OraTaiao calls on all of Aotearoa to take a stand for human health at this Friday’s Climate Strikes to be held in ten cities and towns around our country.

“As health workers, we know that our changing climate is both the biggest threat to human health and well-being,” says Dr Dermot Coffey, OraTaiao co-convenor, “and the biggest chance to build a fairer, healthier Tiriti-founded future together.”

“The tragic losses from cyclones across Te Ika a Māui call for compassion, clean-ups, resilience-building – and most of all, fast cuts to our climate-destabilising emissions.”

“This is why we have issued medical certificates for everyone of every age and everywhere in Aotearoa, to join this Friday’s Global Climate Strike”, says Dr Coffey.

OraTaiao strongly supports School Strike 4 Climate NZ’s five demands: no new fossil fuel mining nor exploration, make it 16 for voting, 30% ocean protection by 2025, support regenerative farming, and e-bike rebates for lower income households. These demands will reduce our climate risk fairly, build resilience, and help ensure that Aotearoa’s rangatahi are a real part of climate planning and decision-making.

Dr Coffey says “Students clearly understand climate science and maths, they demand real climate action now, and it’s time for us to join them. Let’s make Cyclone Gabrielle recovery and resilience mahi over the coming months and years, matter. We must limit global warming within the humanly adaptable 1.5 degrees while we still can.”

OraTaiao calls on school trustees, teachers, parents, caregivers, aunts, uncles, grandparents and neighbours everywhere and from every workplace to join Aotearoa’s students to make this Friday’s Global Climate Strike our country’s biggest ever call for climate action.

OraTaiao’s Medical Certificate for all of Aotearoa on 3 March 2023 is here.

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