Creating change, for the better, motivates me: Kirk
Kirk Serpes, Generation Zero, a torch bearer and ignited mind.
Kirk Serpes, a mechanical engineer, of Indian origin, has been working on climate change and sustainability since 2005. He has helped start up three different youth organisations, Nexus, the New Zealand Youth Delegation and Generation Zero. He was co-leader in the youth delegation to the international climate negotiations in Cancun and part of the policy team in the Copenhagen delegation. Kirk has also worked with Organisation for America on President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
At Generation Zero, he sits on the Direction Setting team providing in-house expertise on communication and campaign strategy, advocacy, mentoring and training for new volunteers.
IWK: For our readers, what is Generation Zero?
Kirk: We are an organisation of young New Zealanders working to cut carbon pollution through smarter transport, liveable cities & independence from fossil fuels. We do this mostly by trying to create political change through campaigns.
IWK: With your efforts in your field, what kind of impact have you made?
Kirk: We’ve made a two-fold impact, the first in what we call movement building, basically giving an ever growing number of young people the power they need to create change. We started from a group of 6 and are now closing on 10,000. The other way we have an impact is by building community and political support for climate change solutions. The City Rail Link, better cycling and walking infrastructure, better insulated homes are all ways in which New Zealanders can reduce their carbon footprint that we have gained political support for. The battle for things like the City Rail Link has not been won yet but we are a lot closer to seeing it a reality due to our work and that of our partners.
IWK: The current political climate, does it look accommodating to your ideas?
Kirk: No, far from it. The current National govt. is quite hostile to climate change solutions sadly, even when they make economic sense. The City Rail Link (CRL) would give Aucklanders transport choices and reduce car use and carbon pollution. It costs a fraction of our total motorway spending and has a much higher return on investment. Yet, the current govt refuses to invest in the project till 2020 but is spending more than billions on new motorways.
IWK: What challenges lie ahead for Generation Zero?
Kirk: NZ is sadly not doing its fair share on climate change, even compared to big polluters like the USA who have reduced their pollution and China who are now world leaders in renewable energy production. We may be a small country but this is a global problem and everyone has to do their part. Our challenge as an organisation is to increase the level of ambition shown by the New Zealand government on climate change.
IWK: Recounting from your early days in NZ, do you remember an anecdote that has kept you motivated?
Kirk: I actually don't remember anything useful. I moved here when I was reasonably young and only started doing this stuff when I was 22 and at university. So the motivation to do this is more of a recent occurrence.
IWK: What is a normal day in your life like, what are your daily challenges?
Kirk: I don’t think there is a normal day as such. But it usually involves a mix of meeting over skype with my colleagues in other cities around strategy for our campaign, a bit of online work on our website and social media, organising events in the community, meetings with businesses people and politicians. Yea, the challenging part is probably trying to organise everything over the internet and find enough funding to do the work we do.
IWK: What is it that you think is most essential in your targets for 2014?
Kirk: I think personally a big target for me is to try and create a space for some real honest conversations about where NZ is headed. It’s election year and far too often the debate that happens in the media ends up being on the small petty things that don’t actually matter in the long run. I believe that organisations like Generation Zero have an important role to play in representing issues that actually matter to people in the chaos of election year.
IWK: What is it that you like to do in your free time?
Kirk: Well I actually go dancing. A style called Ceroc. I even competed on the national level a few years back. Other than that I do like travelling. Exploring New Zealand mostly but when I can more exotic locations overseas, especially Latin America.
IWK: What next? What is keeping you motivated?
Kirk: Next for me is looking beyond climate change to other challenges facing New Zealand. We have some big structural challenges to face. The housing bubble isn’t just bad for housing affordability, it is driving up our total debt and taking investment away from the new industries of the 21st century. We can’t rely on dairy, and forestry on their own. At the same time, we do have a growing problem of inequality and child poverty. And the health of our natural environment, especially our rivers and beaches doesn’t really live upto the ‘Clean Green’ brand image. To see real progress there needs to be a shift to investment in more R&D to create the high value export earning businesses of the 21st century. We need to move away from just plain old resource extraction. We need to have stronger controls on pollution flowing into our air and water so that NZ continues being a place that skilled people want to come to. I think that’s what motivates me, that we do have a very accessible political system and there is probably no place on earth where it is as easy to create change for the better.
Kirk Serpes, Generation Zero, a torch bearer and ignited mind. Kirk Serpes, a mechanical engineer, of Indian origin, has been working on climate change and sustainability since 2005. He has helped start up three different youth organisations, Nexus, the New Zealand Youth Delegation and Generation...
Kirk Serpes, Generation Zero, a torch bearer and ignited mind.
Kirk Serpes, a mechanical engineer, of Indian origin, has been working on climate change and sustainability since 2005. He has helped start up three different youth organisations, Nexus, the New Zealand Youth Delegation and Generation Zero. He was co-leader in the youth delegation to the international climate negotiations in Cancun and part of the policy team in the Copenhagen delegation. Kirk has also worked with Organisation for America on President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
At Generation Zero, he sits on the Direction Setting team providing in-house expertise on communication and campaign strategy, advocacy, mentoring and training for new volunteers.
IWK: For our readers, what is Generation Zero?
Kirk: We are an organisation of young New Zealanders working to cut carbon pollution through smarter transport, liveable cities & independence from fossil fuels. We do this mostly by trying to create political change through campaigns.
IWK: With your efforts in your field, what kind of impact have you made?
Kirk: We’ve made a two-fold impact, the first in what we call movement building, basically giving an ever growing number of young people the power they need to create change. We started from a group of 6 and are now closing on 10,000. The other way we have an impact is by building community and political support for climate change solutions. The City Rail Link, better cycling and walking infrastructure, better insulated homes are all ways in which New Zealanders can reduce their carbon footprint that we have gained political support for. The battle for things like the City Rail Link has not been won yet but we are a lot closer to seeing it a reality due to our work and that of our partners.
IWK: The current political climate, does it look accommodating to your ideas?
Kirk: No, far from it. The current National govt. is quite hostile to climate change solutions sadly, even when they make economic sense. The City Rail Link (CRL) would give Aucklanders transport choices and reduce car use and carbon pollution. It costs a fraction of our total motorway spending and has a much higher return on investment. Yet, the current govt refuses to invest in the project till 2020 but is spending more than billions on new motorways.
IWK: What challenges lie ahead for Generation Zero?
Kirk: NZ is sadly not doing its fair share on climate change, even compared to big polluters like the USA who have reduced their pollution and China who are now world leaders in renewable energy production. We may be a small country but this is a global problem and everyone has to do their part. Our challenge as an organisation is to increase the level of ambition shown by the New Zealand government on climate change.
IWK: Recounting from your early days in NZ, do you remember an anecdote that has kept you motivated?
Kirk: I actually don't remember anything useful. I moved here when I was reasonably young and only started doing this stuff when I was 22 and at university. So the motivation to do this is more of a recent occurrence.
IWK: What is a normal day in your life like, what are your daily challenges?
Kirk: I don’t think there is a normal day as such. But it usually involves a mix of meeting over skype with my colleagues in other cities around strategy for our campaign, a bit of online work on our website and social media, organising events in the community, meetings with businesses people and politicians. Yea, the challenging part is probably trying to organise everything over the internet and find enough funding to do the work we do.
IWK: What is it that you think is most essential in your targets for 2014?
Kirk: I think personally a big target for me is to try and create a space for some real honest conversations about where NZ is headed. It’s election year and far too often the debate that happens in the media ends up being on the small petty things that don’t actually matter in the long run. I believe that organisations like Generation Zero have an important role to play in representing issues that actually matter to people in the chaos of election year.
IWK: What is it that you like to do in your free time?
Kirk: Well I actually go dancing. A style called Ceroc. I even competed on the national level a few years back. Other than that I do like travelling. Exploring New Zealand mostly but when I can more exotic locations overseas, especially Latin America.
IWK: What next? What is keeping you motivated?
Kirk: Next for me is looking beyond climate change to other challenges facing New Zealand. We have some big structural challenges to face. The housing bubble isn’t just bad for housing affordability, it is driving up our total debt and taking investment away from the new industries of the 21st century. We can’t rely on dairy, and forestry on their own. At the same time, we do have a growing problem of inequality and child poverty. And the health of our natural environment, especially our rivers and beaches doesn’t really live upto the ‘Clean Green’ brand image. To see real progress there needs to be a shift to investment in more R&D to create the high value export earning businesses of the 21st century. We need to move away from just plain old resource extraction. We need to have stronger controls on pollution flowing into our air and water so that NZ continues being a place that skilled people want to come to. I think that’s what motivates me, that we do have a very accessible political system and there is probably no place on earth where it is as easy to create change for the better.
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