Corporate Greenwashers exposed at AL Gore meeting!

AL Gore! What’s the score?
The System’s Rotten to the Core!

Leader of Green Party and Mayor of Waitakare first to sign Climaction Petition.

Al Gore paid a fleeting visit to Aotearoa, meeting with a handpicked audience of NZ’s corporate and political elite at Auckland University’s business school. Despite the fact that over 100,000 Kiwis have seen his film “An Inconvenient Truth”, Mr Gore only spoke to those who could afford a 950 dollar ticket, and declined Climaction’s offer to speak to the people outside.

Mr Gore’s film raises many of the problems we will face in the next 20 years, but is none too hot on possible solutions to the climate crisis. Climaction launched its petition for free and frequent public transport in Auckland as a tangible and achievable reform that will practically reduce carbon emissions, and invited Al to be the first signatory. But lost in the media scrum, he was ushered away by security guards to an awaiting gas guzzling limo, which sped off to the kerosene spewing airport. Climaction would have bought him a bus ticket!

(Audio at http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11964-6563186-300,00.html )

Instead, the first signatories of Climaction’s Free and Frequent Public Transport Petition were Green Party Leader Jeanette Fitzsimmons, Residents Action Movement Councillor Robyn Hughes and Mayor of Auckland’s Waitakare City Bob Harvey. Thousands more signatures will be gathered by Climaction over the next month- you can add your moniker online at www.climaction.blogspot.com

Many members of the corporate and political elite present at the Al Gore presentation did NOT sign, however. John Keyes of National, Minister Benson-Pope of Labour and ozone offender Peter Dunne of United Future seemed content that listening to a lecture for an hour was enough to save the planet. Auckland Regional Council chairperson Mike Lee defended his policy of motorway building, saying he would never support free and frequent public transport because busses ran on diesel. So one bus carrying fifty people causes more pollution than 50 cars, then Mike? Very scientific.

Climaction will now begin a public campaign to make individual politicians accountable for their positions on free and frequent public transport, and will publish their names and positions on our website.
(Any suggestions? Contact the blog at solidarityjoe@yahoo.com )

Climaction are also inviting all groups, unions and individuals concerned about global warming and a decent public transport system to our first Conference, to be held at the Latin American Cultural Centre, 37 Selwyn Street, Onehunga, Auckland at 1pm on Saturday November 25^th.