Archive for May, 2011

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  Climate change adaptation in Cuba - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  I didn’t hear any climate change denial in Cuba. In fact, the environment ministry people outlined to me a detailed climate change adaption programme. They calculate that if there is an 85 cm sea level rise by 2100 twenty one communities by the sea will disappear, and many others will be badly affected. They dazzled [...] read more
  May 31, 2011 2:49 pm - 24 Comments
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  Whitcoulls: ‘But we’re not like that’ - by frog

  
  
  
  James Pascoe Group could hire a worker for one week and make him or her redundant the following week with no redundancy compensation. read more
  May 31, 2011 12:24 pm - 8 Comments
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  Miramar South School – Low Decile and High Quality - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  As the debate rages about the proposed merger of two Miramar schools I want to challenge the perception that these schools have a lower quality of education, teaching staff and student behaviour. For the past two years I have been a proud supporter of activities at Miramar South School, presenting books to students and attending [...] read more
  May 31, 2011 10:22 am - 2 Comments
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  Supporting positive parenting! - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Professor Paul Moon has a curiously negative approach to the new initiative by Te Kahui Mana Ririki to encourage Maori parents to embrace a loving tradition of child raising. Te Kahui Mana Ririki spokesperson Anton Blank has made no romantic claims that pre European tangata whenua culture was always peaceful, but he is promoting some [...] read more
  May 31, 2011 10:05 am - 63 Comments
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  Community gardens the in-thing in Havana - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  Back in the 1990s the Cuban economy was in deep trouble. The Soviet Union collapsed, as did its trade with Cuba. Cuba didn’t have much money to import food or buy fertilisers. The obvious answer was to expand local agriculture, using organic methods. People in Havana were encouraged to grow veges, and community gardens mushroomed. [...] read more
  May 31, 2011 4:26 am - 6 Comments
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  Coromandel – No More Mining, Stop the Vandals - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last Sunday we went for a walk in the park. Some people went all the way to the Glass Earth/Newmont drilling rig high in the forest park and occupied it for a while. The rest of us with our babies and banners walked for an hour and a half up the beautiful Parikiwai Valley near [...] read more
  May 30, 2011 7:56 pm - 2 Comments
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  And justice for all? - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The Governments changes to the legal aid system have fired up a number of those who work in the legal system. These changes have resulted in people who face lower grade charges being unable to choose whom they wish to be represented by. read more
  May 30, 2011 5:55 pm - 7 Comments
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  Are people really apathetic about politics? - by frog

  
  
  
  Politics has a huge impact on everyone’s lives. So why don’t more of us actually get involved? Is it apathy? Are people too stupid, selfish or lazy? Dave Meslin says no. He identifies seven barriers that keep us from taking part in politics, even when we truly care. Fortunately the last barrier he mentions doesn’t [...] read more
  May 30, 2011 7:07 am - 8 Comments
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  Who is Ayn Rand? - by frog

  
  
  
  I’m sure there are a lot of ways to answer that question. We’ve had some heated debate on religion vs science around here recently, so it is with some trepidation that I offer this controversy within the Republican Party in the US on Ayn Rand’s views on religion. The GOP currently has two very strong [...] read more
  May 30, 2011 6:05 am - 64 Comments
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  Loosening the Cuban economy - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  There’s much enthusiasm for the dramatic economic changes announced by Cuba’s Communist Party last month. Most people I spoke to said they were well overdue. For years the Cuban state has run almost everything from factories to restaurants and taxis. This “command” economy hasn’t been particularly efficient, with extensive “featherbedding” to keep people in work. In [...] read more
  May 30, 2011 4:16 am - 3 Comments
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  “A link between climate change and Joplin tornadoes? Never!” - by frog

  
  
  
  Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala., or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that (which, together, comprised the most active April for tornadoes in U.S. history). No, that doesn’t mean a thing. read more
  May 29, 2011 3:46 pm - 41 Comments
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  Green Party List features new female faces - by frog

  
  
  
  Some notable new women feature well up the Greens list rankings for the November election. The retirement of Jeanette Fitzsimons and Sue Bradford and the pending retirement of Sue Kedgley has made room for the very capable Cantabrian Eugenie Sage, the wonderful Wellingtonian Jan Logie and the accomplished Aucklander Denise Roche. Of course, the inimitable [...] read more
  May 29, 2011 7:40 am - 19 Comments
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  General debate, May 29, 2011 - by frog

  
  
  
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  May 29, 2011 7:39 am - 61 Comments
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  The dullest blog in the world - by frog

  
  
  
  Stumbled across this yesterday, and still ROFLMAO. And it attracts comments!  Lots of them.  I particularly like this one: Good to see the dullest blog in the world back in action. Looks like someone else thought of the idea after you did….they call it Twitter.   read more
  May 28, 2011 3:51 pm - 10 Comments
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  Cuba’s contribution to a healthier Pacific - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  I am writing from Havana where I am being hosted, as Green foreign affairs spokesperson, by the Cuban Parliament. One topic of my meetings has been Cuba’s contribution to improving the health systems of Pacific Island nations. Cuba has doctors – as part of its aid programme – in Nauru, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Solomons [...] read more
  May 28, 2011 8:47 am - 17 Comments
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  COGS grant scheme cut - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  One of the worst aspects of the “death by a thousand cuts” Budget is the cut to the Community Organisations Grants Scheme (COGS). read more
  May 27, 2011 12:14 pm - 5 Comments
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  Podcast: why you should care about the file sharing law - by frog

  
  
  
  In this podcast, Green Party ICT Spokesperson Gareth Hughes talks about the new file sharing law – what it means, why non-nerds should be worried about it too, and what can be done from here. read more
  May 27, 2011 11:56 am - 3 Comments
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  File-sharing politics online - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Last night I hosted a very successful online public meeting to talk about the new online copyright changes. It was great to use web streaming technology to host a meeting that meant people from across the country could tune in, but most importantly meant people could make comments, discuss and ask questions online in real [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 5:28 pm - 6 Comments
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  MMP referendum information campaign under way - by frog

  
  
  
  The information campaign for the MMP referendum has been announced today. There is a wealth of information on the Electoral Commission website that is worth checking out – remember the future of our democracy is at stake here! We think MMP is the fairest system as it makes everyone’s vote count equally no matter where [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 3:33 pm - 14 Comments
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  Play the ‘Keep the coal in the hole’ Tetris game - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Today I launched a Member’s Bill and a tetris-like computer game as a part of our campaign to keep dirty lignite coal in the hole. Lignite is bad for the environment and our economy. We should be pursuing modern renewable energy solutions, not 19th Century coal. First the serious part. The Climate Change Response (Low [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 2:26 pm - 3 Comments