The Editor

In response to the article   ‘The tiny charity saving the planet one court case at a time’ The Press 31 March.

I want to acknowledge the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) and the importance of the work they are carrying out.

If you ever doubted that the doctrine of eternal growth and its associated resource grab is continuing, you just need to look at the response to the decisions won by ELI. This includes the governments assault on environmental protections through accelerated legislation change, in part here in Canterbury, from a unilateral letter from ECan, asking for a law change (S107 RMA).

Add to this, the proposal to deregulate the fishing industry, handing “back more control to the industry and remove consultation from some fisheries decisions”, the ease of access to government by Industry lobbyists and vested interests, including climate sceptics, and we have an unreasonable balance between economic development and environmental protection bottom lines.

The article finishes “The charity might become a victim of its own success. This week National MP Joseph Mooney proposed legislation which would outlaw the public from taking climate change litigation.”

This must be resisted with all our collective might for the consequences are no less than dystopian.

Councillor Greg Byrnes
Environment Canterbury, Christchurch Central