Archive for March, 2009

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  Stupid is as stupid does - by frog

  
  
  
  G is for grrrrrrr. G is grump grump. G is for Godawful. G is for Genesis In the beginning there was stupidity and then – Good Lord – there was more stupidity. The latest chapter in this sorry saga called the Book of Genesis is the resource consent for the Rodney gas plant granted by [...] read more
  March 30, 2009 11:45 am - 85 Comments
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  The Problem, My Friend, is Blowin’ in the Wind… - by frog

  
  
  
  Flowers are normally a good thing. Unless they are genetically engineered brassica (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and forage kale) plants, that is. The Soil and Health Association of New Zealand is calling for MAF – Biosecurity NZ (MAFBNZ) to test for GE contamination of brassica seed and bee products – especially honey – from the Lincoln [...] read more
  March 28, 2009 1:36 pm - 11 Comments
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  Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark - by frog

  
  
  
  Any tadpoles out there in the first blush of an amorous amphibian liaison would be wise to book a date for Saturday night when you’ll have a great excuse to turn out the lights. It’s Earth Hour and we’re all encouraged to kill the lights between 8.30 and 9.30 PM.  The Parliament is doing it.  [...] read more
  March 27, 2009 3:58 pm - 20 Comments
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  Morning Sickness: NZ’s Real Life David Brent - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  What a great way to start the day! What if a woman woke up feeling pretty okay about herself and then accidentally watched “Breakfast” on Wednesday March 25? Let it be a warning to all women who are too small, too large, too muscular, and too weak at the knees, too bald, too hairy, and [...] read more
  March 27, 2009 10:35 am - 133 Comments
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  Dr Coleman Saves NZ from Totalitarian TV! - by frog

  
  
  
  Image crafted by Lyndon Hood New Zealand’s chances of turning into North Körea got a little bit slimmer thanks to the current Government’s plan to cancel the TVNZ charter. In 2003 when the then Labour government introduced the TVNZ Charter aimed at bolstering our national identity I thought yippee.  National identity bolstering is good stuff.  [...] read more
  March 27, 2009 9:22 am - 16 Comments
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  Half A Plan from A Half-Hearted Government - by frog

  
  
  
  For those who don’t know, I used to live in Auckland and still visit regularly. Anyone remember that crazy film Field of Dreams? Well I’m no Kevin Costner fan and didn’t even see the movie, but I believe strongly in that film’s catch cry: “If you build it – they will come.” I used to [...] read more
  March 26, 2009 8:19 pm - 24 Comments
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  Ahoy There! SOS Nats on the Loose SOS - by frog

  
  
  
  I am – in a suitably amphibian style – interested in the interface between land and sea transport.The link is not as webbed and tenuous as you may think. After all, as g.blog pointed out today, coastal shipping is the most energy efficient means of moving freight. A ship consumes 75 – 80 percent less fuel [...] read more
  March 26, 2009 5:09 pm - 43 Comments
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  VERY important and VERY interesting post - by frog

  
  
  
  Tough buggers frogs. At least the NZ varieties.  Research at Victoria University has revealed remarkable longevity in wild populations of New Zealand native frogs, particularly in the threatened Maud Island frog (Leiopelma pakeka). I can get maudlin for Maud Island so I’ll keep this brief.  Hop over to the Vic site for more read more
  March 26, 2009 3:07 pm - 2 Comments
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  Mapua – Paradise Recontaminated - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The coast at the top of Te Wai Pounamu is truly a haven of loveliness surrounded by a view of staunch mountains and sparking ocean. The road winds through orchards and farms with glimpses of sheltered beaches and toxic sites. Did I really say that? How dare I actually say that about godzone? Last week [...] read more
  March 26, 2009 1:41 pm - 15 Comments
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  A BPS tribute to Geoff Park - by frog

  
  
  
  Last week, Russel and I attended the funeral of Geoff Park, New Zealand environmental thinker extraordinaire. Yesterday, Russel concluded his speech on the Budget Policy Statement with my favourite quote from Geoff’s highly-acclaimed book Nga Uruora: Let me finish with a quote from one of New Zealand’s great ecologists, Geoff Park, a true patriot who [...] read more
  March 26, 2009 8:33 am - 7 Comments
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  Private prisons are not cheaper - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Last night the parliament debated the first reading of the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Bil. I have blogged about this issue frequently, but not yet addressed the key argument of National – that private prisons are cheaper. So I used my speech last night to refer to both Australian and US research that showed [...] read more
  March 25, 2009 6:40 pm - 64 Comments
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  Jeanette questions the wisdom of the Genesis board - by frog

  
  
  
  Jeanette asked the Minister for State Owned Enterprises in the House yesterday whether he has confidence in the board of Genesis Energy. Genesis is proceeding with a consent application for a gas fired power station for which it admits it has no gas and is not economically viable “in a real-world, commercial sense”. The Rodney [...] read more
  March 25, 2009 4:08 pm - 19 Comments
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  Youth fundraising efforts just gets more drugs into homes - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  I have received a disturbing letter from Liz Read, Corporate Affairs Direcctor of Lion Nathan New Zealand and Graham Dingle, co-founder of the Foundation for Youth Development. They have jointly launched a major fundraising initiative to support the Foundation’s programmes. They say: The Non-Event of the Year, as it has been billed, asks New Zealanders [...] read more
  March 25, 2009 4:01 pm - 44 Comments
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  My long lost rellies! - by frog

  
  
  
  Humankind knows a lot about this planet, but there’s heaps we don’t too.This morning I spied a hot new press releases entitled: “New Species Found In Papua New Guinea”. Among the 50-odd new species are three relatives of mine! The three frogs include a tiny brown frog with a sharp chirping call (Oreophryne sp.), a bright [...] read more
  March 25, 2009 8:33 am - 3 Comments
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  Reasons not to believe in John Key’s leadership - by frog

  
  
  
  The Energy [R]evolution is Greenpeace’s plan to save the planet from catastrophic climate change. Susan Sarandon narrates the first of three ‘Reasons to Believe’. This one explains why energy efficiency is so important and also so easily achieved, just by small changes such as a switch from traditional lightbulbs to more energy efficient ones. In [...] read more
  March 24, 2009 3:41 pm - 22 Comments
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  Government seriously out of step on climate change - by frog

  
  
  
  The poll released today by the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development shows that our National-led government is seriously out of step with ordinary kiwis. Yuck. That sounded like a press release. Too bad it’s true. Let’s start with the message for the deniers: “There’s a group of about 10% who think climate change [...] read more
  March 23, 2009 12:39 pm - 37 Comments
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  Section 59 debate intensifies again - by Sue Bradford

  
  
  
  The debate around s59 looks like heating up again over the next four months under the dual pressures of the August referendum and the announcement of a proposed member’s bill from ACT MP John Boscawen. Mr Boscawen is clearly keen on appealing to the sentiments stirred up by the referendum’s promoters, having lost his impetus [...] read more
  March 23, 2009 11:12 am - 79 Comments
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  A money gobbling stadium or a productive tertiary asset? - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Dunedin City Council remains committed to squandering a couple of hundred million dollars of ratepayer money on the white elephant Awatea Stadium while allowing a major tertiary investment to go down the tubes. Otago Polytech and the University were working together to develop a design institute that they would share. They were promised a [...] read more
  March 23, 2009 8:00 am - 16 Comments
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  First impressions of Q+A - by frog

  
  
  
  My first impression of TVNZ’s new political show, Q+A, is very likely to be my last. I’ll go for the written transcript if my job or my interest requires it. It is visually and aurally obnoxious. In a word: garish. To begin with, the lion’s share of interview/talk time is given over to Paul Holmes. [...] read more
  March 22, 2009 12:15 pm - 37 Comments
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  Feds miss the point in celebrating bees - by frog

  
  
  
  Federated Farmers this week celebrated the 150th anniversary of the introduction of bees to New Zealand. A fine occasion to mark, no doubt about it. But there is a distinct lack of ‘joined-up thinking’ in the Feds’ press release. Dr Linda Newstrom-Lloyd writes in the Feb 09 Discovery newsletter (p4-5, but not yet online) from Landcare Research that bees [...] read more
  March 21, 2009 12:59 pm - 23 Comments