Community Energy Action Function

Thursday 20 May 2004

(Talk about progress for your own Christchurch heating and insulation project idea after this intro bit)

One of our biggest gaps between the haves and have nots is that of energy. Some enjoy energy and heat rich environments, others find it a real struggle when it turns colder.

Each year we find to our dismay that we are still losing some old people to the cold, it quite literally kills them. Even what we find acceptable as the norm in heating is not actually enough.

One of the worst traditions we inherited from the English upper classes was that idea that a cold home helps build character. It does not, at least not the sort of character we want.

I can best sum up that claim with a wee story about what Leonid Itskovitch, the Council's energy adviser said to one of our people. He said the coldest winter he ever had was when he first came here to Christchurch to live. He came here from Russia. I rest my case.

While I think the work you do here is vital I also think our energy needs and health needs as a city are so affected by

how we deal with this issue that it calls for a big push from central and local government to help fix things.

That's why I have been pushing the idea of a major energy heating and insulation package for Christchurch. I thought today was an ideal time to update you on how that is going.

(Talk about progress for your own Christchurch heating and insulation project idea)