Archive for May, 2007

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  eco fashion - by frog

  
  
  
  Is the new black. Well, not strictly new, as that phrase has been bandied about for several years now, but it’s getting harder and harder to avoid. The labels range from totally eco-focussed, low impact, recycled, non pesticide, chemical free etc, to those that promise a commitment fair trade and workers rights, and a variety [...] read more
  May 30, 2007 5:48 pm - 13 Comments
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  Brian protests against religious tolerance - by frog

  
  
  
  See, I find this all, well, a little mortifying. Frog though it was weird when people marched for their right to hit children, but this (far larger) march to protest against freedom of religion is just surreal isn’t it? Isn’t it? Pope B is accusing the government of religious treason. Good to see other Churches [...] read more
  May 29, 2007 8:02 pm - 79 Comments
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  National open up massive lead - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Two polls now show that National could govern alone if election results reflected the poll results. The Greens are holding our own around 6% in both polls. The gap between National and Labour in the latest poll is quite extraordinary – 56% vs 31%. With John Key adopting a Labour-lite approach it’s hard to see where Labour [...] read more
  May 28, 2007 8:15 am - 90 Comments
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  Solid Energy spying on lawful protesters? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Sunday Star times is leading with a story by Nicky Hager and Deidre Mussen about Solid Energy hiring private investigators Thompson and Clark to spy on the Save Happy Valley Coaliton. They are doing this by paying people to infiltrate the group and feed intelligence back. Now Solid Energy is a state owned enterprise so [...] read more
  May 27, 2007 11:23 am - 73 Comments
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  Greens get a bit more for conservation while Jim oversees sea lion deaths - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Metiria announced the extra dosh we managed to squeeze out of Labour for three wetlands. Unsurprisingly, Cullen’s visceral dislike of anything green meant that he didn’t acknowledge that the Greens got the money when he announced it in his budget speech. But hey who cares because in the end we will help three important wetlands [...] read more
  May 27, 2007 12:12 am - 9 Comments
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  The death throes of the Bush climate vandals - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The struggle around the position the G8 will take on climate change at its June 6 meeting is hotting up. Angela Merkel, the conservative German Chancellor, is pushing for a relatively strong postion on climate change while the Bush administration is seeking to stop any serious statement. The document with the Bush administration’s feedback is apparently [...] read more
  May 26, 2007 11:36 pm - 12 Comments
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  Either politics or the lake turns green - by frog

  
  
  
  The Climate Defence Tour has hit the centre of the North Island and for the last two days we have been holding meetings, a workshop and a stall in Taupo. It is an interesting town: built on tourism and the timber industry and undergoing tremendous change at the moment. It is surrounded by such scenic [...] read more
  May 25, 2007 9:33 pm - 8 Comments
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  Eating fugu for public transport - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Eating fugu, prepared from puffer fish, is one of the great delicacies in Japan, apparently. The puffer fish has a neurotoxin to which there is no antidote and incorrectly prepared fugu does still kill people on occasion. Hence it is a dangerous but apparently tasty treat. And just as eating puffer fish is a dangerous [...] read more
  May 25, 2007 9:08 pm - 12 Comments
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  Bush gets infinity billion dollars to continue his war - by frog

  
  
  
  No timetables. No withdrawal. 14 senators voted against the latest war treasure chest, I mean Supplemental Appropriations Bill, 80 voted for it. Thanks goodness the Dems have control of both houses. Not. There are a lot of very angry US progressives out there, struggling with what many in their party have done. It does however, [...] read more
  May 25, 2007 8:34 pm - 1 Comment
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  Amnesty reiterates its opposition to zapping people with 50,000 volts - by frog

  
  
  
  Amnesty International has released it’s massive annual report on global human rights – you can read it here. New Zealand takes up just half a page of this 240+ page door-stop. The report does not make for easy reading. America, Russia and Israel bear the brunt of Amnesty’s criticisms. But it is absolutely true that [...] read more
  May 24, 2007 6:44 pm - 43 Comments
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  Climate Defence Tour: Hawkes Bay - by frog

  
  
  
  The Climate Defence Tour is currently in Hawke’s Bay, which is in the midst of a drought. This May is shaping up to be the driest since 1951 and farmers are starting to sell off stock. This is one of the predicted effects of climate change on New Zealand – a wetter West Coast and [...] read more
  May 23, 2007 9:44 pm - 1 Comment
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  why stop at whales, why not go for endangered whales?! - by frog

  
  
  
  Not much shocks Frog these days, but the news that Japan is keen to add 50 humpbacks to its ‘”scientific” haul impressed even this jaded amphibian with its audacity. Several rallies were held last weekend around NZ and Australia, but media coverage seems fairly sparse. Good report here by AUT student journalist. Pleased to see [...] read more
  May 22, 2007 5:49 pm - 6 Comments
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  Climate Defence Tour: The North Island starts - by frog

  
  
  
  We have started the North Island leg of the country-wide tour with a public meeting in New Plymouth – gas and dairy country. We started off the day doing a stall in town handing out our ‘what you can do about climate change’ pocket guides, then met up with the local paper and had an [...] read more
  May 21, 2007 12:38 pm - 12 Comments
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  budget. not. - by frog

  
  
  
  Frog would love to comment on the Budget, but has been injured in a serious information overload incident involving the zillions of missives being fired around by every organisation, party, union, lobby/interest group, and general collection of people with access to a distribution method. So, alternatively, we’ll share these rather nice links to help with [...] read more
  May 18, 2007 5:39 pm - 42 Comments
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  Not a great budget for sustainability - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  On the plus side, our pressure on public transport has had some effect with the electrification of the Auckland rail network proceeding and Wellington getting investment in rail. It is however still the case that state highways get all the money they need from central govt (with a bonus of $145m in the budget as encouragement for [...] read more
  May 17, 2007 6:42 pm - 40 Comments
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  Fly away, Gordon, fly away, Larry - by frog

  
  
  
  Gordon Copeland has quit. He’s off to form a new Christian party with Larry Baldock. Frog would like to know if they will be campaigning on planes again, and whether there will be complimentary parachutes? On another note, the Third Reading speeches are well underway in the House – Sue’s is here. read more
  May 16, 2007 4:24 pm - 47 Comments
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  Geldof vs Gore - by frog

  
  
  
  Some serious division in the ranks here people, as Sir Bob issues grumpy rant slagging off Al Gore’s Live Earth Concerts. He appears to be cross that Gore hasn’t actually solved the whole global warming thingymajiggy, that Madonna and Cold Play are performing at all (tend to agree there Bob) and that the branding is [...] read more
  May 15, 2007 6:33 pm - 5 Comments
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  Charlie Pederson in the DomPost - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Today’s DomPost has a column by Charlie Pederson in the “Greenzone” section. You may recall Charlie is the president of Federated Farmers who specialises in attacks on environmentalists – an interesting inclusion in the environment section. In his column he argues that “extreme measures such as … stopping [farmers] from intensifying are not economically sustainable [...] read more
  May 12, 2007 10:33 am - 24 Comments
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  Holcim’s proposed new cement plant near Oamaru - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  While I was in Oamaru this week I went on a two hour look around the site being proposed for a new Holcim cement plant near Weston in the Waiareka Valley. My guide was Rodney Jones from the Waiareka Valley Preservation Society who are opposing the plant. It’s really big. The main stack is 100m or [...] read more
  May 11, 2007 6:42 pm - 4 Comments
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  What would Google say about global warming? - by frog

  
  
  
  What would Google say about global warming? These nice people came up with a clever idea. They took the first 200 images that appeared in a Google image search for “global warming� and strung them together to the tune of “Clubbed to Death�. Enjoy. My personal favourite is the statue of liberty in a gas [...] read more
  May 11, 2007 6:15 pm - No Comments