http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/18463013/finale-of-nationwide-climate-change-tour-hits-wgt/

The finale of 'What's the holdup?' a nationwide speaking tour by climate change group Generation Zero hits Wellington today (Monday 12th August) to outline to capital city residents how New Zealand can build a low-carbon future.

The Wellington event was initially scheduled for July 22nd, had to be postponed due to the spate of earthquakes that shook Wellington in late July.

However, now Wellington has the honour of hosting the finale event of the nationwide tour, which has travelled the length of New Zealand in less than a month, speaking to full capacity houses in 13 different locations. The Auckland and Dunedin events alone had over four hundred attendees, and the Monday event is expected to attract Wellingtonians in similar numbers.

The event will present smart energy and transport solutions, discuss obstacles and showcase the local and national opportunities for New Zealand to move beyond fossil fuels.

Speakers in the capital include Ralph Simms, Professor of Sustainable Energy and Director of the Centre for Energy Research at Massey University, who has been a lead author for four reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is now leading the Transport chapter of the IPCC's 5th Assessment Report to be published in 2014. Also speaking is Danusia Wypych, Sustainability Manager for Z Energy, a company which is investing in sustainable transport fuels.

A last minute addition to the line up is Richard Reid, an Auckland architect and urban designer, who has proposed an alternative vision for Wellington's transport system, including an alternative to the proposed Basin Reserve flyover.

Generation Zero speakers include Paul Young, a co-founder of the group and a National Energy Research Institute trustee, and Madeleine Foreman, Jimmy Green and Nina Atkinson.

"This is Wellington's moment to find out how we can get moving on climate change and create a smart, healthy and prosperous New Zealand beyond fossil fuels," says Madeleine.

To highlight the prehistoric thinking Generation Zero members say is holding back progress towards a low-carbon future, the group is travelling the country with a five metre high dinosaur which features at their speaking nights.

The speaking night will cover the substantial opportunities for New Zealand to transition off coal, oil and gas, and will urge Wellingtonians to use their power as citizens to build a mandate for government leadership on the issue.

"New Zealand is rich with opportunities to build a thriving low-carbon economy, but we're being held back by a Government which seems to have its head in the sand and is wasting vital public funds on an outdated motorway-building obsession," says Madeleine .

"New Zealanders who care about this issue need to make their voices heard and make sure our elected representatives get with the times or get out of the way."

At the event, Generation Zero will also unveil a local government election campaign, that centres around a call for candidates to pledge their commitment to making it a priority to take action towards a low-carbon future.

"Our future's on the line here," says Madeleine. "The only way to change that is to engage with our leaders on this critical issue. Supporting leadership by local government while at the same time opposing the Government's motorway building obsession is the best way to ensure we build a future that young people in New Zealand want."