Everyone has a right to know that the water coming out of their kitchen tap is safe to drink. We should all be able to take a dip in our local river without getting sick.  But across Aotearoa, the health of lakes, rivers, and drinking water is worsening – and one of the worst contaminants is nitrate, coming from the intensive dairy industry.  Now Christopher Luxon’s government plans to get rid of the only freshwater protections in New Zealand. They want to see more cows living in mud, polluting rivers with more sediment and cow effluent.  And they’re removing Te Mana o Te Wai – a policy that puts the health of freshwater ecosystems first, the health of people second, and commercial use of water last. They are giving commercial interests free reign to pollute with no regard for the health of nature or people.  This will put rural communities across the country, as well as entire cities like Christchurch, at risk of unsafe levels of nitrate contamination in their drinking water. And it will lead to more unswimmable lakes and rivers.  New Zealanders may have voted for a change of Government, but they did not vote for unsafe drinking water. They didn’t vote for lakes and rivers to be treated like open sewers. For the sake of all New Zealanders, Luxon must keep his hands off the freshwater protections. Release: Government repeal of Te Mana o Te Wai condemning rural communities to unsafe drinking water, Greenpeace

Te Waikoropupū Springs have some of the clearest water ever measured on earth. Last year the Springs received a Water Conservation Order (WCO) from the Environment Court. The WCO gives a special cloak of protection that which councils must abide by when considering resource consents.    Yet if the Fast Track Approvals Bill were to pass into law the way it is written, the Government would be able to bypass the protections the WCO gives Te Waikoropupū Springs.    We have also become aware that Siren Gold Mining has been invited to fast track an application to mine in the Golden Bay area under Sam’s Creek.     Sam’s Creek Mine is essentially an arsenic mine. Up to eleven million tonnes of arsenic-laden rock will be mined. The processing of the rock will most likely happen at a plant to be developed on farmland in the Upper Takaka Valley. Arsenic-laden rock will be pounded to a fine powder and passed into a slime heap containing cyanide and other chemicals. The ore's high arsenic content would leave over 75,000 tonnes of highly toxic substance in the slime heap once the gold is removed.    If the slime heap were to leak into the aquifer, as is likely to happen over time, it would mean the stygofauna in the aquifer would die and the crystal-clear waters be lost forever.    The Save Our Springs Campaign was formed to protect Te Waikoropupu Springs. Thousands of people have worked over many years to protect the precious taonga that is Te Waikoropupū Springs. We are still planning to deliver our 17,000 strong petition to Save Te Waikoropupū Springs from the threat of synthetic nitrogen.    We must draw a line and speak up before the Fast Track Bill becomes law. Unless there are changes all 16 Water Conservation Orders around the country will be threatened.    Sign our urgent petition to save te Waikoropupū from the fast tracked gold mine! Help us stop the Fast-Track being the death trap for Te Waikoropupū.     Links:  Fast track: What’s the story? Greenpeace, March 2024 Waikoropupū Springs water conservation order, Ministry for the Environment  Maps: Te Waikoropupū Springs  

All life deserves to thrive. Yet the Luxon Government has declared the biggest assault on nature, democracy and Te Tiriti in decades with their Fast-Track Bill. If passed unopposed, the new law will allow the destruction of lands, rivers and seas through more mining, dams, roads, drilling and ocean pillaging. It will also deny local communities a say about those projects and severely restrict input from iwi, hapū and experts. Call on Prime Minister Luxon to stop the Fast-Track Approvals Bill!

'Project Kea' is a Waste-to-Energy project that would incinerate large volumes of waste. If constructed the plant would truck in 365,000 tonnes of waste annually to burn and generate modest amounts of electricity. Waste-to-Energy plants release dangerous chemicals and emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 'Project Kea' would produce the equivalent CO2 emissions to an extra 100,000 cars on the road each year. Toxins that come out the incinerator include dioxins, heavy metals and particulates which all pose a serious risk to human health. 🔥 Waste-to-Energy plants use vast amounts of resources to operate. 'Project Kea' would use 2.5 million litres of fresh water each day, 365 days a year, and burn in excess of 100,000 litres of diesel each year. Waste-to-Energy also still needs landfill space, as it requires the landfilling of large amounts of toxic ash. Beyond that, the plant will build in the need to find and supply more waste to feed the beast. Constant demand incentivises the creation of more waste and discourages zero-waste efforts. This moves us away from a more circular economy, acting within the limits of the natural environment. Waste-to-Energy is an outdated waste disposal method that countries in Europe are moving away from. The Waimate plant would be the first ever built in Aotearoa, but could pave the way for more. South Island Resource Recovery Limited's (SIRRL) proposal to build 'Project Kea' will be decided in the Environment Court. 💚 This petition is a demonstration of our local support for our elected representatives to oppose 'Project Kea. If you also oppose false solutions such as Waste-to-Energy, and want a more circular economy, please sign! Find out more about the problems with waste-to-energy: https://zerowaste.co.nz/waste-to-energy-incineration/

Pakake, the New Zealand sea lion is the world’s rarest sea lion and an endangered species. There are only 10,000 and live around the remote subantarctic Auckland Islands. Acting on advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries, and against Department of Conservation advice, the new Minister for Fishing Shane Jones has removed a ‘mortality limit’ for sea lion deaths. This is the maximum number of deaths caused by commercial fishing. The number was set to protect the population, as more deaths would threaten the survival of the species. This is outrageous - pakake are at risk of going extinct, and we should be finding as many ways as possible to protect them. The number of sea lion pups dropped by almost a third last year. They could be affected by heating ocean temperatures, and commercial fishing depleting their food sources. The southern squid trawl fishery operates around the Auckland Islands and overlaps with the sea lion foraging grounds. Fishing vessels kill sea lions by accident as ‘bycatch’. The mortality limit was set at 52 deaths and was a red line for the fishery - if it went over the limit the fishery would be closed. This protected, endangered species needs protection, but the Minister of Oceans & Fisheries has decided to listen only to the voices of the commercial fishing industry! Sign our petition to reinstate the death limit, and support the call for more protection! *** https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350240291/death-limit-endangered-new-zealand-sea-lions-scrapped https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/38189-Squid-6T-Operational-Plan-2019-2023

We all deserve a world free of plastic pollution. Plastic pollution created by the oil industry and big corporations like Coca-Cola is now found in the deepest oceans and on the highest mountains. It’s harming wildlife like turtles and seabirds, and affecting human health. At the United Nations Environmental Assembly 5.2 in March 2022, governments officially adopted a mandate opening negotiations for a global, legally-binding plastics treaty to address the whole lifecycle of plastics. The negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty start in November 2022, with the goal of completing the process by the end of 2024. The future treaty has a huge potential to put the world on a path towards a plastic-free future but it will be up to us to make sure that it delivers on its promises. We demand an ambitious global plastics treaty that will limit plastic production and use. A strong plastics treaty that keeps oil and gas in the ground, holds big polluters accountable for their excessive plastic production and builds refill and reuse systems. A just plastics treaty will ensure transparency and a fair and equitable transition for affected workers, will protect the climate and deliver a clean, safe planet for us and for our children. We have a responsibility to look after it. Let's end the age of plastic! Add your name to the petition now.

The oil industry is not welcome in Aotearoa. We will resist new oil and gas exploration.

The Waitawheta is a beautiful river starting in bush, and close to Auckland and other main centres. It’s one of the cleanest rivers on the North Island which provides the water town supply for Paeroa. The proposed new quarry area has Significant Natural Area (SNA) status. As an SNA it is an area of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna. We are very concerned there will be serious risk to water quality and environmental damage if the quarry goes ahead. There are at least four rare and threatened species that live in the area including the Long tailed bat, Hochstetter’s frog, Te Aroha stag beetle, and Striped skink. The area is home to numerous native birds including Kaka and New Zealand Falcon, Karearea. The Waitawheta River has a macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) of 134. This means it is one of the cleanest rivers in New Zealand and a reason it also makes it a recognised fishery for Rainbow and German Brown trout. The new quarry is likely to affect water quality in the river from run off in extreme weather events, which are becoming more common. This would add sediment silt and debris coming from the quarry into the river. Blasting can also affect water flows. Blasting and crushing can cause emission of noxious gases, air pollution and ground vibration. These can cause health problems in local communities and damage to houses and structures in the surrounding communities. This project has far reaching effects on the local environment and the wider community. At the least everyone should be made aware of this project and be allowed to make submissions to both the Hauraki District Council and the Waikato Regional Council. With the current state of rivers in New Zealand maintaining the highest quality of water in this river should be a top priority. We are local residents in the Waitawheta valley area who are very concerned about the proposed new quarry. If you also care about protecting rivers and our natural ecosystems in Waikato please sign the petition! https://www.valleyprofile.co.nz/2023/11/21/neighbours-say-quarry-proposal-brings-fight-to-our-side/

Upokohue/ Hector's dolphins are one of the rarest marine dolphins in the world. Their greatest concentrations are found on the west and east coasts of the South Island and have the conservation status of ‘nationally vulnerable’. Hector's dolphins are threatened by many human activities. No dolphins should die as a result of fishing related practices. Yet fishing impacts have been devastating for the species. Dolphins continue to be killed in trawl nets. The rules around bycatch - and fishing near shore, are too weak. The fishing boat Austro Carina grounded recently off Banks Peninsula and is leaking oil, threatening wildlife (Oct 2023). It was legally fishing within endangered Hector's habitat, less than 2m from shore, which shows it's not just direct fishing risks that threaten Hector's habitat, but indirect fishing activities too. A small population of Hector’s lives in Lyttelton Harbour and is already threatened by industrial activities, noise and massive cruise ships. The competitive boat race SailGP also occurs in the dolphin habitat, and tourism also impacts on the dolphins. 🐬 Environment Canterbury can fix this, and it must. We call on ECan to protect Hector's from fishing related impacts through the Council's Regional Plan.

We can’t keep powering our lives with polluting fuels from last century that keep damaging our climate, our neighbourhoods, and our health. The fossil fuel industry is greedily lining its pockets and five major power companies in New Zealand profit from burning coal. Meanwhile, our communities suffer from stronger floods, droughts, polluted air, blackouts and soaring energy bills (in the last 30 years households power prices rose by 79%). Vulnerable communities are at the forefront of these devastating impacts. Community energy is critical for a just and equitable transition to renewable electricity and tackling energy hardship. This is why we are asking our Government to make a commitment and release a strategy that will help Aotearoa achieve 750MW community energy generation and 400MW community storage by 2035. We need to draw a line in the sand and speak up against our broken energy system and put an end to energy injustice. We can push our politicians to invest in affordable clean energy and introduce policies that will strengthen energy sovereignty. Will you join our fight for climate justice and start advocating for solutions? We have the technology available to power our lives without killing our planet and harming our communities. Getting to 100% renewable energy electricity is 100% doable. We can have homegrown and locally-produced energy and stop being reliant on the fossil fuel industry. Renewable energy projects create more investment across the economy. More community-controlled renewable energy will give people greater access to and ownership over their local energy systems and strengthen community ties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ_eT9LY4VM

There are too many clothes in the world! Fast fashion is pumping out huge amounts of cheap synthetic garments that end up in landfills. Fast fashion has created underpriced disposable clothing, and is enabling environmental destruction. Fast fashion is driven by capitalism and corporate profit, which is driving the world’s biggest problems such as the climate, biodiversity and humanitarian crises. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions 🧵We need to regulate the industry and slow down the giant Corporate overproduction of fast fashion. Fast fashion is second to Oil in its damage to our environment. Oil is currently involved in every part of the production and delivery process of fast fashion, including the creation of the materials (such as polyester and nylon). It walks hand in hand in domination and pollution. Ghana’s desert and other places around the world have become dumping grounds for the worlds throw-away clothes. Micro plastics are pouring into our oceans everyday from simply washing our clothes that are made out of plastic. Fast fashion depends on modern slavery. 1 in every 130 women and girls around the world fall victim to modern slavery, and many work in sweatshops in Asia, creating garments for fast fashion brands. 🧵It’s time for big change. It’s time to honour our environment and our planet and people. We need to prioritise circular design and production systems. We need businesses that honour our environment and life on earth, the natural laws that we operate inside of. We need policies from Government that will control and regulate the industry and put the responsibility back on corporations. The Giants must be stopped. It doesn’t have to be this way. By regulating to slow down fast fashion we can use and appreciate what we have. We can support our local clothes designers and makers. 🧵Join the rebellion! Sign the petition and demand an end to our part in the harms of fast fashion. 🪡 Links Ghana: fast fashion's dumping ground https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC5KYX74AP4 NZ landfill boss sees alarming rise in clothing waste https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/03/12/nz-landfill-boss-sees-alarming-rise-in-clothing-waste/ Steven Junil: 'If NZ stopped importing fabric and clothing, we’d be fine for another 50 to 100 years' https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/summer-days/audio/2018678132/steven-junil-if-nz-stopped-importing-fabric-and-clothing-we-d-be-fine-for-another-50-to-100-years Recommendations to the New Zealand Government from the Clothing & Textile Industry, 2021 http://www.textilereuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Usedfully_Government-Recommendations-Report-Final-May2021.pdf

Japan is preparing to dump about 1.3 million tonnes of contaminated water into the Pacific over the next three to four decades. It claims this would be made safe through an Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) and then dilution, but the water will still be radioactive. The dump of contaminated water is part of the effort to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, 12 years after it was overwhelmed by a tsunami. International laws are clear that States cannot undertake activities in their own waters that will have harmful effects in the high seas. There is no question that releasing radioactivity is contaminating the high seas. By not challenging the move, Pacific leaders, including New Zealand, could be undermining [1] the objectives of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, otherwise known as the Rarotonga Treaty. Article Seven of the Rarotonga Treaty[2] places an obligation on states which are signatories to "prevent dumping" in light of the legacy of nuclear weapons testing in the region. Ocean currents experts are predicting the waste would sweep right across the Pacific. Nations in the Asia Pacific region, led by the Pacific Island Forum, have strongly voiced their opposition to the plans.[3] Some of the world’s leading oceanographic institutes and marine scientists have criticised the weakness of the scientific justification[4] applied by TEPCO, the owner of the nuclear plant, warned against using the Pacific Ocean as a dumping ground for radioactive contaminated water, and called for alternatives to discharge to be applied. Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) secretary general Henry Puna has said that the release poses major impacts and long-term worry for Pacific Island states who should not have to bear another nuclear testing activity. Greenpeace International says [5] “The Japanese government is desperate for international endorsement for its Pacific Ocean radioactive water dump plans. It has failed to protect its own citizens, including the vulnerable fishing communities of Fukushima, as well as nations across the wider Asia Pacific region. The aftermath of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima is still strongly felt, and the Japanese government has failed to fully investigate the effects of discharging multiple radionuclides on marine life. The government is obligated under international law to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment, including the impact of transboundary marine pollution, but has failed to do so. Its plans are a violation of the UN Convention Law of the Sea.” Greenpeace East Asia analysis[6] has detailed the failures of liquid waste processing technology at the Fukushima Daiichi plant and the environmental threats posed by the releases. REFERENCES: Rarotonga Treaty could be 'undermined' if Pacific leaders don't oppose Japan's nuclear dump | RNZ News: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/492863/rarotonga-treaty-could-be-undermined-if-pacific-leaders-don-t-oppose-japan-s-nuclear-dump Treaty of Rarotonga | NATIONS UNIES: https://www.un.org/nwfz/fr/content/treaty-rarotonga#:~:text=The%20Rarotonga%20Treaty%20also%20includes,radioactive%20matter%20(Article%207) Japan must work with the Pacific to find a solution to the Fukushima water release issue – otherwise we face disaster: https://www.forumsec.org/2023/02/06/op-ed-japan-must-work-with-the-pacific-to-find-a-solution-to-the-fukushima-water-release-issue-otherwise-we-face-disaster/ 2022-12 Position Paper: Release of Radioactively Contaminated Water into the Ocean: https://www.naml.org/policy/documents/2022-12-12%20Position%20Paper,%20Release%20of%20Radioactively%20Contaminated%20Water%20into%20the%20Ocean.pdf Ignoring science, environmental protection and international law – G7 endorses Japan’s Fukushima water discharge plans: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/59193/science-environmental-protection-international-law-g7-japans-fukushima-water-discharge/ Stemming the Tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis: https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-japan-stateless/2020/10/5e303093-greenpeace_stemmingthetide2020_fukushima_radioactive_water_crisis_en_final.pdf