Climate Millionaire with Jen from KaiCycle

Where in the world are you?
Wellington, at the moment.

What do you do in the world?
I try to be an inspirer of thought and positive action (I'm taking a break from science)

In one sentence, what is climate change?
Climate change is a forgetting, a disconnection, a disease of modern culture.

How does climate change affect your life?
The same way it effects everybody's life, what that means for my future I will only know as time goes on. It makes me think twice about having children.

What do you feel you can do about it?
Try to learn how to adapt, communicate the issue to people, look to solutions. Try to reduce apathy and increase empathy.

Do you feel there is more you could do? If so, what is stopping you from doing those things?
Fear is often a limiting factor, not having the money or the time to do more. If I could give up needing to make money and travel the world on my bike trying to educate, help and learn then I would... and I still might.

What's your favourite Sunday afternoon activity?
I have too many.

Free space: write anything you like, nothing at all, or ask us a question
I really believe we have just forgotten. There is a huge reconnection that needs to happen, to ourselves, to the other and to this planet. I think it's starting to happen but it's slow. People aren't willing to be inconvenienced... They will still fly and drive, yet talk about climate change without even seeing the hypocrisy in their words.... The more we shift the lens, the focus, to ourselves and our actions, and as we strip away the outer and look at our true intentions and why they're there, the better. We have to step into the uncomfortable truth of what we have become.

---

Recently Jen met KaiCycle...

KaiCycle is a bike-powered food scrap collection service.  Their cyclists collect food waste from residents and businesses in the Wellington CBD and compost it, turning it from waste back into a resource.

How did you start working with KaiCycle?
When I first moved to Wellington I found myself living in a flat of "eco-conscious vegetarians" yet we were throwing all of our food scraps away. It actually physically pained me to do this. I was so upset, I just wanted to get on my bike and ride it to a local community garden. I had seen such bike powered food waste collection services start up around the world and I thought, why not Wellington?! So, I had an idea to start one. 

As luck would have it, someone had already had the idea. 

I was keen to get involved, however, I couldn't quite find much information. At the time I was working for Kaibosh and it so happened that one particular Monday night I came across a group of people in the front meeting space... I was like: "URMMM, hello?" And they were all like: "Oh we are from KaiCycle and workerBe, the Newtown urban farm". 
​
Well, if that wasn't a sign from the universe! So I sat my bum down and I haven't left yet. 

What does KaiCycle mean to you?
To me KaiCycle is  group of people working hard towards something bigger than themselves. For little or no financial gain but for the greater good of a connected, healthy and resilient community! 

It's amazing to be involved with an organisation trying to make grassroots change - one that is tackling important issues such as food waste, lowering carbon emissions, and local food provision. To be involved with people who understand the importance of soil and the beauty of worms. To be involved with people who wholeheartedly care about change. 

I mean it's not easy, so much time goes into these projects and most of us have other jobs too. We exist in a time of change and people involved in organisation like ours have to put in a lot of work. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes you want to give up, and sometimes you wish you could get everyone to care all at once. But we keep on going. 

KaiCycle, a link in the chain.
KaiCycle is an important link our urban food system chain. We don't just compost your waste, we use your waste and recycle it into more food. We are food recyclers.

Lots of residents and businesses in Wellington don't have access to composting facilities and we think they should. 30% of all Wellingtons kerbside collection is organic matter, which means it's recyclable. And more than that, it can make compost that can make food. Plus organic matter in landfill = methane... which is not so great for climate change. 

We have a sister called workerBe oasis, an urban farm in Newtown. Our farm uses permaculture and bio-intensive farming methods and we do our best to use only organic seed. We are serious about delivering nutrient-dense food to the people of Wellington. When we say the people of Wellington we mean the people of Wellington - half of the produce we make goes to Kaibosh who distribute this local, fresh, and real food to charities in the region. 

---

Jen's looking after comms, PR, and resident clown work at the KaiCycle headquarters, which is currently outside at an urban food farm in Newtown. KaiCycle were selected for the Low Carbon Challenge, a Wellington City Council and Enspiral-run accelerator for social enterprises. KaiCycle are running a crowd-funding campaign to raise money to build a shelter to provide a home for their bikes and community workshops. 

You can sign up for their food waste collection service, or donate to their PledgeMe campaign at the links below. The Low Carbon Challenge will match their funding, so any money you contribute is doubly awesome.

Want your food waste collected?

​Sign up here

check out kaicycle's pledgeme campaign