The Conservation Amendment Bill: Still Heading in the Wrong Direction
In May 2026, conservation minister Tama Potaka introduced the Conservation Amendment Bill, the biggest proposed overhaul of Aotearoa’s conservation system since the Department of Conservation (DOC) was created in 1987. The bill would shift DOC’s purpose from protecting nature to managing “assets” in a way that “balances” conservation with economic growth. It would also weaken […]
The Coalition and the Climate: Counting the Crimes
Editor’s note: This piece was penned in April 2026, prior to large-scale flooding in the North Island, and the 2026 Budget The consequences of environmental destruction and climate inaction are becoming clear. So-called “one-in-a-generation” weather events and extreme weather more broadly are becoming increasingly common. The extreme rainfall that recently devastated North Island communities and […]
Climate Adaptation in Aotearoa
Over the last week we’ve seen in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington multiple waves of extreme rainfall, which have led to flooding, landslides, damage to homes and public infrastructure, and the disappearance of at least one person. Events like these are becoming more frequent, and more severe. Numerous places in Aotearoa have experienced similar events every few […]
Ecology and Socialism
Capitalism is destroying our planet. Unlike any system before it, capitalism treats the Earth as a “free gift”: something with no value except to be carved up, exploited, and sold no matter the environmental or social cost. Capitalism not only abuses the worker, but also the planet as a whole. This article discusses the socialist […]
COP30: Capitalist Dystopia and Indigenous Resistance
In November 2025, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) took place in Belém, Brazil. The outcome was abject failure, bordering on misery, for anyone hoping for a sustainable “green capitalist” future, and victory, in part, for the 1600 fossil fuel lobbyists – one of the largest delegations to attend COP30. There was some hope […]
Reflections and Questions on the Denniston Plateau Occupation
Over the Easter Weekend a group of activists set out to the Denniston plateau to protest mining company Bathurst Resources’, “Buller Plateaux Continuation Project.” The proposal sets out to “extend the life of the Stockton mine”, by expanding further South in attempts “to mine 20 million tonnes of coking coal for export from the Buller […]
Foreshore and Seabed: A New Wave of Attacks
Another round of Crown confiscations stand before us. Among the current onslaught of law-changes, the Government has recently announced its plans to overturn the 2023 Court of Appeal decision which lowered the threshold for meeting Customary marine title claims. The history here gets tangled easily, so let’s break it down in chronological order (an oversimplification, […]
E for Environment
The ABCs of Socialism is a series of short articles on key socialist concepts. In this issue we look at the environment, and the profound crisis that is facing us today. At the heart of this ongoing crisis is the inescapable interdependence between human society and the wider environment, and the way that this fundamental […]
Strawberries, Olives, Oranges: Israel’s War as Ecocide
North Gaza is famous for its strawberries. Harvest season, in the northern hemisphere, is from December through to March. Normally thousands would be employed gathering the fruit to bring it to market across Palestine. This year, as they were killing thousands of Palestinian civilians in their ongoing attacks, Israeli forces also used bulldozers and heavy […]
Dealing with climate catastrophe
School strike for Climate are mobilising students once again to strike against climate change. The political demands connect the issues of climate justice with Toitū te Tiriti, Freedom for Palestine, National’s plans to fast-track environmentally damaging projects, amongst others. Josh O’Sullivan argues for why we need to dismantle capitalism – root and branch – to […]
