Climate Change Commission chair makes lifestyle changes to reach zero carbon
Climate Change Commission (CCC) chairman Dr Rod Carr admits he was a latecomer to the zero emissions debate. The former University of Canterbury vice chancellor knew very little about climate science policy before he took on the role, he said during a visit to Taranaki on Friday. My kids said: where have you been in the past 30 years, this is knowable stuff you should have known. One of the first things he did was to buy a Nissan Leaf for the family car. Were not big on expensive cars, but it seemed the logical thing to do. READ MORE: * Get moving or pay the cost, says Climate Change Commission's advice to Government * The Climate Change Commission's model is under fire * National Portrait: Rod Carr, climate tsar * 'Not transformational': climate commission's blueprint disappoints green activists Carr's son arm twisted him into buying it. He now drives it but he does park it at our place to charge it, because he has nowhere to charge it near his own place, Carr said. The next step was to replace the fossil gas space heating in the familys Christchurch house with a heat pump. Its brilliant, and a substantial improvement to having gas burning away. The final alteration was to check out the cost of solar panels. Fortunately we were among a third of New Zealand house owners who have a north facing roof. The figures were laid out and the rate of return for spending $15,000 to instal the panels, with a seven-year payback period, came to 15 per cent. That was better than the banks offering me one per cent on my term deposit. Carr decided to push the boat out and instead installed $25,000 worth of panels over a nine-year pay back period. As a result of the adjustments the family has now halved the previous monthly electricity bill of $800, and saved $100 a month in gas, he said. While in Taranaki, Carr, with CCC scientist Phil Wiles, met oil and gas industry heads, regenerative farmers and local politicians, among others, during the two-day visit. The questioning from people was not unlike the questions Carr has received elsewhere, he said. We got all the questions we normally get from well-connected audiences asking us to explain why it is happening now, and why so fast. Why does NZ, which is such a small part of what is happening, have to do anything, and what happens if we dont? They're not specifically Taranaki questions, theyre general questions the public have. Many told Carr they were busy looking after themselves, they know climate is changing, and human activity is causing it, he said. They know they should do something about it, but they are far more worried about getting the kids to school, paying the mortgage and buying a house. They say get back to me on this other stuff because I know it is important but not as urgent as living my daily life. Carr said owners of small, and medium-sized businesses gave the same response. They say How do I pay payroll next month its dominating my life more than what the climate will be like in 30 years, and quite frankly, will I have a business by Christmas? It is necessary for our leaders to lead, and help business and society to understand this [climate change] is not going away, he said. You might be able to outmanoeuvre local politicians for another couple of years but this is not going away. Its happening sooner, its bigger then we thought, weve got less time than we believed. We need to get on and do this stuff and stop pursuing perfection as an extension as an excuse for delaying action.