Archive for March, 2007

  • frog

    Nature, conservationists and environmentalists



    We don’t often see debates like this in New Zealand. Dave Foreman was the founder of the radical environmental movement Earth First!. He now heads The Rewilding Institute. In a recent article Dave argues that the Conservation Movement Must Return To Roots, stating that nature conservationists are different birds than environmentalists, who work to protect human [...] read more
    March 29, 2007 5:51 pm - 23 Comments
  • frog

    Just who is Ruby?



    For your edification – and as a slight aside from the battle royale currently raging – Frog is keen to comment on the red herrings (or should that be roll mops) about Sweden that are still thriving in the media and blogosphere. Frog feels it’s only fair to respond to the lone rantings of one woman [...] read more
    March 29, 2007 5:15 pm - 116 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Six metres of sea level rise is kinda serious



    A new story suggests that the Amundsen Sea Embayment in Antarctica is melting a lot quicker than anyone previously realised. If it goes, that’s six metres of sea level rise apparently. From The Australian: “Surprisingly rapid changes” were occurring in the Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea Embayment, which faces the southern Pacific Ocean, polar ice experts said today. But [...] read more
    March 29, 2007 4:48 pm - 63 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Public forum on electrifying Auckland’s rail – Monday



    The Greens have oranised a public forum on electrification of the Auckland rail network. Time is of the essence. ARTA has to make a decision soon about whether to order large numbers of electric or diesel rail units. Electrify NOW! Monday 2nd April 2007 7:30pm Methodist Mission Hall 370 Queen Street Auckland (opposite the Town Hall) Speakers include Jeanette Fitzsimons, Mike [...] read more
    March 29, 2007 9:12 am - 13 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Comparing rail, road and bus



    From the Auckland Regional Transport Authority Rail Development Plan 2006. Preface by Brian Roche, ARTA Chair: South of the Waitemata Harbour, rail alone has the capability to rapidly move large numbers of people, and only by providing Auckland with a high-quality, high-frequency rail service will ARTA achieve the objective of freeing up motorways and intensifying urban development. [...] read more
    March 28, 2007 10:55 pm - 12 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Fiddling the figures for old fashioned social democracy



    Another day in the House, another attempt to get some straight answers out of the Labour Party as to why they won’t partially fund the electrification of the Auckland rail network. Sorry if this bores some people but ARTA has to make a decision in the very near future to buy either electric or diesel powered [...] read more
    March 28, 2007 8:25 pm - 11 Comments
  • frog

    Europe’s biodiesel industry in crisis while Monbiot calls for a moratorium



    Planet Ark reports that Europe’s biodiesel industry is facing trying times with over-capacity, falling retail sales and a new biofuel tax to be implemented in Germany. Germany, the EU’s largest biodiesel producer is facing a crisis with sales at petrol pumps currently down by about 30 to 40 percent compared to December 2006, and Petra [...] read more
    March 28, 2007 6:39 pm - 6 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Is GE killing bees?



    An interesting story in Spiegel Online suggesting that the collapse on bee numbers being experienced in the US and to some extent in Germany is due to GE crops weakening the bees and making them more vulnerable to infection. read more
    March 27, 2007 11:44 pm - 9 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    The big question



    Jeanette decided to put the big question to Michael Cullen in the House today. He decided to avoid answering it, which is understandable because it’s a scary question but it can’t be avoided forever: Jeanette Fitzsimons: When the [Finance] Minister’s goal of sustained economic growth runs into conflict with the Prime Minister’s goal of becoming the [...] read more
    March 27, 2007 11:10 pm - 13 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    NSW Greens results



    The NSW Greens did pretty well. 9% of the primary vote across the state upper and lower houses. It looks like they’ll get two more members of the state upper house, bringing their number to four, but no members of the state lower house. Without a proportional system there isn’t much democracy. In Marrickville (Sydney inner [...] read more
    March 27, 2007 4:54 pm - 4 Comments
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