KATHRYN VAN BEEK
  • Blog
  • Pet
    • Pet Podcast
    • Newsroom book launch
  • Bruce the Cat
    • Bruce Goes Outside
    • Bruce Finds A Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Shop

Thoughts, Prayers and Action in Ōtepoti, Aotearoa

1/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Photo: Christian Reusch
Photo: Christian Reusch, Flickr, 2013.
It's been an eerie start to the year here in Ōtepoti, Aotearoa. 

The day dawned ... except, it didn't. The air was thick and yellow-hued. The birds were silent. 

'It almost looks like an Australian bushfire sky,' I thought. 'But those fires are over 2000km away in a different country. It can't be that.' 

But it was. It is. And it's been a very unsettling way to ring in the new decade - a visceral reminder of how precious our world is, and how connected we all are ... and how badly we are failing our own habitat and the other animals we share it with.  

I've seen a lot of people sending thoughts and prayers via social media, but I don't think thoughts and prayers will do a lot. What we can send - those of us with $5, or $50, or whatever to spare - is cash. And if you don't have any spare cash at this rather financially draining time of year, I have some other ideas further down. ​
Donation ideas

Help wildlife
Half a billion animals are reported to have died in this year's Australian fires. It just doesn't bear thinking about. 
  • Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
  • The Rescue Collective 
  • Koalas in Care
  • Wires Wildlife Rescue 
  • Wildlife Rescue Sunshine Coast
  • Cedar Creek Wombat Rescue 

I didn't spot any organisations committed to restoring the bush, but these two organisations might be worth checking out:   
  • ​Rainforest Trust Australia
  • Rainforest Rescue Australia 
Picture
This wonderful Butcherbird was one of many creatures that kept me company on my artist residency just out of Sydney last year.
Help fund fire services (seems crazy, you would think the Australian Government would be onto this)
  • NSW Rural Fire Service
  • Country Fire Authority 

Help the people displaced by fires
  • Red Cross Australia 
  • The Salvation Army 
  • St Vincent de Paul 

What else can we do? 

​Climate change has made these bushfires more catastrophic than they were in the past. It is up to all of us to do our best to reduce our impact on the environment. 
  • Vote responsibly. Voting in your own personal interests is a dick move, and it isn't actually in your interests anyway. Voting to help secure the health of the environment, people and animals around you is where it's at. 
  • Reduce our own carbon footprints. We can't all do all of these things, but we can pick some: Eat less meat and dairy, drive less, buy second hand / quality (say no to 'fast fashion'), plant a vege garden, give up appliances you don't need (how many people really need a clothes dryer?), use video technology instead of taking flights for business purposes. Find some other tips on Stuff, The Huffington Post and The New York Times. 
  • Reduce our impact on the earth in other ways. Remember the Five Rs (refuse, reduce, reuse, rot, recycle), be a more efficient power user, buy less stuff, compost your food waste, buy from companies with values that match your own, and work for companies with values that match your own (and if they don't, why not see if you can change them?). Get your workplace or school involved in initiatives such as Veganuary or Plastic Free July 
  • Advocate for change. Voting is important, but we can take smaller actions too. Write to your favourite companies and ask them to make changes to their packaging / ingredients / labour practices. Sign those petitions that are always going around. Talk to your local MP about your specific concerns and how you can work together to make positive change. Talk to your local council about what they can put in place to help residents make better decisions (eg more public rubbish bins, more public drinking fountains, better curbside recycling options, etc)

As I finished this post I had to run outside to break up a cat fight. I couldn't see a single star in the sky. 

Photo: Christian Reusch, Flickr, 2013.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Kathryn van Beek

    Author

    A graduate of UNITEC’s School of Performing and Screen Arts (BA) and Victoria University’s Institute of Modern Letters (MA), Kathryn is a published playwright who has won several Playmarket and Fringe Festival awards.

    An accomplished short story writer, Kathryn is the author of short story collection
    Pet, and the winner of the Mindfood Short Story Competition and the Headland Short Story Prize.

    Kathryn has written several zines, a podcast, a web series, and a number of articles for outlets such as The Spinoff. She has also written and illustrated two children's books about her rescue cat, Bruce. 


    Sign up to receive infrequent but interesting news. 

    Follow Kathryn on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

    I am also hoping to put the power of the pen to good use by advocating for better miscarriage information and support. Click here for details.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Categories

    All
    13th Floor
    Actors
    Advocacy
    Alicia Young
    Article
    Auckland Writers Festival
    Author Brand
    Best Of Auckland
    Bologna Children's Book Fair
    Bonsai
    Book
    Book Launch
    Bruce Finds A Home
    Bruce Goes Outside
    Bruce The Cat
    Business Writing
    Cat
    Character
    Child Poverty
    Children's Book
    City Of Literature
    Competition
    Creative Hub
    Creative Writing
    Crowdfunding
    Crowd Funding
    Distribution
    Dunedin City Of Literature
    Dunedin Writers Festival
    Earthskin
    Eketahuna
    Elsewhere
    Emotional Support Animal
    Eramboo Artist Environment
    Famous Cat
    Flash Fiction
    Fresh Ink
    Funding
    Gif
    Glory Days
    Headland
    Housing
    Illustration
    Illustrations
    Infertility
    Intern
    Joyce Carol Oates
    Justin Timberlake
    Karangahape Road
    Kickstarter
    K'Rd
    MasterClass
    Mindfood Magazine
    Miscarriage
    MIsconceptions
    Modern Girl's Guide To Publishing
    Music
    Musical
    National Writers Forum
    North And South
    NZ Herald
    NZ Pacific Studio
    NZSA
    Opera
    Opinion
    Otago Daily Times
    Pet
    Picture Book
    Podcast
    Published
    Publishing
    Reading
    Residency
    Review
    Sargeson Prize
    Script
    Short Story
    Storylines
    Sunday Star Times
    Sunday Star-Times
    Theatre
    Theatreview
    The Highlanders
    The Spinoff
    TV
    Vegetarian
    Video
    Web Series
    Win
    Writing
    Writing Festival
    Zine
    Zinefest

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • Pet
    • Pet Podcast
    • Newsroom book launch
  • Bruce the Cat
    • Bruce Goes Outside
    • Bruce Finds A Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Shop