Archive for April, 2010

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  Huge climate change meeting taking place right now - by frog

  
  
  
  The poor countries are gearing up for the UN meeting in Mexico later this year, with a large gathering in Bolivia which is taking place over the next few days. Nearly 130 countries are represented at the conference, which symbolically reaches its climax on Earth Day. It is attended by about by at least 15,000 [...] read more
  April 21, 2010 9:41 am - 61 Comments
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  Truth is the first casualty in the water wars - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Another day in the House and more obfuscation from David Carter. Previously I asked him a written question 14809 (2009) 29 Sept 2009: Has he discussed an appeal on the special tribunal’s report on a Water Conservation Order application on the Hurunui River with any party; if so, who, when and what was the nature [...] read more
  April 20, 2010 9:26 pm - 11 Comments
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  Yet again, reckless police driving highlights the need for a review - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Since 2007 there have been five accidents caused by police cars u-turning to chase motorists or to respond to calls.  Two of these have involved collisions with cars, which have resulted in damage but no injuries.  The other three have been collisions with motorcycles.  In December 2007 two riders were seriously injured when a police [...] read more
  April 20, 2010 2:15 pm - 18 Comments
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  How many men is one woman worth again Pansy? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Late last week Women’s Affairs Minister Pansy Wong told the Institute of Directors that New Zealand’s “dismal record” of just 8.6 percent women directors in our top 100 listed companies needs to be changed. She wants to be a “catalyst” for that change. I couldn’t agree more, but she won’t get very far convincing companies [...] read more
  April 19, 2010 5:06 pm - 29 Comments
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  Photo – guessing game! - by frog

  
  
  
  What’s this growing at the edge of my pond? read more
  April 19, 2010 1:41 pm - 10 Comments
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  Read all about it – Tauranga library to charge for books - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Tauranga City Council is consulting on imposing charges for adult books at local libraries as a cost cutting measure. I went to Tauranga last week to investigate. The council is in the red, and hopes to make up $430,000 over 3 years by introducing user-pays for free adult fiction and non-fiction by around 50 [...] read more
  April 19, 2010 10:21 am - 40 Comments
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  Video: common distortions by climate change deniers – exposed - by frog

  
  
  
  ClimateTV has pulled together some of the claims made by Lord Monckton, a key climate denier, and knocked them for six. There are some excellent examples of just how duplicitous these people are. Climate Denial Crock of the Week has a transcript and references, for those who wish to dig deeper and do their own [...] read more
  April 19, 2010 7:51 am - 42 Comments
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  General debate, April 18, 2010 - by frog

  
  
  
  Epic Disappearing Acts – Which Gardening Moves Burn Most Calories? – Travel Stove Creates Electricity While It Cooks – Do Green Products Make Us Better People? read more
  April 18, 2010 6:47 am - 83 Comments
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  Dunsandel’s contaminated water – lamas after all? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  As part of my water campaign last month I drew attention to the situation at Dunsandel, where the town water supply is contaminated by e.coli. The town has a well 70m down that is regularly getting e.coli in it and so they are having to treat it – currently chlorine but looking at a UV treatment. The [...] read more
  April 17, 2010 2:51 pm - 45 Comments
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  Should the Govt profit from growing the prison muster? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  News that the Government’s New Zealand Superannuation Fund could be poised to invest $100 million jointly with Lloyd Morrison’s investment company will create the perverse situation where one part of Government will now profit from higher levels of incarceration. The Superfund currently invests in several major private prison operators overseas (Corrections Corporation of America, GEO Group, [...] read more
  April 16, 2010 12:48 pm - 23 Comments
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  Infographic – the money in mining - by frog

  
  
  
  Zefamedia has made this great infographic of National’s claims about mining. When put into context like this, the figures being thrown around start to look like they may be a wee bit inflated, don’t they? The Standard has done a great job of tearing this to shreds. For example $194 billion: The supposed total value [...] read more
  April 16, 2010 10:29 am - 31 Comments
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  One more year before getting behind the wheel - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Government has just announced that the minimum driving age will be raised from 15 to 16, as part of a package of safety initiatives coming from the road safety strategy, Safer Journeys. The Greens support this move in principle. The research demonstrates that young drivers are significantly more likely to be involved in road crashes… However, the Greens know that the best way to reduce the social cost of road crashes is to implement transportation and urban ... read more
  April 15, 2010 4:05 pm - 21 Comments
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  Strong reaction against ECan sacking - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  It was standing room only at a public meeting organised by the Green party in Christchurch last night to protest the government’s sacking of Environment Canterbury. 100 people who couldn’t get into the meeting held an impromptu meeting outside. The meeting hadn’t even been advertised in the media—who knows how many would have turned up [...] read more
  April 15, 2010 2:01 pm - 41 Comments
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  Welfare Working Group off to inauspicious start - by frog

  
  
  
  Presumably under pressure from ACT, the Government seems to be unable to resist finding places for wingnuts on the various advisory groups it is setting up. Yesterday it continued this trend by appointing Business Roundtable communications consultant and former ACT Party President Catherine Isaac (formerly Judd) to its Welfare Working Group. read more
  April 15, 2010 1:22 pm - 20 Comments
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  Private Prisons are expensive and dangerous - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Yesterday’s announcement that tenders will be called for a private prison to be built in Wiri follows the bulldozing through Parliament of enabling legislation last December. The Greens have opposed this move to privatising prisons, both as a matter of principle and for purely practical reasons. According to Minister Collins, we ‘need’ 2270 more prison [...] read more
  April 15, 2010 10:58 am - 33 Comments
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  FTAs costing Kiwi jobs - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  When EPMU Secretary Andrew Little puts on his other hat, Labour Party president, I hope he will try to shift his party’s uncritical support for such free trade and investment agreements. They are not all about Fonterra getting more opportunities to export dairy products. read more
  April 15, 2010 10:48 am - 5 Comments
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  Joyce confirms worst fears with appointments to Polytech councils - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce (who by the way still hasn’t responded to my drinking challenge, but that’s a different blog) yesterday announced his appointees to Polytechnic Councils. Last year the Government changed the law to end representative democracy on polytechnic boards, and replace them with a smaller number of Government-appointed positions. We loudly opposed [...] read more
  April 15, 2010 10:27 am - 10 Comments
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  Future unfocused for beneficiaries in Te Tairawhiti - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  What is the Government doing to help create sustainable employment in regions like Te Tairawhiti? Blaming the victims of our economy through packages like Future Focus won’t create any more jobs for them. read more
  April 15, 2010 9:54 am - 7 Comments
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  …pssst! got any whale meat for sale? - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Today has seen a few encouraging pro-whale steps. Tokelau has announced its territorial waters are now a whale sanctuary and Japan’s Southern Ocean whale hunt turned out to be much lower than expected. However…Oregon State University scientists have uncovered an illegal trade in whale meat and the Green Party in New Zealand are asking what [...] read more
  April 14, 2010 6:24 pm - 24 Comments
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  Hague calls on Nicky Wagner to withdraw false assertion on mining - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Misinformation from the Government continues on mining. Nicky Wagner, on her Facebook wall in response to someone pointing out the nature of the Pike River mine approved by Labour and opposed by the Greens said this: “You may be interested in these quotes Metiria Turei (on Pike River): “This case clearly shows that it is [...] read more
  April 14, 2010 1:11 pm - 31 Comments