Walking the talk in local government
Congratulations to our re-elected mayor Sheryl Mai for choosing a fully electric vehicle as her next mayoral car, as reported here in today's Northern Advocate.
It is a ratepayer-funded car, so some of us will probably object to the higher purchase cost of an electric vehicle at our expense (although the spending limit was not exceeded), however, the savings on running cost and the avoided emissions (which we are not yet costing properly in NZ) make this the absolutely correct decision.
Getting us underway on a just and fair transition to a sustainable, circular, low-emissions economy means taking a long-term view and investing in the right kinds of technology, not doing things on the cheap and playing the silly old keep-the-cost-down-in-the-short-term game. This is what walking the talk looks like, and I'm glad to see that some of our council members are setting a good example for all of us.
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️