Climate change protesters target MFAT and NZX

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Mon, 21 Dec 2009 8:36a.m.

About 30 to 40 gathered outside the exchange with banners and flags calling for action on climate change

About 30 to 40 gathered outside the exchange with banners and flags calling for action on climate change

Two climate change activists have scaled the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) building, protesting what they call the leading cause of climate change in New Zealand - dairy farming.

The two men climbed the building about 7.30am, unfurling a banner bearing the "Got Climate Change?" slogan and a logo with "Fonterror" on it. The giant dairy company Fonterra is New Zealand's leading dairy exporter.

One of the protesters, John Darroch, told NZPA they were prepared to stay up on the building for as long as they were comfortable, perhaps until lunch time.

"We've got seats and we're tied onto the building. We're quite comfortable at the moment," he told NZPA.

"A lot of people have been stopping and looking, and we have people handing out leaflets explaining what we're up here for."

Mr Darroch said 51 percent of New Zealand's carbon emissions were due to agriculture, especially dairy farming. The men had chosen the building because MFAT was Fonterra's biggest overseas promoter, he said.

Police officers were in the area, but neither they nor MFAT staff had made any attempt to talk to them or tell them to get off the building, he said.

In another related protest, police have removed several activists from outside the New Zealand Stock Exchange on Wellington's waterfront. The protesters were apparently blocking the building's doors, a witness said.

About 30 to 40 gathered outside the exchange with banners and flags calling for action on climate change and other issues.

The protests were organised as part of a "day of action", following on from a climate change and activism camp held in the Hutt Valley last week, Mr Darroch said.

Police and MFAT had no comment on the protests.

NZPA
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Comments

22 Dec 2009 10:23a.m.

christopher wrote:

its just teen with not thing to do in the holiday is what it look like

21 Dec 2009 03:12p.m.

Mike wrote:

This is excellent, I can remember only 15 years ago you could swim, fish and drink out of nearly every river in this country, now 90% are polluted thanks to dairy 'farming'. Fonterra is a large private company that is profiting from polluting our environment. Great Protest!

21 Dec 2009 12:52p.m.

Jim wrote:

Core samples taken out of Denmark aged a few thousand years say that it was 5 deg warmer than it is now also there was no snow on Greenland!!!

21 Dec 2009 12:48p.m.

Warren Matthews wrote:

Reply: "Andrew 21 Dec 2009 10:45a.m. And are the protesters ready..."
I think I mostly agree with you. I don't believe in this 'Climate Change' scam, especially how it seems to be mainly over 'stored' carbon (... actually there are too many holes in all their arguments), contradicting why then has NZ put agriculture forward as a taxable 'Climate Change' cause (carbon is not a pollutant). My main issue with your comments is over the income source alternative. In my humble opinion NZ is already too dependent on dairy. I believe we need to diversify and create other wealth generators, get back to building our own cars again (as an example). I do not like being held to ransom by dairy farmers, or the global market.

21 Dec 2009 12:02p.m.

kathy wrote:

We all know that NZ Dairy farming is a dirty industry, perhaps they could get into "organic veges" - there certainly is a growing global demand for this. We don't need the dairy industry - they are a liability to every Kiwi.

21 Dec 2009 10:46a.m.

Obiwan wrote:

Well, the climate has certainly changed in Europe - minus 20 in Poland, minus 18.5 in Holland - in Poland alone over 47 have frozen to death so far in the month of December.

21 Dec 2009 10:45a.m.

Andrew wrote:

And are the protesters ready to accept a lower standard of living if NZ stopped dairy farming? What income source do they propose as an alternative for NZ? Hadn't thought about that had they? And if you have to 'explain' why you are protesting, then your point is lost! No explanation should be necessary...."bear with me people, this is going to take some explaining..."

21 Dec 2009 10:19a.m.

Obiwanl wrote:

This was really a job hunt in disguise - because they are out of work, they wanted to train to become firemen.

21 Dec 2009 10:03a.m.

kathy wrote:

Well done!! I think the police are more into car chases than climbing!!

21 Dec 2009 09:31a.m.

mark wrote:

somebody should point out to these lunatics that there is record cooling, snow storms and an ice age approaching. what fools.