That’s Pierre Marasti’s message — or at least one small part of it.
Anyone who has attended a Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting, community board meeting, public meeting, or environmental gathering will recognise the climate activist for his thick Belgian accent.
Or, if they haven’t encountered him in softly-spoken real life, they might have made it on to his email list featuring such climate change horror headlines as: "in Mexico it is so hot that monkeys are literally falling dead from the trees".
Marasti is the public face of Extinction Rebellion in this district.
At every opportunity, he talks the "climate crisis" talk to an audience often only half listening.
It was often "a grind", he said.
But, he also walks the walk.
His household’s energy consumption has shifted completely from fossil fuels to electricity.
It’s no surprise the roof of his house has a solar panel array.
"A roof without solar is wasted space."
On an outside wall, there is a Tesla battery.
And, the garage contains an electric car.
"Six years ago we stopped burning everything and that’s when we got an electric car.
"That’s the big one that everybody can do easily."
Marasti, who is an electrician, said electricity "is the way forward.
"It’s the only form of energy that we have that can be completely carbon free."
But, there’s more.
The Marastis’ log burner has gone.
Flying is out, except for important family events. He mentions a funeral in Belgium.
And, his backyard looks like it could do with a mow, and some water and fertiliser, but not on Marasti’s watch.
Anyone foolish enough to give voice to the thought there is nothing much individuals can do to halt climate change should beware Marasti. "We need to face responsibilities.
"Even people who really are aware of the climate and environmental crisis tend to ask for other people to solve the problem for them."
He cites petrol as an example of the power individuals, collectively, can have.
"The extraction of the energy, it’s the responsibility shared between (the oil companies) and the customers because in the end we do burn fossil fuels unless we take steps to not burn them.
"So, what we do matters, and I find that really empowering."
It is also not a wise idea to argue that New Zealand is near the limit of its ability to produce green electricity.
"You hear that a lot. But it’s actually a false argument."
He believes, as it has in the past, the electricity supply can expand to meet demand.
"We just need to redirect the investment to only focus on more renewable electricity.
"And, the thing that makes it realistic is that ... the cheapest form of energy is renewable electricity and by a wide margin.
"Why would you pay more for energy when you can pay less?"
Marasti’s mission is to keep climate change front of mind.
"I don’t think you ever met somebody who told you ‘I don’t care about the environment’, even if their actions maybe don’t really reflect that.
"But that’s the thing.
"Caring is not enough.
"Climate change is a very tangible crisis."
