August 18, 2022
Atmospheric river rains sign of new climate normal
Green MP Teanau Tuiono says the storm dumping huge quantities of rain around the country is warning the time for major action on climate change is now.
Mr Tuiono says the unfolding catastrophe is what Greens co-founder the late Jeanette Fitzsimons warned 20 years ago would be the new normal.
“I was in her class as a young person listening to her saying what was going to happen unless we organised ourselves and we have left it very late to organise ourselves to mitigate emissions but also to adapt to climate change. So we’ve just got to get on to it, stop listening to corporations and companies like agribusiness, fossil, fuel companies, we’ve got to stop listening to them and start listening to the scientists,” he says.
A state of emergency was declared across the Te Tai Poutini on Tuesday and in Nelson and Tasman districts on Wednesday, and the Far North was today cut off with State Highway 1 closed at Rangiahua Bridge south of Mangamuka and State Highway 10 closed at Kāeo.