Archive for July, 2006

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  Investing in Green business - by frog

  
  
  
  The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development is urging New Zealand businesses to be aware of a growing trend for investors to avoid companies that aren’t actively reducing their carbon emissions. According to the Council: Investment houses are setting up scales to carbon rate companies; one of the world’s largest insurance firms is staking [...] read more
  July 31, 2006 1:00 pm - 8 Comments
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  How to justify killing pregnant whales - by frog

  
  
  
  Metiria commented last week on the distressing news that 60 percent of female Minke whales killed in the Antarctic by Japanese whalers last summer were pregnant; now the Institute for Cetacean Research (which haven’t updated its website since June so I can’t link) has responded by telling us that this is, in fact, good news [...] read more
  July 31, 2006 12:32 pm - 15 Comments
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  The sad loss of the Overlander - by frog

  
  
  
  News of the sad demise of the Overlander train service between Auckland and Wellington will have reached you by now. As Jeanette has pointed out, it may not be a permanent thing, as demand for train services will almost certainly increase in future when the real impact of peak oil bites. Let’s hope that the [...] read more
  July 26, 2006 12:28 pm - 54 Comments
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  An Inconvenient Truth - by frog

  
  
  
  I saw Al Gore’s sobering climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth last night as part of the Wellington International Film Festival. It’s very, very scary and very, very good. The simulations showing how water levels are predicted to change with polar ice melt are particularly terrifying. Obviously, being a greenie frog, I’m already well aware [...] read more
  July 26, 2006 11:17 am - 11 Comments
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  In case you missed the PCE’s report - by frog

  
  
  
  Let’s face it, with all the wailing and gnashing of teeth about Winston, you could have blinked and missed it. Nevertheless, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report Electricity, Energy and the Environment is a valuable document, not least because it urges that New Zealand should get rid of gas and coal-fired power plants as [...] read more
  July 25, 2006 4:42 pm - 3 Comments
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  Wellingtonians take note - by frog

  
  
  
  To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, and as part of Conservation Week, WWF New Zealand are holding a series of lectures at Te Papa’s Soundings Theatre on the Business of Climate Change between the 8th and 10th of August. Details are here – should be well worthwhile. read more
  July 25, 2006 4:24 pm - No Comments
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  A sustainable read - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens have launched a new publication – a newsletter on sustainable business and economics called The Real Bottom Line. It was launched in Auckland last night, and should be a valuable resource. You can read the first issue here; henceforth it will be published roughly monthly. One of the most interesting articles in the [...] read more
  July 25, 2006 4:13 pm - 1 Comment
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  Yet another case of disappearing science… - by frog

  
  
  
  This seems to be becoming a habit! Latest instance of mysteriously disappearing references to the climate, climate change, climate science etc comes courtesy of of BJ Chip: NASA no longer counts “understand[ing] and protect[ing] our home planet” as one of its goals. Dodgy! [Update 25/7/06: here's the gist] From 2002 until this year, NASA’s mission [...] read more
  July 24, 2006 3:52 pm - 5 Comments
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  Shameful aid - by frog

  
  
  
  No Right Turn has an analysis of New Zealand’s levels of Overseas Development Aid, prompted by an exchange between Keith Locke and Michael Cullen (on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs) in the House yesterday. Bob Geldof is right – New Zealand’s performance in this area is shameful. read more
  July 19, 2006 3:56 pm - 13 Comments
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  Section 59 debate hots up again - by frog

  
  
  
  The ongoing debate over Sue B’s bill to repeal section 59 of the Crimes Act to remove the legal defence of “reasonable force” for parents who abuse their children is heating up again this week with two significant developments – the arrival of pro-smacking Swedish “expert” Ruby Harrold Claeson at the invitation of Family First, [...] read more
  July 19, 2006 11:15 am - 74 Comments
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  A right Charlie - by frog

  
  
  
  You may have heard Federated Farmers President Charlie Pedersen on Nine to Noon this morning, before he launched an unbelievable attack on the environmental movement in a speech to his body’s National Conference: I say shame on the people who elevate environmentalism to a religious status, shame on you for your arrogance, shame on all [...] read more
  July 18, 2006 2:46 pm - 37 Comments
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  Stand down, standby - by frog

  
  
  
  Standby modes on electrical appliances are being outlawed in the UK to prevent electricity wastage. Apparently, standby functions use 8 percent of all domestric electricity in the UK. Could be tricky though, given that most appliances are manufactured offshore for the global market. read more
  July 18, 2006 12:00 pm - 20 Comments
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  Start your day the delicious way - by frog

  
  
  
  Below is the label from a food item at Orlando airport which was emailed to me this morning, and which I thought was worth sharing: Unappetising, yes, but I suppose we can at least commend them for their detailing labelling! read more
  July 17, 2006 10:09 am - 15 Comments
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  Trading Exchanges - by frog

  
  
  
  Interesting recent exchange between Russel Norman and David Farrar et al over on David’ s blog. The debate was triggered by Russel’s op ed in the Herald about the WTO, which highlighted New Zealand’s dodgy role in furthering the WTO’s potential to undermine central and local government. The op ed is here, Farrar’s initial attack [...] read more
  July 14, 2006 9:51 am - 25 Comments
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  The mystery of the disappearing climate change info - by frog

  
  
  
  I’ve blogged about climate science in the US and fears that the Bush administration is covering it up a couple of times now, and last time I linked to Climate Science Watch, a website dedicated to holding public officials accountable for the ways they use climate science data in policymaking and to supporting federal scientists [...] read more
  July 12, 2006 9:59 am - 9 Comments
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  Kyoto – Doomed or Domed? - by frog

  
  
  
  Kyoto will cost money, but not as much as doing nothing. International insurance companies have noted that if the increase in claims due to climate change that has been seen over the last 30 years continues, the cost will exceed global GDP some time in the second half of this century. It doesn’t take an [...] read more
  July 11, 2006 7:29 pm - 16 Comments
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  Chicken shit and other delicacies - by frog

  
  
  
  The recent furore over the level of campylobacter in chicken meat in New Zealand has been interesting (and gross!) to watch. Sue Kedgley has been active on this issue for some time, and it’s great that it’s now getting the national exposure that it deserves. Campbell Live last night featured an interview with one of [...] read more
  July 11, 2006 11:51 am - 6 Comments
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  Green Party Bills are so good… - by frog

  
  
  
  … The Government wants them for their own. But in this case I don’t think Metiria would object! read more
  July 11, 2006 11:31 am - 1 Comment
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  The voluntary ‘ban’ on bottom trawling - by frog

  
  
  
  Several news outlets carried the news this morning that NZ’s Sealord is one of four fishing companies to sign up to a voluntary ban on bottom trawling in some areas of the Southern India Ocean. This sounds like good news, but isn’t. In fact, the area concerned is already highly over-fished and depleted, so fishing [...] read more
  July 6, 2006 3:09 pm - 3 Comments
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  Maori electoral option - by frog

  
  
  
  The electoral office have released an update of enrolments as they enter the final weeks of the Maori electoral option, which show that so far nearly 12,000 voters have opted to shift from the General Roll to the Maori Roll. This is significant, as the number of voters on the Maori roll will determine how [...] read more
  July 4, 2006 11:53 am - 9 Comments