Atolls, climate change, and our responsibility as a Pacific island nation.
 

I've just written a letter to a couple of ministers in our government:

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Kia Ora Minister Faafoi, Prime Minister Ardern,

I am writing to you regarding the many small pacific island nations we have as neighbours, whose existence and way of life is coming increasingly under threat due to climate change and sea level rise. Perhaps one of the most salient examples is that of Kiribati;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW9EAkqu6aY (4 Minutes and 2 seconds.)

Kiribati is a nation of approximately 120,000 people, and it is one of the larger atolls in the Pacific. The population of most atoll nations is of this size or smaller. Across all of the atolls in the Pacifc on which people live, there would be less than 1 million people.

The worst case scenario sea level rise predictions suggest that some of these island nations may be completely gone by 2030. Over the last 7 years, since the Paris agreement, nations all over the world, including New Zealand, have failed to meet emissions targets to keep warming below 1.5 degrees celsius, the level required to keep the people of Pacific atolls safe.

The heritage of New Zealand is the heritage of a Pacific island nation. All of these people are our people.

He aha te mea nui o te ao?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

It is unconscionable for us to stand by and do nothing while our people face this fight for survival. I implore the government to pursue a new policy of maintaining a completely open border to all people of Pacific island atolls. Aotearoa New Zealand has the necessary resources to provide refuge to all of these people, more so than any other Pacific nation. These are our people, and this is our responsibility. We should not fail to meet it.

Sincerely

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If you care for our people on Pacific island atolls, I urge you to also write to our government.
Demand an open border for our people, demand that the very least we should do is done.

Minister for Immigration: Kris Faafoi [email protected]
Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern [email protected]

Supplementary viewing:
The Final Years of Majuro - The Marshall Islands. Big oof warning (yes, I'm sure there are those here who already know about the many oofs involved, even better than I do.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J06af5xHD0

Received a reply from the PM's office:

Dear *****,

I am writing on behalf of the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, to acknowledge your email of 25 January 2022. Please be assured your comments have been noted.

As the issue you have raised falls within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister of Foreign Affairs , Hon Nanaia Mahuta, ([email protected] ), your email has been forwarded to the Minister’s office for consideration.

Thank you for writing, and take care.

Best wishes

Warren Howe

Office of the Prime Minister

James Shaw donated 500mil for climate change. That'll mostly go to consultants, working committees, purchasing of art, and maybe a couple of engineers for 3 months.

Got another response:
"Tēnā Koe *****,

I am writing on behalf of the Minister, Hon Nanaia Mahuta, to acknowledge your email of 25 January 2022. Please be assured your comments have been noted.

As the issue you have raised falls within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister of Justice , Hon Kris Faafoi , your email has been forwarded to the Minister’s office for consideration.

Thank you for writing, and take care.

Ngā mihi
Bindy Seumanutafa"

So, it seems like the staffers for the MPS don't actually know who it's supposed to go to. Kris Faafoi was the original minister I sent this letter to, along with the PM. But I didn't send it to Minister Faafoi because he is the Minister of Justice, I sent it to him because he is the Minister of Immigration. It's interesting to see how different aides have construed this letter as a foreign affairs issue, and a justice issue.

^^ reads like an episode of Yes Minister.

Real donate, or Amber Heard donate/pledge/limelight?

James Shaw donated 500 million dollars? Wtf? That makes no sense.

What? James Shaw had 500 million dollars? WTAF?

I got a reply from Kris Faafoi too.
"
Hon Kris Faafoi
Minister of Justice
Minister for Broadcasting and Media
Minister of Immigration

06 APR 2022

Dear *****,

Thank you for your email regarding the impact of climate change on our Pacific Island neighbours.

While New Zealand does not yet have an immigration policy in relation to climate change-related migration, the Government has agreed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will do some foundational work to consider what can be done to help Pacific people mitigate climate change and remain, if possible, in their home countries. After the completion of this work, we will be in a better position to then consider what immigration or other changes might potentially be needed.

In the meantime, the Government is taking active steps to mitigate climate change here in New Zealand. We have this year become the first country in the world to require the financial sector to report on climate risks. At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (more commonly referred to as COP26) held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, the Government made a wide range of important announcements including a pledge to significantly increase our contribution to the global effort to tackle climate change by reducing net greenhouse emissions by 50 percent by 2030. We also joined with more than 105 countries to launch the Global Methane Pledge and joined with a range of other countries and committed to a just transition to a low carbon future. For more information on commitments the Government made at COP26, please see here:

www.beehive.govt.nz/portfolio/labour-2020-2023/climate-change

Thank you for writing and take care.

Yours sincerely

Hon Kris Faafoi
Minister of Immigration
"