Archive for November, 2007

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  No, not the Pinot Noir! - by frog

  
  
  
  Now I don‘ t want to alarm you but climate change might not just mean global degradation, destruction of our biodiversity, and threats to humanity.  It could also lower the quality or quantity of Waipara Valley wine.   The IPCC report, which comments on the impact of Climate Change on the entire world, put aside [...] read more
  November 19, 2007 4:56 pm - 3 Comments
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  Amazon’s Aguinda vs Chevron Oil - by frog

  
  
  
  It seems after over 14 years in and out of US and Ecuadorian courts we are finally nearing the end of one of the most dramatic environmental court cases ever. For the last 14 years 30,000 indigenous people and Amazonian settlers have been trying to take a class action against one of the world’s biggest oil [...] read more
  November 19, 2007 4:52 pm - 1 Comment
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  How petty can Nick get? - by frog

  
  
  
  Nick Smith posted a press release today calling the government’s climate change initiatives a failure because the Ministry for the Environment’s emissions grew from 735 tonnes CO2e in 2005/06 to 897 tonnes in 2006/07, mostly as a result of increased air travel associated with, <shock & horror>, their climate change and environmental work. Yaaaaawn. Is [...] read more
  November 16, 2007 5:24 pm - 16 Comments
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  Key escapes - by frog

  
  
  
  From the Herald: ‘Ironically, in August Mr Key visited the Urewera and met prominent activist Tame Iti – one of the 16 people arrested during the October raids.’ I wonder if John Key is wondering who was on security detail that day and how deep does this conspiracy go?! read more
  November 15, 2007 7:31 pm - 7 Comments
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  Drama at the Royal Show - by frog

  
  
  
  Christchurch members of the Green Party are currently at the Royal Show discussing green solutions and Green Party achievements with the show going public.  Luckily for the Greens they are getting good entertainment from their stall neighbours who appear to be re-enacting Arthur Millar’s period piece drama, the Crucible. Sue Bradford will also be at [...] read more
  November 15, 2007 5:07 pm - 53 Comments
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  Saving Maui’s dolphins - by frog

  
  
  
  There were up to 29,000 Hector’s dolphins in the 1970s, but today there are only about 8000 left. Scientists say they will continue to decline unless we place restrictions on the fishing methods that are killing them. This afternoon 111 school children representing the estimated 111 remaining Maui’s dolphins (which are a subspecies of Hector’s [...] read more
  November 15, 2007 3:05 pm - 6 Comments
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  Who believes in peak oil? - by frog

  
  
  
  Everyone’s starting to talk about it now.  Are we running out of oil, are we using it up faster than we can dig it up, it doesn’t grow on trees so what happens when it’s gone?  What was seen as a crazed environmental theory a few years ago is now being seriously debated. So, does [...] read more
  November 15, 2007 10:22 am - 34 Comments
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  Jon Johansson on EFB - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  This is an excerpt from Jon Johansson’s speech to the recent NZ First conference. Jon is a political scientist from Victoria Uni and is not known as a far left ideologue intent on destroying the National Party. Thanks to Audrey Young for pointing me to this on her blog. If one stands back, one can see [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 6:36 pm - 32 Comments
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  The Herald’s campaign – why now? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The odd thing about the NZ Herald’s campaign against the Electoral Finance Bill is its timing. The Bill was introduced many months ago, it has been in select committee for months, there have been weeks of submissions, and it is just about to be reported back. This raises the question of why didn’t they start their campaign [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 6:35 pm - 5 Comments
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  The Electoral Finance Bill, once more - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I have blogged on many occasions about the Electoral Finance Bill and how it needs to be changed. But in light of fhe Herald’s rather oddly timed campaign it is worth recapping. The Bill is needed because at the last election the Exclusive Brethren showed how parties can avoid the $2.4m expenditure limit by running a [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 6:29 pm - 21 Comments
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  Cullen admits green is better than red - by frog

  
  
  
  Continuing from yesterday’s parliamentary question about government’s ability to accurately predict oil prices, Jeanette asked another series of questions in the house today. She asked the Minister if there was any government department that had got the oil price trend right, given his statement yesterday that “there is a very, very high probability that any [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 5:00 pm - 18 Comments
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  Norwegian plankton soak up carbon dioxide - by frog

  
  
  
  Norwegian scientists nearly, oh so nearly, found the answer to our climate change worries. They have just discovered that ‘tiny ocean plankton‘ could reduce global warming by soaking up unexpectedly large amounts of carbon dioxide’. It looked for a moment like the nay sayers might be right – no need to fuss about climate change [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 10:51 am - 21 Comments
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  Herald defends disenfranchised Paratai Drive residents - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m confused.  Is the Herald confirming it thinks it is a good thing that a wealthy (sorry, ‘comfortable’) lawyer on Paratai Drive with very strong political views should be able to unaccountably spend $250,000 campaigning for or against whichever political party he wants? That hardly seems a level playing field for John Key’s favoured voters [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 10:47 am - 13 Comments
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  Bob Clarkson speaks out - by frog

  
  
  
  According to the wonderful TheyWorkForYou website these five quotes have been Bob Clarkson’s scintillating and sum contribution to parliamentary debate since 21 August: (17 Oct 2007) Interjection : “Bureaucratic!” (10 Oct 2007) Interjection : “Tell us the end of the story.” (19 Sep 2007) Interjection : “Force?” (22 Aug 2007) Interjection : “A bit like [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 10:43 am - 9 Comments
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  School rubbish bins full of sandwiches and fruit - by frog

  
  
  
  According to Massey University researcher, Dr Emma Dresler-Hawke, only one in 10 school lunch boxes contain food that meets nutritional guidelines for children. And 80% of the food thrown into school rubbish bins is the healthy sandwiches, fruit and yoghurt children should be eating. All of this highlights the dramatic change in the way we [...] read more
  November 14, 2007 10:38 am - 14 Comments
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  What have Treasury and the Reserve Bank been up to? - by frog

  
  
  
  Nothing apparently. Jeanette asked Michael Cullen in the house today if he had any faith in the economic projections that Treasury does on his behalf. She then pointed to their last seven economic forecasts and their predictions for the price of oil going forward. Here is the graph of their predictions:   One can only [...] read more
  November 13, 2007 3:50 pm - 23 Comments
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  Lianne Dalziel and custard squares - by frog

  
  
  
  Now this certainly should not be seen as a disparaging comment on custard squares, and especially not Timaru’s famously tall ones, but who thinks Denheath Desserts is an eccentric choice for a visit by Food Safety Minister Lianne Dalziel on World Diabetes Day? read more
  November 13, 2007 8:58 am - 7 Comments
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  UN General Secretary watches grass grow - by frog

  
  
  
  United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been in Antarctica today sharing with us news that cows, at least, may be pleased to hear. You can now grow grass on King George Island, where it rains rather than snows increasingly in the summer. For the non-bovine among us though things are not looking so good on [...] read more
  November 12, 2007 4:37 pm - 34 Comments
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  Maori Party voters should think Green - by frog

  
  
  
  Three weeks ago Prof. Whatarangi Winiata gave a speech to the Maori Party Hui a Tau outlining the important independent voice that the Maori Party has bought to parliament. There is no doubting as he asserts that the Maori Party does represent an important and previously unrepresented voice in parliament. So much so, that its [...] read more
  November 12, 2007 12:19 pm - 65 Comments
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  Feeling the force - by frog

  
  
  
  Yesterday was Bike to Work Day in Wellington’s Civic Square. Sue Kedgley arrived on a three person tandem – a thrice-icle? However, coming to work these mornings doesn’t always look this serene; it can feel a little like a scene from Star Wars. Gigantic SUV Cruisers fill up what used to be large expanses of [...] read more
  November 8, 2007 3:27 pm - 23 Comments