Archive for April, 2009

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  Bill Gross: Great ideas for finding new energy - by frog

  
  
  
  Another great TED link sent to me from Nigel: Bill Gross, the founder of Idealab, talks about his life as an inventor, starting with his high-school company selling solar energy plans and kits. Learn here about a groundbreaking system for solar cells — and some questions we haven’t yet solved. I shall try and find [...] read more
  April 15, 2009 3:13 pm - 1 Comment
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  Waste Not West Coast Forests - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The commercial forests of the West Coast are currently presenting a dilemma to the Government. These ex-Timberlands forests are producing low-quality timber and in many places the soils and climate have proven unsuitable for the species planted. A fierce windstorm last winter smashed over whole forests in some areas. Given the damage and the cost [...] read more
  April 15, 2009 1:32 pm - 16 Comments
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  General Debate, April 15th - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m totally distracted at the moment, so please, talk amongst yourselves! read more
  April 15, 2009 12:44 pm - 72 Comments
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  Herald approves, but gets some basics very wrong - by frog

  
  
  
  Today’s Herald editorial seems keen on the new working relationship between the Greens and National.  But their positive assessment comes at the very end, while much of the piece discusses a supposed change in attitude by the Greens. This agreement, under which the Greens and ministers will work together in several policy areas, clearly owes a great deal [...] read more
  April 13, 2009 11:48 am - 30 Comments
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  Aerosols May Be Major Driver Of Arctic Warming: NASA - by frog

  
  
  
  Interesting new research from NASA shows that aerosols play a much bigger part in Arctic warming than was previously thought: Though greenhouse gases are invariably at the center of discussions about global climate change, new NASA research suggests that much of the atmospheric warming observed in the Arctic since 1976 may be due to changes [...] read more
  April 12, 2009 10:00 am - 84 Comments
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  Duckweed to ethanol better than corn - by frog

  
  
  
  Researchers at North Carolina State University have shown that making ethanol from duckweed is much more efficient than doing so from corn: Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that a tiny aquatic plant can be used to clean up animal waste at industrial hog farms and potentially be part of the answer for [...] read more
  April 11, 2009 9:15 am - 12 Comments
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  Greens sign MoU with National - by frog

  
  
  
  I confess it makes an interesting headline, that! nevertheless, here is a video of the press conference, for your viewing pleasure: Despite what a few on frogblog have been saying, this MoU is exactly what we said we would do before, during and after the election – that is – work constructively with National on [...] read more
  April 9, 2009 11:20 am - 76 Comments
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  Privatise My Public School (Unfortunately Not a Futuristic Nightmare) - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Welcome to Pepsi Cola High School, your local state educational institutional. Make sure your parents have got their “donations” ready and can also pay towards your trip to Paris and Mexico and to school camp down the road as well. Make sure you can afford a new uniform or at least a recycled one that [...] read more
  April 8, 2009 3:47 pm - 48 Comments
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  Great to see launch of coalition vs ACC privatisation - by Sue Bradford

  
  
  
  With ACC under serious threat at the moment it’s fantastic to see a major coalition ‘ACC Futures’ being launched in Wellington this morning. It’s all very well trying to fight the potential privatisation of ACC from Parliament as the Green and Labour Parties continue to do, but none of us will get anywhere without a [...] read more
  April 8, 2009 10:13 am - 23 Comments
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  The biggest Maori urban population shut out from their own city - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  National’s decision to ditch the Maori seats on the Auckland super city is another means to remove Maori from the barest minimum of decision-making in the biggest Maori city in the country. Catherine has blogged on the general issue before but the issues are even more acute in Auckland. According the 2006 census, nearly 25% [...] read more
  April 7, 2009 6:03 pm - 59 Comments
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  RMA Bill – Submissions Overload! - by frog

  
  
  
  I’ve just heard that the Local Government and Environment Select Committee has received over 1000 submissions on the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill. It’s great to see the public is not willing to let this affront to democracy and environmental protection be rammed through without a protest. New Zealanders have a right to [...] read more
  April 7, 2009 4:01 pm - 34 Comments
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  Flashback to 1999 when freedom was the answer - by frog

  
  
  
  Frogs have an inherently ironic disposition; It’s one way to survive a world intent on its own destruction. Michael Kreidler recently sent me this article from the New York Times from 1999, “Congress Passes Wide-Ranging Bill Easing Bank Laws.” One hundred trillion dollars worth of wealth was erased by the financial collapse last year and [...] read more
  April 7, 2009 12:16 pm - 21 Comments
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  Howard’s attack on aboriginal communities condemned by UNHCR - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The UN Human Rights Committee has condemned the 2007 Howard Government Northern Territorial Intervention. The intervention was a response to a report on child abuse in NT “Little Children are Sacred”. There were protests all over Australia and in NZ condemning Howards intention to legislate for government management of the aboriginal land, much of it [...] read more
  April 6, 2009 6:31 pm - 12 Comments
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  Virus battery could power cars, electronic devices - by frog

  
  
  
  Scientists at MIT have built a lithium-ion battery using a genetically modified virus to assemble both the anode and the cathode of a battery. Three years ago, an MIT team led by Belcher reported that it had engineered viruses that could build an anode by coating themselves with cobalt oxide and gold and self-assembling to [...] read more
  April 6, 2009 11:59 am - 26 Comments
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  Maori seats for Auckland: A good model for others? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Auckland Super city debate has raised the important issue of Maori seats to provide manawhenua representation in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland.  National are considering this option of creating two seats to represent Ngati Whatua and Tainui iwi. What about the rest of the country? At present the Bay of Plenty have two Maori seats on their [...] read more
  April 6, 2009 11:46 am - 20 Comments
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  Earth Hour 09: Metiria Turei MP - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s old news but I have to share it. Wayne John has done an excellent cut of Metiria’s speech in Dunedin during Earth Hour. It’s short and sweet. Enjoy! read more
  April 6, 2009 11:33 am - No Comments
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  Sex Bomb, Sex bomb - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Just in case anyone thinks the Greens were letting some hard core sex offenders run riot by voting against yesterday’s sex offender law amendment, here are the facts: The key amendment in the bill was not “just implementing the intention of the original legislation”, as the government claimed . The Attorney-General’s Report on Parole (Extended [...] read more
  April 3, 2009 2:32 pm - 40 Comments
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  Education investment is necessary for recession management - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Tertiary Education Union reports today that Canterbury University is looking at further restricting student numbers because they are not being funded by central government for the expected growth. Notwithstanding that many universities, including Canterbury, spend a great deal on advertising that could be better spent on education, the issue is a serious one – [...] read more
  April 2, 2009 4:32 pm - 52 Comments
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  Declaration of Indigenous Rights Down Under - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  On Tuesday I got to ask my first proper Question in the House. Unsurprisingly Hone Harawira asked more or less the same question. Will the Government follow the lead of Australia and change their position to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People? The Prime Minister did a good imitation of saying [...] read more
  April 2, 2009 7:00 am - 106 Comments
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  Green Party pulls plug for planet’s sake - by frog

  
  
  
  In a bold move to combat global warming and the Government’s indifference to New Zealand’s Kyoto commitments, the Green Party is leading from the front and will immediately stop using most electrical appliances in its Parliamentary offices as of today. “The current Government’s laissez-faire attitude to carbon emissions means that more needs to be done. [...] read more
  April 1, 2009 4:11 pm - 16 Comments