It’s been over two weeks since the National State of Emergency was declared on the 14th of February 2023, due to Cyclone Gabrielle. These past two weeks have been tough for New Zealanders as the country has had to deal with the long-lasting impacts of the cyclone, and previous floods across the North Island prior to that. It’s a strong and clear message from the Earth that Climate Change is upon us. As we look back at February, it gives us the opportunity to reflect on what has happened across the country and the issue of global warming and how they are related. As we have all been impacted in some way or form such as school closures caused by the cyclone in early February, a wide topic of debate has emerged in the phase where we begin to rebuild our country. How can New Zealand as a whole redesign itself as a nation which will better prepare itself for natural disasters such as earthquakes and how the country can do this sustainably?
When constructing buildings and projects, many often overlook the ideas of natural disasters and sustainability. These are two key parts to building sustainably. One major issue which is a huge debate across the country is the way we currently rebuild after disasters such as the recent cyclone. When we rebuild, we tend to rebuild things the same way they were before, which in retrospect sounds like a smart idea. However, if the country continues to rebuild its mistakes, and continues to rebuild with a mindset focused on the short term, the next disasters which lie ahead may continue to wreak havoc once again. Therefore, New Zealand should take the next few steps cautiously and think it through rather than simply rebuilding what we have done in the past, as the lesson goes, we make mistakes to learn from mistakes.
In the news, many climate change experts suggest the idea of not rebuilding the homes which have been ‘red stickered’ and slated for demolition as they show a clear sign that those areas do not provide safe grounds and have already seen the effects of climate change. Whether or not we agree with the climate change expert, we shouldn’t ignore the main idea of climate change as we cannot afford to ignore the ecological impact of rebuilding in areas which are prone to be affected by natural disasters. And of course, there’s the large price tag which is attached to the rebuild and rebuilding of homes and infrastructure in a fast manner with a long-term mindset as some argue. So, therefore there are already many hot-heated topics that need to be addressed, but we must not forget why this has all happened in the first place. We need to ensure that the idea of sustainability is brought into consideration as the cyclone was caused by abnormal levels of heat in the Pacific Ocean which are due to the increase in global warming as the world moves on from COVID-19.
The school currently has many initiatives to minimise its emissions and impact on climate change, however, we can further combat the effects across the school and country in many different ways. The first is understanding where our limits are as a planet. This means that we need to realise that as a planet we may be consuming too many resources and energy and should aim to minimise energy usage where possible. As a school, this could mean that as students we are able to remind ourselves to minimise the usage of electricity, water, or other means that require energy. Another area which is a key element to rebuilding in a smart way and can also help combat climate change, is the idea of ensuring food security and minimising transport that is unnecessary or finding sustainable workarounds. Though, as a school, it may be a good idea to seek alternative transport options such as cycling to school or walking if it is possible. As Auckland Transport recently opened its new Electric Bus Depot, it signifies progress in this area as the Council looks to add in more electric buses to reach its goal of a carbon-neutral fleet by 2040. Therefore, means of transport such as taking a public bus may be good for the environment too as we should aim to move towards more carbon-neutral transport across the country. Another key area which people should look into is the idea of Sustainable Structures and Infrastructure. This is an area in which Kristin School currently excels with new projects such as Tūrama and the new Junior School administration block as well as the new music classrooms which are under construction. These projects were designed with sustainability in mind, and perhaps the country as a whole could benefit from designing structures which have a more sustainable mindset.
Lastly, as we move on from the devastating effects caused by the recent weather havoc, we should look towards changing our mindset before we begin the process of rebuilding key areas of infrastructure. We should look at the areas which we consider to be important or of value such as the safety of people’s homes, the overall impact we have on our environment and looking at the lessons which we have learnt from the recent weather.
As we have all been affected by the recent weather in some way, let us all not forget what has happened in the past month. And most importantly, it is key that we all stay safe and prepared for a potential next disaster. Let us re-evaluate our decisions and rebuild with caution.
