Archive for December, 2009

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  Is parking in NZ too cheap? - by frog

  
  
  
  Most of us probably don’t feel that way when we’re paying for it. But there’s an interesting interview on Breakfast TV between a transport planner and Pippa Wetzell which might make you think again… And more food for thought. Here’s a diagram prepared by alert blogger and planner Joshua Arbury showing how much land (the [...] read more
  December 15, 2009 3:54 pm - 13 Comments
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  37% of people commute by bike in Copenhagen - by frog

  
  
  
  I am very impressed by the bicycle infrastructure in Copenhagen. Highlights of this video include: Many double-laned bike lanes; special blinking lights on the road so turning traffic know that bikes are coming; traffic lights that are synced for vehicles travelling at 20kph… read more
  December 15, 2009 12:43 pm - 40 Comments
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  Copenhagen 3: Concentrating the Global Mind - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Monday has opened Week 2 of the Greatest Show on Earth. Over the weekend the Danish hosts, PM Rassmussen and Environment Minister Hedegaard gave upbeat presentations of where we are at. Of course they must. Their presentations were greeted with a touch of cheerful derision from those watching the conference video. read more
  December 15, 2009 9:33 am - 1 Comment
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  General Debate, 15th Dec - by frog

  
  
  
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  December 15, 2009 9:32 am - 60 Comments
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  Rampant Rodney rogers Auckland - by frog

  
  
  
  Rodney Hide’s third supercity Bill, the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill, reveals a hardcore anti-democratic agenda for privatisation. read more
  December 15, 2009 8:41 am - 9 Comments
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  Copenhagen II: Gentlemen (Ladies?), Choose your Weapons - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The first week of the Copenhagen Conference has not been without its drama.  This will of course be nothing compared to Week 2, but the preliminaries have been fast and furious. The best-known drama has been the leaked ‘Danish draft’.  This has been reported as infuriating the developing world, especially the major emerging economies – [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 10:24 pm - 12 Comments
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  Climate Camp starting this week! - by frog

  
  
  
  Aotearoa’s first ever climate camp is happening this week! If you’re wondering what climate camp is, watch this video. read more
  December 14, 2009 11:11 am - 12 Comments
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  Copenhagen Diary #2 - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Forests are key to this negotiation – both how forest sinks, land use and land use change (LULUCF) are treated in the agreement for the next period, and the mechanisms for protecting 0ld growth forests in developing countries from logging. Estimates are that 15-20% of global emissions are n0w from deforestation. Along with the carbon, [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 5:52 am - 39 Comments
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  Making Sense of Copenhagen - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Saturday was our first day at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.  Jeanette Fitzsimons and I, along with staff member Rick Leckinger, are attending.  It is a remarkable event in itself, as well as being critical in substance. Two quick things to clear up. First, yes we expended carbon getting here, along with the other participants.  [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 12:21 am - 29 Comments
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  Copenhagen Diary #1 - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Just arrived after 32 hours travel via Hong Kong. Flying across Asia gives you  different perspective on the earth. From the East Asia coast to England not a tinge of green. The desert in West and north China went on for ever – mountains and hills and plains, but all sand coloured. I wonder how [...] read more
  December 12, 2009 10:04 pm - 34 Comments
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  Fish industry uses net to catch hoki criticism - by frog

  
  
  
  To the surprise of conservationists, in 2001 the New Zealand hoki fishery was recognised as a sustainably managed fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council. Yet conservationists have continually raised concerns over how the fishery could possibly be sustainable when bycatch rates of NZ fur seals and seabirds are so high and the bottom trawling equipment [...] read more
  December 12, 2009 10:05 am - 9 Comments
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  Video: Green MPs head to Copenhagen - by frog

  
  
  
  Green Party MPs Dr Kennedy Graham and Jeanette Fitzsimons talk about what attending the Copenhagen conference means to them personally. read more
  December 11, 2009 5:07 pm - 20 Comments
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  Waiwhetu ooze spill sadly not an isolated incident - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Yesterday’s spill of toxic ooze on the road in Lower Hutt indicates a lack of rigour in the handling of dangerous materials. read more
  December 11, 2009 4:46 pm - 2 Comments
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  New York based supporter sends cool video - by frog

  
  
  
  A keen supporter of the Green Party currently working with Avaaz.org in New York put together a short youtube video to energize people for the coming climate change events. read more
  December 11, 2009 4:16 pm - 1 Comment
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  The climate denial industry is out to dupe the public. And it’s working - by frog

  
  
  
  George Monbiot says it like it is: Think environmentalists are stooges? You’re the unwitting recruit of a hugely powerful oil lobby – I’ve got the proof. read more
  December 11, 2009 2:31 pm - 77 Comments
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  Levy hikes prelude to privatisation - by frog

  
  
  
  If ACC is made to work like an insurance company, then it’s a lot easier to flog bits of it off to insurance companies some time in the future. Levy hikes and entitlement cuts will undermine public confidence in ACC and soften up public opinion for the privatisation agenda. read more
  December 11, 2009 10:35 am - 2 Comments
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  Blue-Greens discourage environmentally friendly travel behaviour - by frog

  
  
  
  I was fascinated to read in National’s latest Blue-Green newsletter that National believes that “people change their environmental practice for the better when there are sensible incentives to do so.” Given this, it’s hard to understand why earlier this year Steven Joyce cut funding for sustainable transport modes (bus, rail, walking, cycling, sea freight etc) [...] read more
  December 11, 2009 8:00 am - 21 Comments
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  NZ cops another climate fossil award at COP15 - by frog

  
  
  
  Well, we’ve done it again. I have just learned from my source at the Copenhagen Climate Summit, (COP15), that New Zealand has won yet another Fossil of the Day Award. read more
  December 11, 2009 7:08 am - 12 Comments
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  Competition good; Energy savings better. - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The Government’s moves to make the power retail market more competitive are good, if the reforms deliver, but they overlook the elephant in the room when it comes to making sustainable long-term savings on household power bills — energy conservation. Make no mistake; tinkering with the retail situation will do nothing to alter the underlying [...] read more
  December 10, 2009 2:03 pm - 10 Comments
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  38 Genetically engineered ingredients in our food - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Over the past decade four large multinational corporations -Monsanto, Aventis, Syngenta, Dow Agro Sciences, have been quietly applying for approval to add more and more genetically engineered ingredients into our food. read more
  December 10, 2009 10:09 am - 6 Comments