Posts by Jeanette Fitzsimons

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  Copenhagen Diary: It is a disgrace - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Tonight’s outcome in Copenhagen is a tragedy for humanity. It is  widely recognised as a failure papered over with some fine sounding words by Obama. The purpose of the meeting was to agree on a second commitment period for the Kyoto  protocol. That has not been achieved. We came here wanting an ambitious, fair and [...] read more
  December 19, 2009 1:03 pm - 76 Comments
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  Copenhagen Diary #6: Catching the climate train - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  A crowd of people set out to catch a train. The train had already left some time ago but was moving quite slowly, though steadily. It was still possible to catch the train if everyone ran. It was vital that they caught the train as disaster was chasing them. Also, no-one could get on the [...] read more
  December 19, 2009 8:24 am - 9 Comments
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  Copenhagen Diary #5 - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  In the midst of the gloom about the chances of a deal, it is worth recording one small victory for the planet. There has been a huge amount of work by the NGOs to protect biodiversity and indigenous rights and they have been restored in the text. read more
  December 19, 2009 3:21 am - 1 Comment
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  Copenhagen Diary #4 - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Different cultures have very different views on the relationship between population and climate change. In some circles population is the great unmentionable. It is still associated with the coercive policies some early family planners tried to impose. In others it is the perfect excuse for why we should not have to do anything about our [...] read more
  December 17, 2009 12:52 am - 8 Comments
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  Copenhagen Diary #3 - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Copenhagen has a public transport system to die for. With a population similar to greater Auckland, although covering much less space, it has a new (2002) metro that is very fast and I’ve never had to wait more than 4 minutes even though I’m near the end of the line. read more
  December 16, 2009 3:27 am - 5 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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  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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  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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  Herd homes vs cubicles like home vs prison - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Have you ever felt that after a long day inside a building you just have to get out and feel the sun and breathe some air? I guess not being able to do that is one  of the punishments the prison system imposes on offenders. But even they get an hour or so out in [...] read more
  December 9, 2009 3:35 pm - 11 Comments
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  Good Farm Stories - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Tomorrow the Greens will launch a new initiative telling Good Farm Stories from around the country. There’s plenty of good farmers pioneering new ideas to make farming more sustainable, and we’re keen to tell New Zealand about them. As the Greens’ agriculture spokesperson I’ve been visiting farms regularly this year and I’ve written up my [...] read more
  November 25, 2009 9:41 am - 143 Comments
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  When is ownership not privatisation? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The Cabinet made some Key decisions on Monday about ownership of public water supplies but has decided to Hide them. read more
  October 31, 2009 4:59 pm - 36 Comments
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  Don’t mention the ‘I’ word - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The Government showed itself embarrassingly insecure about socio-economic inequality in New Zealand today by refusing leave in the House to table graphs from a recent book called The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better by British researchers Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Green MP Kennedy Graham asked the Prime Minister if he [...] read more
  October 27, 2009 5:03 pm - 9 Comments
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  The Great Bus Robbery - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  These are good times to own a bus company in Wellington. One company, Infratil, owns more than 90% of the bus market here. Whenever the regional council puts up a tender for a new bus service, there’s only ever one bidder. It’s a virtual transport monopoly and Wellington’s ratepayers are paying up to 20% more [...] read more
  October 20, 2009 1:56 pm - 8 Comments
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  ETS is sure to spur growth – but what kind? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Now here’s a great idea for economic development. Extract lignite, the lowest quality coal, very wet and of low calorific value. Add copious water pollution, coal seam methane and land disturbance from open cast mining. read more
  October 1, 2009 6:45 am - 20 Comments
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  Now we see the hidden costs of the ETS - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Last night’s briefing on the ETS finally revealed the two missing columns from the curious page of numbers tabled in the House on Tuesday by Nick Smith. That table, to the extent it was comprehensible at all, showed there would be a $415m cost to the taxpayer from now to 2013; a saving between 2013 [...] read more
  September 24, 2009 10:32 am - 10 Comments
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  ETS makes us the seventh state - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  It is clear from the minister’s briefing last night that the main purpose of National’s changes to the ETS is to make us effectively the seventh state of Australia. The bill mimics exactly the bill the Rudd government has been trying (unsuccessfully) to get through the Australian senate. So a bill that has been twice [...] read more
  September 24, 2009 9:17 am - 8 Comments
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  Wild and perverse ETS disincentives - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  For the first six months of this year, wilding pine control cost DOC $811,000 in carbon liabilities – a large amount for a department that has already had its budget for this year cut by $13.5 million. That money could have saved some endangered species, increased the area of land under pest control, or – got rid of more wilding pines. read more
  September 22, 2009 1:27 pm - 39 Comments
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  Is Methanex poised to rort the taxpayer with National’s help? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Methanex could get $87 million in free credits each year. Under the Labour scheme Methanex would have paid for their growth. Under National’s scheme, taxpayers do. read more
  September 20, 2009 10:09 am - 21 Comments
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  What’s wrong with the National-Maori Party ETS? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Basically, it’s less obligation for everyone, and more delay. Taxpayers pick up the cost. It seriously weakens the scheme we have now, and will do little to reduce emissions. read more
  September 18, 2009 6:30 am - 41 Comments
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  The ETS, power prices and income compensation - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  The Maori Party seems to be having difficulty getting the National Party to agree to raising the core benefit to compensate for higher electricity and transport fuel prices under the ETS. read more
  September 16, 2009 12:35 pm - 16 Comments