Archive for March, 2009

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  Creating a rainforest from scratch - by frog

  
  
  
  By piecing together a complex ecological puzzle, biologist Willie Smits has found a way to re-grow clearcut rainforest in Borneo, saving local orangutans — and creating a thrill… read more
  March 14, 2009 2:02 pm - 6 Comments
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  Will entry of energy sector to ETS be delayed? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  It now seems almost certain that electricity, stationary energy and industrial emissions will not come into the Emissions Trading Scheme on Jan 1 next year as provided for in the legislation.The Act provides for detailed allocation plans to be developed and brought to Parliament for each sector that is trade exposed and so qualifies for [...] read more
  March 14, 2009 9:47 am - 16 Comments
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  ACC – Game on! - by Sue Bradford

  
  
  
  ACC has been hitting the headlines all week, starting with the sacking of Board chair Ross Wilson on Monday and culminating with a total shambles at the Select Committee financial review of ACC yesterday. Amidst all the verbiage it is a mission trying to work out the true state of ACC, whether there really is [...] read more
  March 13, 2009 10:00 am - 50 Comments
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  Kennedy Graham on International Climate Change Negotiations - by frog

  
  
  
  In this week’s message from parliament, Green MP Kennedy Graham urges everyone to put pressure on the government to negotiate real and binding emissions reductions in the lead up to Copenhagen this December. While the government is busy hacking every budget under the sun, we are being distracted from one of the most important international [...] read more
  March 13, 2009 8:00 am - 8 Comments
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  GEO Group record in private prisons – very very bad - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  One of the companies that is apparently in discussions with National to run a private prison is The GEO Group Inc. They ran the Auckland Central Remand Prison when it was privatised. John Key is reported as saying that they produced “very good results”. The GEO Group, Inc. is part of the The Wackenhut Corporation, [...] read more
  March 12, 2009 11:08 am - 27 Comments
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  ISP’s are not cheap bullyboys for BigCorps - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  News that Telstra Clear has pulled out of the code of practice being drafted by the Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF) shows that the whole proposal for a code on the back of the draconian s92A, legislation was doomed to fail. Telstra rightly opposed the law and and have decided they can’t continue to support it, [...] read more
  March 12, 2009 9:07 am - 7 Comments
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  National gags Pita Sharples: Maori deserve better - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Todays performance in the House has confirmed that the Minister of Maori Affairs, Pita Sharples is being locked out by the National Government from answering serious questions concerning Maori. My question today directly concerning Maori and their loss of rights under the RMA reforms was transferred by the government from the Maori Affairs Minister to [...] read more
  March 11, 2009 6:17 pm - 4 Comments
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  Greens And Granny Herald Subs Stop Potential Port Sale - by frog

  
  
  
  Image crafted by Lyndon Hood ***** This morning I just about choked on my breakfast of lilies and insects as I was reading the New Zealand Herald (online version). The Herald had an article implying that the Ports Of Auckland chairman Gary Judd thought now – as in right in the middle of an economic [...] read more
  March 11, 2009 6:13 pm - 7 Comments
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  ACC: Shafted - by frog

  
  
  
  I don’t know who produced this little gem, but I just had to share it. I think it sums up my thinking anyway! With the National-led government’s smoke and mirrors assault on the Accident Compensation Corporation, about the only thing we can be certain of is less. Nick Smith has done  a wonderful job of [...] read more
  March 11, 2009 11:23 am - 51 Comments
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  Labour stole the foreshore from the Maoris; the Nats’ll hand it to the Rich - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  What should we make of the decision of National to give my RMA/Conservation question about the coastal marine area to the Minister for Treaty Settlements? Well, its difficult to give a question to a Conservation Minister who has been MIA now for weeks and weeks. And I guess they wouldn’t want to give it to [...] read more
  March 10, 2009 5:35 pm - 42 Comments
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  Our Superfund continues to invest where angels fear to tread - by frog

  
  
  
  Four months have passed since the Government made a commitment to divest the New Zealand Superfund from companies involved in manufacturing nuclear weapons and cluster bombs. This wise old toad notices that we’re still sitting on a $25 million investment in these multinational baddies: BAE Systems ($10.9M), Boeing ($3.6M), United Technologies ($7.0M), European Aeronautic Defence [...] read more
  March 10, 2009 4:33 pm - 5 Comments
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  Has Murray Banned Aid? - by frog

  
  
  
  Image crafted by Lyndon Hood *****I’m keen to see whether the kiwi media will be knocking at Foreign Minister Murray McCully’s door and ask him what on earth he is up to with his shake-up of New Zealand’s aid to some of the poorest people in our region. I nearly tripped over ‘his Muzzness’ as [...] read more
  March 10, 2009 4:24 pm - 11 Comments
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  World economy to shrink in 2009 - by frog

  
  
  
  That was the BBC headline overnight, citing the World Bank as the source of the uplifting economic news that the global economy will shrink this year for the first time since WWII: By the middle of 2009, industrial output could be as much as 15% lower than 2008, while trade may record the biggest decline [...] read more
  March 10, 2009 10:53 am - 8 Comments
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  Wet bus tickets OR Clean Streams - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The latest compliance figures on the Clean Streams Accord are due out on Thursday. Fonterra, in an attempt to front foot the issue – hinting that the Accord report will be bad news – has released a proposal to penalise non-compliant farmers a $3000 fine. It’s simply ‘a wet bus ticket’ approach to dealing with [...] read more
  March 9, 2009 11:28 am - 8 Comments
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  Mr Key, Tear Down This Wall - by frog

  
  
  
  Oh c’mon John!  Is it really too much trouble to try to stop kids from smoking?  We’re talking about the ‘power wall’ advertising strategies that blight our dairies and markets.  John recently told TV3′s Sunrise viewers that it’s too hard to fix the problem and there’s no reason to do so: if you were to [...] read more
  March 8, 2009 10:13 am - 79 Comments
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  Kevin Hague on Health - by frog

  
  
  
  Returning to my roots of many years ago, I offer you this podcast. Green MP Kevin Hague, the former CEO of the West Coast District Health Board, discusses the National Party’s direction on healthcare, or rather their lack thereof, since coming to power last year. Kevin has a unique insight because he has been on [...] read more
  March 8, 2009 10:00 am - 6 Comments
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  Lester Brown on cutting emissions 80% by 2020 - by frog

  
  
  
  The following YouTube clip is Part 4 from a recent lecture Lester Brown gave on Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization and will take you into the heart of the Plan B message. The presentation was to the Chemical Society of Washington on May 8, 2008. Lester, who is President of the Earth Policy [...] read more
  March 8, 2009 8:00 am - 13 Comments
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  General Debate, March 7th - by frog

  
  
  
  Having just done Kennedy Graham’s parliamentary General Debate, I though we might like to do our own again! read more
  March 7, 2009 9:40 am - 4 Comments
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  Kennedy Graham on General Debate, March 5th 2009 - by frog

  
  
  
  Green MP Kennedy Graham did his first General Debate Speech on Thursday, choosing climate change as his topic. Kennedy is the spokesperson on International Climate Change Issues. As we slide serenely into the sea, let us recognise that, just as water finds its own level, a species that fails to foresee disaster ahead, or sees [...] read more
  March 7, 2009 9:30 am - 22 Comments
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  Lester Brown on Failing States: Early sign of decline - by frog

  
  
  
  The following YouTube clip is Part 3 from a recent lecture Lester Brown gave on Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization and will take you into the heart of the Plan B message. The presentation was to the Chemical Society of Washington on May 8, 2008. Lester, who is President of the Earth Policy [...] read more
  March 7, 2009 8:00 am - 9 Comments