walking and cycling infrastructure; those who rely on private vehicles such as disabled or elderly people should be able to move around a lot easier; whānau who rely on jobs in polluting industries should be able to transition into green jobs like wetland restoration, native forest replanting, or building the infrastructure we will need for the future.

As Māori, young people, renters, students—we are often told that if only we all voted we would be the most powerful voting bloc. But voting every three years isn’t gonna cut it. We have to get political.

We have to be well-organised enough to match the money that the most powerful polluters have. We have to be actively anti-racist and apply a structural lens over climate change. We have to sign petitions, make submissions and call on our local representatives. We have to join marches and support activists doing the mahi. We have to have challenging conversations with our friends and family. We have to fight for our ability to survive on this planet. To give the final word to my Polynesian tūākana in the climate movement: we are not drowning, we are fighting. X

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Ipukarea Branches from the breadfruit tree outside had fallen.

Coconut palms were ripped from the tree. My uncle posted three or four photos on his Facebook of a whole season’s worth of mangoes on the ground, blown off the tree. Useless now.

Thea Mataiti (she/her) Photo: The home my papa built for our family and my two beautiful younger sisters.

I am a proud Cook Islander from Aitutaki enua. My villages are Amuri and Ureia and my family names are Mataiti and Teokotai. I inherited my Cook Islands heritage from my father. I am papa’a (pākehā) from my mother’s side, her family names are Mace and Kirkus tracing back to Europe. I was born in Hamilton, and raised in Tokoroa and Christchurch. It is important you know my story, so that you understand that climate change will take away all of the things I hold dear.

I have had the privilege to visit my ipukarea (homeland) of Aitutaki four times. I hope that all Pacific people will be able to go back to their ipukarea, learn their stories, and experience home for themselves. To have the option to visit or to one day return as I know many hope to. Yet this dream may not become a reality for many of our Pacific people because of climate change.

I first learnt about climate change in the Pacific during a mock Geography exam in Year 12. The exam was about sea level rise in South Tarawa in Kiribati.

I remember feeling overwhelmed, like my childlike naivety had just been ripped away from me and replaced with thoughts of impending doom. I sat with that feeling for a long time. While everyone else moved on with their day, I worried about my friend from Kiribati and her family.

Before starting university I spent a month in the Cook Islands with my dad and three of my siblings. About halfway through my time there I experienced my first proper tropical storm. The storm created strong winds and heavy rain. The house that we were in shook around us as the wind blew throughout the night.

The next day we were able to see how much damage the storm had wreaked. I can remember my cousin sharing that the sea had risen and almost reached their house—something that had never happened before. Once again my naivety was ripped away from me and I saw with my own eyes how climate change is impacting all of the Pacific, my family included.

Sea level rise is an unavoidable reality for Pacific people At the time, I did feel helpless, unsure of what role I and a devastating impact of climate change. How could play in fighting climate change. I had forgotten could something like the ocean that has connected our though, the mana of my people. people for thousands of years now take our homes? It doesn’t feel right. The Pacific region contributes 0.03% My ancestors navigated the largest ocean in the of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, however world using the stars, wind, and birds. They settled we are feeling the greatest effects of climate change some of the most isolated islands in the world and we are feeling them now. We have already lost against prevailing winds and currents. Voyaging as entire islands to climate change, and yet we cannot be far as Hawai’i in the north, Rapa Nui in the east, and overwhelmed with our feelings of helplessness—we are Aotearoa in the south. Brave enough to venture into not drowning, we are fighting! the unknown, my ancestors were Warriors.

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Ipukarea

I was first introduced to the Pacific Climate Warriors by my sister. I listened in the background of her Zoom meetings for almost a year. She slowly introduced me to the team without me realising with birthday lunches, catch-ups after events, and impromptu photoshoots. She invited me to one of their Fala Chats earlier this year, not telling me I was actually going to have to share my own story at this event.

My sister knew I wouldn’t want to go if I had known that—and yet I shared my story, and more importantly I was heard and respected. I finally realised the value of my story and how I can contribute to the fight against climate change.

A little bit of context for those not as familiar—the Pacific Climate Warriors (PCW) sit under 350 Pacific, and are a grassroots movement led by young Pacific people. PCW are active in 15 Pacific Island nations, with six diaspora teams in Aotearoa, Australia, and the United States. I am part of the Wellington team which was formed in 2018. The common goal amongst volunteers is to educate and challenge the narrative that the Pacific and its people are unable to fight climate change. This is far from the truth, as they have infiltrated education and policy spaces fighting for our Pacific people.

Photo: Arutanga wharf in Aitutaki

To move forward, we must acknowledge and challenge how climate change came to be. Capitalism, colonialism, and multi-million dollar corporations have contributed to the disastrous impacts being felt by the Pacific.

People foolishly extract fossil fuels—a finite resource taken from the land without truly understanding the consequences. The Warriors fight against corporations that fuel this greed, and push for more sustainable energy sources of which there are many.

To me, the Warriors embody this fight, with passion, strength and resilience. We carry our elders with us into every space—our parents, grandparents, ancestors, teachers, and mentors. We channel them and their strength. We do this for those who cannot—activism after all is a privilege and a blessing, something I remember daily.

My relationship with climate change is not a scientific one. We don’t all need to be scientists to understand our environment is changing. Our relationship to land can be personal and it can go deeper than science. I want my grandchildren to be able to visit my mama’s resting place in the Cook Islands, and I want my papa’s house to not be underwater as the sea rises to engulf it. Saving the Pacific means saving the world we know for the generations to come.

I joined the Warriors because I am ready to be part of the fight. I will tell my own story and share who I am. I will listen to the stories of my peers and amplify them.

I will keep learning and educating others.

I will be a good ancestor and a brave Warrior—can you say the same?

Photos: Top - My Mama Kari’s grave.

Bottom - My first Fala Chats, May 1st www.salient.org.nz

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Accounting for the Future Shanti Mathias (she/her)

Andrew Wilks is explaining to me that most attempts to make a difference become bureaucracy. Wilks, director of sustainability at Victoria University of Wellington, is responsible for tracking the University’s carbon emissions and offsetting them, and is walking me through the process of accounting he does to verify this.

The University wants to be carbon neutral by 2030.

This means that the amount of fossil fuels used by University operations—flights, heating, commuting to campus—will be approximately equal to the amount of carbon absorbed by trees that the University plants, or accredited carbon offsets that the University buys from carbon retailers, as part of New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme. It’s a simple subtraction: tonnes of carbon burned equals tonnes of carbon absorbed.

is mostly boring, behind the scenes stuff. No more gas heating, all renewable electricity, all flights and travel offset by carbon credits.

The University is not alone in its goal to be carbon neutral. Companies like Xero and Google are already carbon neutral; New Zealand’s entire public service has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2025, and the Zero Carbon Act commits New Zealand to being neutral by 2050. Net carbon neutrality allows organisations to be aware of their emissions and think intentionally about offsetting them; it also promotes the image of that organisation as environmentally conscious.

The actual process of achieving net carbon neutrality is administrative, usually involving an avalanche of acronyms and systematically tracking different sources of emissions. The University currently does carbon accounting through a range of national and “In the short to medium term, it is not viable to international standards and protocols. It is signed transform our campus infrastructure, our business up to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GGP), an practices, and wider social norms to the extent international standard for organisations voluntarily necessary to eliminate carbon”, reads the University’s tracking their emissions. More details come through zero carbon plan. Offsetting allows the University to local standards—MPI and MBIE publish indexes that keep burning carbon, buying time until the systems allow the University to calculate, for instance, how the University relies on are free of fossil fuels. much of the electricity consumed in a year is nonrenewable. Carbon credits are bought and sold via Wilks says that a net-zero carbon campus won’t look the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), where carbon is all that different. Making the University carbon neutral traded in chunks of New Zealand Units (NZU).

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Accounting for the Future

At the carbon sequestering end, where the University calculates how much carbon their offsetting absorbs, the guesswork continues. “It’s pretty blunt,” Wilkes tells me.

The University has several methods of offsetting the calculated emissions. There are “off the shelf” carbon credits, paid through a 5% levy on University air travel and bought through accredited thirdparty projects. The University purchased 987 tonnes of these carbon offsets for flights in 2020.

As the administration and accounting are done by the carbon credit retailers, buying these offsets is relatively simple and inexpensive.

These processes have holes. First, the protocol excludes what Wilks calls the “rats and mice” sources of emissions—anything less than 1-2% of the University’s overall emissions profile. Things like data and server hosting or the emissions of food consumed on campus are difficult to calculate and overall small contributors. The focus for Wilks and his team is instead the big four sources of emissions: electricity, natural gas, air travel, and commuter transport.

The second issue with carbon accounting is that the numbers are inevitably approximate. The University publishes an annual sustainability report on the exact emissions—last year, for instance, the university was responsible for the equivalent of 8900 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. These numbers are accurate within the rules of the carbon trading protocols University adheres to, but there’s an arbitrariness to it all; decisions made about what does and doesn’t count, averages about how much carbon is released by University-associated activity.

VUW also offsets with a piece of land in the outer green belt around the city which is being planted with native trees. There are plans to purchase another area of forest for offsetting by 2030. As small offsetting projects, the carbon absorbed by these trees is again approximated by the number of trees, the area that the trees grow in, and the tree species. As the trees get bigger and older, they will absorb more carbon, but the calculation does not include the planted trees which might not survive.

The limits of the system do not mean that the carbon accounting is futile. Planting trees and being aware of (approximately) how much carbon an institution is burning is not a bad thing. Wilks says that the university running its own offset projects is more expensive than simply buying credits from a retailer, although it creates value in other ways. The cost is a reminder to institutions to factor in the environmental cost of all their activities. With the help of the pandemic and efficiency measures, the university’s emissions are down 40% from 2019.

“I can’t tell you the maths of [offsetting], it’s more that it seems like the right thing to do—it’s doing something,” Murray Shearer says. Shearer coordinates the ARO Project, an offsetting organisation formed www.salient.org.nz

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as part of Praxis, a NZQA-approved programme that in the atmosphere and causing temperatures on the trains youth workers. Youth work didn’t mean much, the planet to increase. organisation thought, if it wasn’t contributing actively to a future for the young people they work with.

The carbon cycle operates at a number of different time scales, from the ‘live fast die young’ strategy The logic of cost, rather than carbon, informs the of microorganisms, to the millennia of geologic time ARO Project. Reasoning that “a budget is a moral that fossilizes ancient trees and turns them into coal document,” Shearer aims to have a flexible offset or petrol. When humans burn coal, petrol, or natural system that small organisations can use. Instead gas to heat our houses, make our steel, or transport of calculating exact carbon emissions, which is our goods around the world, we change its timescale. complicated and labour intensive for groups with few Instead of being underground and unavailable, it resources, the project invites participants to budget is absorbed by a tree or other organism. These for the climate, setting aside a small percentage of organisms will die, making the carbon available again. their operating costs as a koha that will be funnelled into environmental projects.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, this won’t be enough. To avert the worst warming, humans “It’s not about people feeling guilty for what they’re will have to find non-tree ways to remove at least 5 doing, it’s a recognition that just running the operation gigatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere a year by has an environmental impact,” Shearer says. ARO’s the middle of the century. environmental projects aim for holistic environmental action: not just absorbing carbon, but developing In his work, Wilks is used to thinking about these community resiliency. complicated trade-offs and time scales. “We’ve got to be stopping the dependence on fossil fuels, but to buy us time the forestry piece has a role to play.”

“We can’t offset our way out of this crisis. We need to do radical things that change how we live,” Shearer says.

The logic of net neutrality is that ancient, fossil carbon which would rarely be released as carbon dioxide without human intervention, is the same as carbon in trees, which exist on a much shorter timescale.

A brief diversion here to explain the carbon cycle: carbon is an element essential for life, which all living things on the planet use as a source of energy. Most of the carbon on earth is in solid, unavailable forms, mostly rocks such as limestone. Only 0.0004% of this stored carbon is fossil fuels. The rest of earth’s carbon is in the ocean, air, and living things. In the process of being alive, trees and other plants absorb carbon and release oxygen.

By burning fossil fuels, humans release carbon dioxide at a faster rate than plants and the ocean can absorb.

The carbon dioxide acts as insulation, trapping heat

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Accounting for the Future

To Shearer, offsetting is part of his organisation’s goal to teach young people to think of themselves as part of a whole. He says “raising consciousness” is the goal of his offset work, and must start with individuals. “Corporate structures are set up to deliver goods and products and services to us only exist because we’re asking for them, if we all looked at our own consumption patterns and lifestyle choices, it [can] change.”

Yet we live small lives, and the climate-positive actions that individuals can take have tiny, even negligible effects. Individual choices are shaped by the system that we live in, a system it is impossible to leave.

“I fundamentally reject the individual framing of climate change”, says Sophie Dixon, VUWSA’s Sustainability Officer. She is not particularly interested in carbon accounting and offset, although, as VUWSA is largely integrated with the University systems, it is also on track to be a carbon neutral organisation.

Sophie’s work is a mix of “visible” actions—such as trying to make the University single-use cup free for the month of September, and make all of VUWSA’s events zero waste—and “behind the scenes” action— writing submissions to local and national government, sitting on boards, and organising the Sustainability Committee, a network of sustainability-related student groups from across the University.

train, fewer flights, less interest as your bank pulls its investments in profitable fossil fuel companies?

In a time of climate crisis, these questions are crucial.

A recent IPCC report, approved by all UN member states, shows that temperatures are increasing faster than at any point in the last 10 million years, and that there is no way for the temperature increase to be kept within the 1.5 degrees specified in the 2015 Paris Accord. Against the enormity of climate change, it’s easy to feel helpless or disconnected.

She fully supports the University’s behind the scenes efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. “Anything the University does better is better for students.” Her interest is not in changing the actions that individuals Sophie points out that “people get too caught up take, but in changing the systems. thinking that their little action isn’t enough, but there isn’t any other way of thinking about it otherwise we’ll “Students know it’s wrong to use a disposable coffee all be more anxious and sad.” She chooses to focus on cup, you feel guilty, but if you need coffee and you reducing waste streams as something that is tangible, have an assignment and the café doesn’t have enough achievable, and within reach. reusable cups, that’s not your fault”, she says. “Action needs to recognise and attack structural systems Models of sustainable living already exist, and rather than asking you to go zero waste yourself.” they are not the systematised accreditation of carbon offsets. “It’s about indigenous sovereignty”, Sophie says. She’s prioritised Māori and Pasifika The question of if individual action representation on the Sustainability Committee.

is meaningful is a contentious one. Journalist Mark Kaufman has documented that BP, a fossil fuel company, came up with the concept of an individual ‘carbon footprint’ to “promote the idea that climate change is the fault of individuals”.

As activist Rebecca Solnit writes, this makes climate action a matter of personal virtue, rather than collective responsibility. In fact, she says, climate-positive individual choices are enabled by regulation and big systems that make electricity renewable, food production more sustainable, and public transport cheap and effective.

Questions of responsibility are questions of scale: who is responsible for the choices you are able to make? What changes to your lifestyle are you willing to accept— no overnight courier because everything travels by

“That indigenous perspective has a hell of a lot to teach the rest of us about how our relationship with Papatuanuku is central to our wellbeing”, Shearer says. The ARO project follows Māori leadership in the sustainability space.

“Aligning carbon framing with matauranga Māori is enriching for both sides”, Wilks says. The University’s Living Pā project aims to build an education building using indigenous knowledge, aligned to global sustainability frameworks with the Living Building Challenge.

The world is warmer than ever before, a crisis demanding immediate action everywhere, by individuals and by systems. The complexities of carbon accounting increase as the scale grows. For Wilks, accounting and offsetting the emissions of the university is an involved process, complete with difficult trade offs and systemic overhaul.

Consider, then, the tangled requirements of making all of Aotearoa carbon neutral by 2050; the even more compounded carbon questions of oil states, tourist destinations, and the world whose atmosphere we all must share.

www.salient.org.nz

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Anemones in the Wellington Harbour, photographed during the most recent lockdown, displaying the beautiful biodiversity that is right on our doorstep.

Taken by Mary Knowles.

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Anemones / A small story

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ARTIST PROFILE

Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho @hurianakt.a

Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho (Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Āti Haunui-aPāpārangi, Ngāti Kahungungu, Ngāi Tahu, Faleula) is a self taught artist whose work is primarily influenced by their Māori whakapapa, takatāpui identity, and political beliefs.

Ko au te whenua, te whenua ko au—I am the land and the land is me.

“I wanted to create this piece as a reminder of the interconnectedness of Tangata Whenua and Te Taiao, and the ways in which we have always held a connection to and respect for te whenua, te moana, te awa, te ngahere since time immemorial.

The tukutuku on either side of this piece is called kaokao and represents protection. It is the shape of the arm when you embrace someone, it is the shape of the rib cage which protects our vital organs. In this context I wanted it to represent that the protection of Te Taiao and Tangata Whenua is both intrinsically linked and deeply necessary.

The kawakawa in this image also holds spiritual significance to us as Māori, the large heart-shaped leaves representing courage and fortitude, but also in certain contexts being used as a symbol of mourning and death.

The wāhine in this image is looking upwards, towards the future. In most of my work, I try to represent political causes in a more hopeful, forward thinking way. The reason for this is that I think hope is so necessary to the survival and sustainability of our movements for change. I dream of a better world for future generations. A world in which everyone is taken care of.” www.salient.org.nz

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Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho @hurianakt.a

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Carbon, compost, and soil critters Words from Hannah Wood (she/her) Photos by Dylan

As a global community we are walking, possibly sprinting, into a climate crisis. We have too much carbon in the atmosphere and it is TURNING UP THE HEAT! This is no secret. People all around the world are feeling the impacts and desperately trying to find solutions.

Fortunately, there are solutions living right beneath our feet. Humble, unassuming, and often taken for granted, the soil we walk on is much more than it first appears.

From a microbiology perspective, there is a complicated and mysterious world down there home to millions, if not billions, of species. The abundance and diversity of life is almost incomprehensible.

Here in Aotearoa New Zealand there are a great variety of soil types. There are dark fertile soils, light sandy soils, yellow clay soils, all kinds of soils! In te reo Māori, at least 60 names for different soils exist. The physical nature of soil is usually characterised by its relative composition of clay, silt, and sand, the amount of air and water, and the organic content (living and decaying organisms).

The chemical properties are also very important, namely the pH of the soil and the availability of nutrients like

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Carbon, compost, and soil critters

nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. All of these factors influence the community of living organisms in the soil and the subsequent nutrients available for plants. A soil rich in organic matter, and therefore carbon, will be dark, chocolatey, and full of life. Gardeners with rich soils often talk of the sweet, earthy smell and the wonderful texture: dewy, crumbly, and light.

To get a grasp on what life looks like in the great underneath, I sat down with Dr Nicola Day, lecturer in plant and soil microbial ecology in the School of Biological Sciences here at VUW. “We’ve got all forms of life in the soil […] Bacteria, Achaea, Eukarya, microscopic and macroscopic things. There is a crazy amount of diversity.” Living organisms in the soil form huge, complicated food webs that use carbon and do incredibly important work. As Nicola explains, “one of the biggest and most important things that happen in the soil is decomposition. That is, turnover of organic matter and the recycling of elements. There is a huge network of critters that do this. A leaf would just sit on the ground [indefinitely] unless you had these organisms.”

Photo: Miramar Prison Community Gardens compost heap

Another important relationship in the soil is between plants and their mutualists. Mutualists are other organisms that interact with plants in mutually beneficial ways. To a soil ecologist, one of the most obvious connections is between plants and mycorrhizal fungi.

These are a type of fungi which connect with plant roots and give them much greater access to nutrients and water. There is a lot of evidence that plants would not have been able to establish themselves on land without fungal partners. As Nicola explains, the ancestral land plants “didn’t have proper root structures and wouldn’t have been able to take up nutrients from the soil.” In exchange for these services, plants provide carbon sugars. It’s not just mycorrhizal fungi that partner up with plants, though. Plant roots “leak nutrients” and the zones directly adjacent to plant roots are full of microbial activity. “There are amazing things happening there right next to the roots because of all the sugar being excreted by the plant for microbes to munch on.”

A soil rich in organic matter, and therefore carbon, will be dark, chocolatey, and full of life. Gardeners with rich soils often talk of the sweet, earthy smell and the wonderful texture: dewy, crumbly, and light.

As a researcher of global change biology, Nicola is also keenly aware of global warming and the climate crisis.

I ask her what kind of impacts soil communities have on someone like me, a student in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

“Soils provide a big carbon storage sink. There is a huge amount of carbon in the soil, and we need to keep it in the soil. Anytime people till soil and it digs up the carbon, any time there is a fire, anytime we cut down trees and don’t put the carbon back into the soil; these [actions] affect us as a global community.” www.salient.org.nz

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It’s hard to talk about soils and not consider agriculture, when 95% of human food comes from the soil. This reliance has led to 50% of all habitable land on earth being used for agriculture. Extensive use of resources for human consumption puts a lot of pressure on wild species, who are always battling against habitat destruction. To rub salt on the wound, much of the agricultural land use is unsustainable, leading to dramatic degradation of soils.

Many modern agricultural systems grow vast monocultures (a single species, such as corn) and use intensive chemical inputs to exclude unwanted species and boost growth in the crop. A lot of heavy machinery is used to till the soil, and after the harvest the earth is usually left bare. Large chemical inputs lead to significant changes in the soil chemistry and pH, factors that many soil organisms are very sensitive to. Heavy machinery can compact the soil, destroying the soil structure and making it harder for soil organisms to live and carry out vital functions. Compacted soil is also less able to absorb water during heavy rainfall. This can cause both flash flooding during storms and overall drier land.

When the above ground plant life is severely reduced and the land is intermittently left bare, the food source for the soil organisms is also reduced. Carbon feeds the soil food web, and a permanent, abundant above ground ecosystem is much better at providing this. The UN estimates that 75 billion tonnes of productive agricultural soil is lost to land degradation every year. Even in Aotearoa, we lose 192 million tonnes annually. Much of it is just blown away in the wind or washed into the ocean during storms. If the trend isn’t reversed, the future of our food security may become seriously compromised.

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Carbon, compost, and soil critters

It’s $50 a year to join and you get access to a shed full of tools, a plot or two of land, and a frost-free peninsular to make your gardening dreams come true.

To build up the carbon content in their plots, people use all kinds of things—pony poo, wood chips, grass clippings, seaweed, and kitchen compost.

Photo: Murray Robison walks through the Miramar Prison Community Gardens

Fortunately there are some wise people doing things differently. The National Māori Organics Authority has developed a framework for working in the māra, drawn from a wealth of ancestral knowledge. Six key kaupapa— whakapapa, wairua, mana, māramatanga, mauri, and Te Ao Tūroa—act as a starting point to guide the cultivation of growing Kai Atua, pure food. This approach puts healthy soils at the centre of a healthy community. Some similar principles are seen in the world of regenerative agriculture and organic farming, both of which are growing practices in Aotearoa. One simple idea, building up the carbon levels in the system and therefore giving back some of what you take, holds huge promise for feeding soil organisms and ourselves.

will sign you up and allocate you a plot.” If you don’t like growing vegetables, he says “there’s space for people to do whatever they like. Mow the lawns, make sculptures, plant daffodils.” It’s $50 a year to join and you get access to a shed full of tools, a plot or two of land, and a frostfree peninsular to make your gardening dreams come true. To build up the carbon content in their plots, people use all kinds of things—pony poo, wood chips, grass clippings, seaweed, and kitchen compost.

If composting in your own home doesn’t really appeal, you could consider lobbying Wellington City Council to set up large-scale compost facilities. You would have full support from Nicola, who believes large-scale composting is long overdue in Wellington city: “we could We may be broke, stressed out students living in an really reduce our carbon emissions and enhance our urban jungle, but we can still be part of the solution. Plus, soil biodiversity and soil health by having municipal getting involved could have some surprising benefits. If composting. It’s a win for everybody.” your landlord makes you mow lawns, sweep up leaves, or weed but you don’t know how to dispose of it—don’t Getting close to the soil might have major benefits worry, just put it back in the garden. The soil critters will for your own health too. Many microorganisms have thank you for it. If you don’t have a garden but wish you coevolved with humans and produce compounds which did, just look around the city. There are many community can talk to our immune system. Mycobacterium vaccae, gardens and they want you! a common microbe in the ground, interacts with human immune cells to reduce stress. That’s just one example I spoke with Murray Robinson, long-term member of the and there are countless more.

Miramar Prison Community Gardens, and he advised me that anyone is welcome. “We are incredibly tolerant. Just Soil critters are our friends; looking after their health will come along, start pottering around, eventually someone help yours, and can help us care for the planet. www.salient.org.nz

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Frankie Dale (she/her)

Sex and dating advice from Wellington’s rankest, pessimistic, anxious, and most dramatic woman.

When he introduced me to his friend at a music festival as “the girl he fucks”, that’s when I knew I should probably stop introducing him to people as the guy I’m kinda seeing. To be fair, I should’ve known he felt this way when he pretended not to recognise me walking down the street. Telling my friends he “must’ve forgotten his contacts at home!” was a dark day for me. To make matters worse, he had been inside of me seven hours prior.

I write this feeling embarrassed—why did it take me more than one day to get over this guy? And why is this far from an isolated case? Does casual sex always have to be this dehumanising?

I’ve boiled this case down to a very distinct power imbalance between us. I grew to expect him to respond to my texts in 8-10 working days. His generous responses would be one word replies, ranging from “maybe” to “cum over ;)”. I was constantly on the backfoot, seeking his approval and validation all the more because he offered it so infrequently.

This bugged me. Not because I genuinely liked this guy, but more so I was embarrassed I was falling victim to the narrative of toxic hook-up culture. By that I mean that men are supposedly sex addicts, and woman are used for sex when all we really want is to settle down. All I wanted was to bone and feel respected—is that too much to ask, my fellow wellingtonian fuckbois?

I’m all for casual hook-up culture, but there are times where it has felt that it only benefits men and manipulates women’s sense of self-worth. What’s happening here?

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Columns : To Be Frank / Rice to meet you

Like okay, for instance, an old ex of mine literally said he only had sex with me when he was bored of the other girls he slept with. This guy also ripped off my friend’s dad by selling him broken speakers, all so he could afford gas to go pick up crates to use as a bed base. (To be fair, that day, in a true gentlemanly fashion, he paid for my $1 frozen coke.) When confronted by my friends I would tell myself that “sleeping with him is so empowering!” I’m not sure how empowering it is when I’m too scared to tell you I wanna use a condom.

In saying this, I’m so over this fucking narrative that casual sex means men are taking something and women are losing something. Its offensive and misleads woman into thinking casual sex is always degrading.

I can say with a very clear head now, this guy almost ruined me completely—and that’s so fucked! I gave this person the power to convince me to get a playboy bunny waxed into my minge. The sex we had wasn’t empowering but, I told myself it was; the sex we had was a cocktail of emotional abuse mixed in with the word daddy too many times.

Maybe it’s not casual sex that’s at fault here? Ignoring the red flags that are laid out right in front of us might be to blame. Sleeping with assholes when we know they are assholes but we tell ourselves they aren’t assholes. We all know why we sleep with that person that’s not good for us, we all have our own distinct reasons. Maybe its validation, maybe you’re not quite over your ex, maybe the sex really is good? All it comes down to is that sleeping with someone who respects our bodies and needs is so important. It’s a lesson I’m still learning, but casual sex with someone who (bare-minimum) respects your body is the most crucial part of it all. Take back the narrative and bone away.

Hi! We’re Anoushka and Laurelei and it’s Rice To Meet You. From dating, to pronouncing ethnic names, to racial imposter syndrome, we’re Salient’s resident Asian aunties giving completely unsolicited (but somewhat sage) advice.

Women’s Rights in Asia To my own disappointment, I’ve found that as time goes on it is getting harder and harder to make progress on women’s rights. It’s almost as if the patriarchy went “Well they’ve got the vote now and they can work, what more do they want?” I don’t know about you guys, but I for one want heaps of things. Like basic bodily autonomy, the ability to go out at night without fearing for your life, for the gender wage gap to ~simply not exist~, and more representation in leadership. I mean the list is truly endless.

My most recent lockdown binge watch was the six-part limited series AlRawabi School for Girls. While the show is still very much full of Netflix’s typical high school theatrics and plot devices, it’s Jordanian setting served as a reminder about how fucked women’s rights are. Even though all of the main characters are girls, they are all still very much controlled by the male figures in their lives.

Unfortunately, it’s the same story for a lot of other Asian countries as well. The lack of women in leadership allows for human rights abuses to be continuously upheld, and these practices eventually become so entrenched in political systems that any change towards freedom is painstakingly slow. And even when positive change does come, it can be taken away in the blink of an eye, as seen with the current events that are stripping Afghan women’s rights away from them.

The US is perceived as a ‘first world’ country, but in my opinion, has some seriously regressive laws, as can be seen with the recent Texas abortion laws. I guess that’s the case everywhere, though—it doesn’t really matter how high your GDP is. This got me thinking about the state of women’s rights in India. What first comes to mind is pretty upsetting.

Society’s perception towards women in India, their rights, their sexuality, is kinda shit. But I suppose a lesser known fact is that it wasn’t always like this, and that brings a little And this isn’t to push Western ideals of liberation on bit of joy among my mountains of frustration. these countries, either. Ideas of freedom differ from person to person and culture to culture—taking off one’s In Hinduism, women are actually supposed to be treated hijab doesn’t necessarily equate to freedom, thank you as the human form of goddesses, and in many Indian very much non-Muslim writers of Elite. The issue is that cultures there are festivals centred around celebrating so many women around the world lack the autonomy to women and young girls. I remember being a young girl obtain whatever freedom they’re after, and effectively lose during these festivities and having family friends give me their rights from the day they are born because they are money and gifts, cook food, and send me sweets. I felt born into a world controlled by men. like a princess. Then I got older and got my period, and I was celebrated for “becoming a woman” so-to-speak.

But why should you, dear reader, care so much about this I had a literal feast prepared for me, I got jewelry, new discrimination? Chances are that if you’re reading this clothes, gifts, and so much more. Women in my culture column at a comparatively progressive university, you are meant to be respected, recognised, and basically aren’t directly impacted by this discrimination, right? worshipped for all the amazing things they can achieve.

So I guess you may have been expecting me to talk about Wrong. These issues aren’t limited to these countries, and the current state of women’s rights in India in a negative they certainly aren’t limited to Asia. Western countries way, but I felt that there is already enough depressing love using these practices as a way to paint Asian cultures stuff circulating around. So instead you now know a cool as backwards, and yet the same double standards and fact about Hinduism, and maybe you’ve been inspired on generally fucked up ideals are continuously perpetuated in how to treat the ladies in your lives—treat them like the even the most “forward” of countries. The gender pay gap, goddesses they are. high school and workplace dress codes, the glass ceiling?

It’s all the same patriarchal shit, just in a significantly less aggressive font.

Anoushka Divekar (she/her)

Laurelei Bautista (she/her) www.salient.org.nz

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whenua, awa, and moana for generations. Protecting Papatuanuku has been a priority in Aotearoa for many years before pākehā, and Western environmentalism, arrived.

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?

No, it is definitely getting hot in here, courtesy of the one and only climate change. As you will be well aware, our world is in the midst of a climate crisis. Oceans are rising and acidifying, extreme weather events are intensifying, and icebergs are melting. It’s a scary phenomenon, and existential in nature. It’s enough to make David Attenborough cry.

A lot of the discourse around climate change focuses on the impacts on Western culture and nations. In reality, just like with any major societal change, it is indigenous and marginalised groups who will be most impacted by climate change. Climate change further entrenches existing socio-economic inequities.

It’s also crucial to recognise that our weeping Attenborough is not the OG environmentalist. In Aotearoa, tangata whenua have been kaitiaki of the

Our Pasifika and Māori tauira have kaitiakitanga running through their whakapapa. It is pivotal that traditionally pākehā student associations, climate groups, and environmentally-focused organisations seeking to build upon sustainability within Aotearoa follow the lead of tangata whenua and Pasifika.

For pākehā and tauiwi, we are manuhiri—guests—on this whenua. For a long time, we have tried to lead a conversation that our voices can’t authentically speak to. It’s time we take our place as allies seriously, and support our tangata whenua rangatira in the sphere of sustainability.

So, let’s get to it. Whakamana our tangata whenua rangatira, act as allies. Waiho I te poto, kaua I te toi roa.

Times ticking, and David isn’t getting any younger.

Ngā mihi nui, Michael Turnbull (he/him)

L AUREN CRIMP

B A C HE L OR O F C OMM UNIC AT ION

BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION E X P E R I E N T I A L A N D I N D U S T R Y- C O N N E C T E D

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T E K UNE NG A K I P UR E HUR OA

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VOTING CLOSES: 11AM FRIDAY 1ST OCTOBER

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Review

TV Series

The Panthers: TAMAKI MAKAURAU AOTEAROA Elisapeta Dawson (she/her), Ngare Hauata of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hamoa Malo Le Soifua. When patrolling the police, remember to be strong, smart and non-violent. Don’t perpetuate.

You’re smart, you’re beautiful, you’re a Teine Samoa. Just like me.

You have the ability, and the power, to help keep your family safe

Immigrants. Kiwis. Citizens. Communities. In the Pacific Island of Aotearoa, these pains are felt today; they deserve recognition. The apology was long overdue.

By the time of the Dawn Raids in the mid-70s, 23% of overstayers and over 90% of deportees were Polynesian.

Aotearoa’s best have assembled to invite us back into the contextualised history of our home. All contained within a postcode, “In (not so) fair Ponsonby, where we lay our scene.”

The Panthers is a six-part series documenting the formation of the Polynesian Panthers Syndicate in Ponsonby, Tamaki Makaurau. “A group inspired by the Black Panther movement in the US, The Polynesian Panthers formed to fight the system and became history-making revolutionaries”— Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand (DEGNZ). Created by Tom Hern and Nua Finau, it’s one of four series chosen to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, the first series to be selected in Aotearoa’s history.

The filling of these military boots is as equally starstudded as it is impeccable. The producers list includes Luciane Buchanan (who also makes a cameo as a reporter) and Timena Apa. Sammy Salsa also lends his abilities as Aotearoa’s leading stylist, matching the berets perfectly to the environment to transport us to the 1970s, without making those same characters into a caricature.

way that the influence of Black Culture has filtered into Pacific New Zealand’s creative expression.”

Diggy, Choice Vaughan, and Troy Kingi dropped a massive album for the release—The Panthers ft.

SWIDT, Sam V, Melodownz, and Deadforest. Definitely check that out for some more of Aotearoa’s favourites collabing. Kind of feels like a Kendrick Black Panther album moment, so pretty seki.

Dimitrus Schuster-Koloamatangi and Lealani Siaosi lead the team as the prince and the doctor to the Panthers division, as well as one of VUW’s very own, Henry Atoni (Shug).

Troy Kingi serenades us into the series and sets the scene of the syndicate’s state with “This house is falling down The plot follows main character Will as he navigates around me, but I can’t move. No, I can’t leave this place.” the streets, bureaucracy, and media, to become the chairman of the syndicate that he forms in June, 1971.

Diggy Dupe, always rising to the occasion, perfectly Melanie is his classmate from medical school, and in my integrates his spoken-word-style hip-hop into the opinion is the real foundation which ties the Panthers formation of the story. If you’re questioning the to their task of social justice. As the eldest sister in authenticity of hip-hop as a genre in a 70’s set show, a Samoan family, she already has her fair share of Diggy shuts you up. His terrific lyrical ability guides the burdens. Her grace and determination never waivers audience into either the intro or outro to every episode. despite this, as she juggles the evils of her community In reference to Alex Behan, this illuminates “yet another and protection of her family at all times, at all costs.

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Review

Both Frankie Adams (Tessa) and Beaulah Koale (Ice) return to our shores, taking time off of their respective careers on Hawaii Five-0 and The Expanse. These characters’ positions throughout the series reflect the struggle, as they try to maintain their sense of place in this new land. The same milk and honey that refuses to offer people humanities that they would be entitled to as citizens.

Shout-out to the perfect casting of Roy Billing as Muldoon, who breathes life into the historical personality that in my Dad’s opinion was “The worst Prime minister we’ve ever had.”

Finau and Hern are diligent in ensuring they are always empathetic to the struggle of the individual, to restore dignity to their sacrifices. The creators made these characters entrenched in their truth, and we watch how it guides them in performing their duties. Intentionally creating thought-provoking statements, which force us to question our words and the worlds that peddle them. That anytime someone says “citizen” or “God’s own” or “return to the golden age” is never restorative, but a retreat into ignorance. Imperative information for the youth-centric cast and audience, who will take this

knowledge straight to the democratic polls, to question our own decision making. At least, until we finally overthrow the whole system.

The Panthers—a world-class weaving of entertainment, brilliance, artfulness, and information, is a demonstration of Magasiva’s talent to utilise pace and timing, to deliver us characters with their integrity bound, and purpose revealed through their values. The tension of their decision-making allows us to truly critique the characters, choices, and histories we thought to be universal.

This is a story of 19 and 20-year-old revolutionaries who sacrificed themselves for a necessity, without it being asked of them. This is a history of transformative truth. On the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Polynesian Panthers in Tamaki Makaurau, It is an honour to have their success delivered to the screen. It is an honour to stand in my own truth day by day, as I have been inspired by giants.

Acts 20:24 “However I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me..” www.salient.org.nz

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Crossword: Call It!

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ACROSS

DOWN

1. “Right this minute...” (4,2,2,5) * 10. Greek princess who helped Theseus escape the Minotaur’s labyrinth (7) 11. Body part that might be attached or free (7) 12. Phil Collins hit with an epic drum solo (2,3,3,7) * 14. Durations or distances (7) 17. Like some peanuts or celebrities (7) 20. Stops using immediately (5,4,6) * 24. Act like (7) 25. Disappoint; unfurl like a rope ladder (3,4) 26. Beatles song that ends ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1,3,2,3,4) *

2. What the ‘V’ stands for on some expensive bags (7) 3. Elbow; prod (5) 4. They’re subsets of a genus (7) 5. Force out (5) 6. Carnivorous fish of the Amazon (7) 7. ‘____ Us’ (social sabotage game) (5) 8. Mark who played Luke (6) 9. Subsequent (4) 13. Colour (3) 15. Australian bird (3) 16. Italian region where Florence and Pisa are (7) 17. Deer that both leads and follows Blitzen (7) 18. Parody; strip; launch (4,3) 19. Hanging on the line (6) 20. Reason for rounds at a pub? (4) 21. Poem with the last line ‘And so they buried Hector, the breaker of horses’ (5) 22. Place like the Southern, which was finally recognised by National Geographic in 2021 (5) 23. Up to (the point) (5)

Puzzles

Skuxdoku

Word of the Week

“urgent” Te Reo Māori whitawhita New Zealand Sign language

Last Weeks Answers

www.salient.org.nz

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Poetic Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Star sign of the bull It’s merry being Aries But climate change is oh-so-scary Taking the year by the horns Stop giving money to New World, I have faith in you and support your local dairy

Gemi, Gemi, Gemini Despite the ever-changing sky Your study’s going good and your academic marks will be high

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Looking across Wellington Harbour Seeing the blue hills Take a deep breath this week Remain still

There is a break soon to come You’re going to feel number one No stress No tests Spring or summer’s shining sun

Level 2 is a bit gloomy But not really that doomy Hit up your mate and go to a movie

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Full moon this week Commotion, ocean, wind, sails, sales This is a money making week

Call your favourite relative Tell them why they’re your favourite You won’t regret it, after you say it

Be patient, be kind A certain repayment may be on your mind StudyLink or a favour Be true to you, on your best behaviour

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Odds are odd Don’t gamble on your course More importantly, don’t gamble on a horse Focus on your end of year, you’ll do awesome

As the great Bono said “It’s a beautiful day” If sunny outside, take in the rays

Splish splash Lightning flash This week, you will fall into some cash

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Columns : To be Frank Horoscopes

www.salient.org.nz

The Team Editors

Sally Ward & Matthew Casey editor@salient.org.nz

Design & Illustration Padraig Simpson designer@salient.org.nz

Sub Editor Jamie Clarke

Chief Reporter Niva Chittock

Staff Writers Janhavi Gosavi Ronia Ibrahim Lachlan Ewing Azaria Howell

Feature Writers Tamatha Paul Thea Mataiti Shanti Mathias Hannah Wood

Contributors

Lily McElhone Maia Ingoe Johnny O’Hagan Brebner Dylan Frankie Dale Anoushka Diverkar Laurelei Bautista Elisapeta Dawson Puck

Social Media & Web Manager Kane Bassett and Brittany Harrison

Podcast Manager

Francesca Georgia Pietkiewicz podcasts@salient.org

Centerfold

Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho @hurianakt.a

Find Us

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VOTING OPENS 27.09.21

48 Voting is open next week for the VUWSA 2022 elections! Have your say on the 2022 Student Executive by voting at: voting.vuwsa.org.nz/login Voting closes: Friday 1st October 2021

The VUWSA Student Executive is elected each year by Vic students and are there to make sure the student voice is part of all the important conversations at the university.

This team is the face of VUWSA and you’ll see them on campus, at events, at important meetings and in the media repping student issues.