frogblog

Yesterday, the Greens launched our environment policy, as the Herald reports:

The Green Party has used a parody of Tourism New Zealand’s 100% Pure campaign to launch its environmental policy.

The Greens have labelled New Zealand “5% Pure”, saying 95 percent of the country’s lowland rivers are unsafe for swimming or drinking, and uses the slogan “Let’s clean it up”.

Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons launched the policy yesterday at Waiwhetu Stream - a contaminated waterway in the Hutt Valley - saying the environmental policy was central to the party’s entire election and legislative platform and that only a vote for the Greens would ensure the ecology was protected.

There’s a great detail in the environment policy, but here are some of the highlights:

• Ensure that sustainable development (or improving overall wellbeing and quality of life in ways that can be sustained indefinitely because they do not push nature beyond its limits) takes priority over growth in GDP as a national goal.
• Establish a contestable fund to support sustainable land management practices on farms, such as nutrient budgeting, energy and water saving equipment, and the restoration or protection of biodiversity.
• Set, by mid-2006, comprehensive emission standards for all vehicles.
• Prohibit the disposal of certain materials to landfill, starting with materials where recycling infrastructure exists.
• Set a levy on hazardous substances in proportion to their toxicity and persistence. This will be used to fund the remediation of contaminated sites.
• Set up comprehensive labelling requirements, similar to those in Europe, on current GE food imports.
• Increase environmental legal aid so that citizens’ groups can take part in RMA cases with good legal, planning and scientific advice.

As usual, feedback is welcome.

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