The Star: October 21, 2021

OPINION 21
need to act now
The New Zealand Government has advice
from the Climate Change Commission on
how to get this country on the necessary
path, and that advice shows it is possible,
and affordable, for Aotearoa at least. What
is needed is for every country and every
community to get to zero net emissions of
carbon dioxide. As soon as possible.
No step is too small. Anything any
of us can do to reduce our own carbon
footprint is important. It could be
choosing not to drive and taking public
transport instead, using active transport
(walking or cycling), buying second-hand
clothes instead of new, reducing domestic
waste, or eating low carbon (composting,
growing your own veggies, adopting a
more plant-based diet). For those who can
afford it, action could include installing
solar panels on your business, improving
home insulation, or switching to an
electric car or bike. There are more ideas
on the Gen Less website.
The most important actions though
are system-wide. Right now, it’s hard to
make low-carbon choices because our
economy is set up around high carbon
consumption. Governments can work
with businesses to change that, bringing in
policies that favour using more renewable
power (more renewably-powered vehicles
and public transport) or working with
agriculture for a low emissions future.
When the economy shifts to make the
green choice the easy and cheap choice,
then we’ll really make progress.
One climate action that anyone can
carry out is to lobby their MPs and
government to let them know that we care
about this issue and stand up and demand
the most stringent and urgent action
possible at COP.
Aotearoa, now is the time for action to
be on the right side of history. We can all
do this by making a shift in our thinking
and moving into action.
Renwick is a leading climate scientist
with four decades of experience in
weather and climate research. He is
a lead author and co-ordinating lead
author on three assessment reports
for the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. He was awarded the
2018 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
Communication.
—NZ Herald
Renwick’s opinion piece has been
signed by several colleagues, including
fellow IPCC authors.
• Dr Dan Hikuroa, Unesco Culture
Commissioner
• Dr Sam Dean, IPCC contributing
author
• Professor Bronwyn Hayward, IPCC
AR6 author
• Professor Steven Ratuva, FRSNZ
• Professor Nick Golledge, IPCC AR6
author
• Professor Bruce Glavovic, IPCC
AR6 author
• Associate Professor Anita Wreford,
IPCC lead author
• Dr Olaf Morgenstern, IPCC AR6
author, NIWA
• Professor Dave Frame, IPCC AR6
author and Director of the NZ Climate
Change Research Institute.
ARA INSTITUTE OF CANTERBURY
Second time lucky
at tertiary study
After an unhappy experience studying
engineering at university, 23-year-old Kylie
Wilson says she was “seriously put off ”
tertiary education to the point she never
thought she’d go back to study.
“I left uni due to the lack of support,
intense workload and inability to specialise
in the way I thought I could,” says Kylie.
Fortunately, friends who’d studied at Ara
Institute of Canterbury convinced her that
she’d have a completely different experience
if she went there. “And they were absolutely
right,” she says. “To this day, studying at Ara
has been the best decision I’ve made.”
Kylie says she’s enjoying everything about
being at Ara, where she’s studying two
diplomas concurrently – one in quantity
surveying and the other in civil engineering.
“I love the small class sizes and the ability
to really get to know your tutors and learn
more from them. The tutors are awesome;
they know you by name and are always
willing to help, no matter whether you’re
struggling or you’re a high achiever who
wants to get a more detailed understanding
of the content for your own benefit or
interests. They’re also happy to discuss
their industry experience with you which is
invaluable knowledge and something you
don’t get from university.”
Having not been able to specialise as she’d
wanted to at university, Kylie is making the
most of her double diploma approach at
Ara. “I saw this huge cross-over between
the two disciplines of quantity surveying
and civil engineering, and the extremely
valuable benefits of being both a QS and a
civil engineer.”
Kylie has also been impressed with Ara’s
supportive learning environment and the
ability to study full-time and balance other
commitments easily. “It’s given me a wide
range of opportunities and experiences,
along with a work/life balance.”
After a less than ideal university
experience, Kylie is quick to encourage
others to study at Ara. “Just do it,” she
says. “My biggest regret was taking 18
months away from study because I was too
scared to go back after my experience at
university. Everything at Ara is manageable
and practical – in my opinion it’s the polar
opposite to university-style learning.”
To find out more about Ara’s
engineering study options visit ara.ac.nz.
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Thursday October 21 2021 The Star
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