Posts by Russel Norman

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  Building industry sees eye-to-eye with Green economic policies - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Construction Strategy Group has recently published their report on the state of the building industry entitled Valuing the Role of Construction in the NZ Economy. The Construction Strategy Group is a lobby group and is made up of a who’s who in the industry. Their report outlines a number of key initiatives they’d like [...] read more
  October 19, 2011 9:19 am - 3 Comments
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  Why Sir Paul Callaghan needs to reconsider clean technology - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Sir Paul Callaghan’s opinion piece in the Herald critiques our economic plan to create 100,000 new green jobs. His paper raises some important points about the record of previous governments and their attempts to pick winners in the research and development (R&D) field. A key element of our Green Jobs initiative launched on September 21 [...] read more
  October 11, 2011 1:00 pm - 16 Comments
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  Kiwis consider water pollution our biggest environmental issue - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  A new study recently released by Lincoln University has found that water pollution is rated by New Zealanders as the most important environmental issue facing our country. The Public Perceptions of New Zealand’s Environment 2010 study, which surveyed over 2000 people, states: “It is clear that New Zealanders have a very high desire for a [...] read more
  September 29, 2011 4:17 pm - 8 Comments
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  A warning from the OECD on NZ’s deteriorating water quality - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I was a key note speaker on Tuesday at the DIPCON conference in on Diffuse Pollution and Eutrophication in Rotorua. Tomorrow Dr Kevin Parris of the Trade and Agriculture Directorate of the OECD in Paris will be presenting the findings of a recent OECD report highlighting New Zealand’s deteriorating water quality. His findings across OECD [...] read more
  September 22, 2011 4:39 pm - 2 Comments
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  Govt subsidising pollution and clean-up - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
   The Government is simultaneously subsidising pollution and pollution clean-up. Our lowland rivers and lakes are in poor shape, and the Government knows it must do something to clean them up. That is why Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced  the criteria and assessment panel for a new $9 million water clean-up fund. Unfortunately, at [...] read more
  September 14, 2011 4:21 pm - 29 Comments
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  Canterbury water management in no-mans-land - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  I recently was the guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting of the Water Rights Trust (WRT) in Christchurch, where outgoing Chairman Murray Rodgers gave an impassioned speech about the poor state of water resources and water governance in Canterbury. Murray remains as a trustee of the WRT and is also a member of the [...] read more
  August 29, 2011 3:55 pm - 18 Comments
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  Greens’ clean water initiative - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Yesterday we launched the Greens’ clean water initiative. You can read all about it here. It involves setting minimum standards, for water quality and for agricultural practice; putting a price on irrigation water; and using the funds raised to provide support for the cleaning up of rivers and lakes. It has received a predictable response from the polluting [...] read more
  August 22, 2011 9:40 am - 32 Comments
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  Fracking and the Taranaki Regional Council - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Fracking is the hydraulic fracturing of geological formations to release hydrocarbons. It has some very serious potential environmental impacts, of which groundwater contamination is the lead problem. This is why there is a moratorium on fracking in many places around the world at the moment, including NSW, Quebec, parts of USA, and France. Groundwater contamination occurs because [...] read more
  August 16, 2011 1:16 pm - 66 Comments
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  No place for TABOR in New Zealand - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Government has introduced a TABOR Bill to Parliament.  TABOR is an acronym for “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights”.  But rather than have anything to do with a real Bill of Rights, TABOR is actually a wacky libertarian measure designed to shrink the state and inhibit its ability to protect the vulnerable or respond adequately to [...] read more
  August 15, 2011 4:30 pm - 10 Comments
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  Why is our Super Fund profiting from Norilsk, one of the world’s dirtiest miners? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Norilsk Nickel is one of the world’s largest producers of nickel and palladium, as well as Russia’s leading gold producer. It’s also one of the dirtiest mining companies in the world. The company’s hometown operations in Russia have resulted in the city of Norilsk becoming one of the most polluted places in the world. Many [...] read more
  August 15, 2011 2:12 pm - 2 Comments
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  Water pollution and debunking the Yale study - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The Government is once again under attack for its lack of effective action to clean up waterways. The Cawthron Institute released a report stating that the Government’s National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management combined with the subsidies for new irrigation, and hence new cows and pollution, will mean our rivers won’t be cleaned up in the [...] read more
  August 2, 2011 10:31 pm - 42 Comments
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  Scientists respond to Feds’ claim that trout are cause of water decline - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Invasive trout blamed for poor water quality — are farmers off the hook? Press Release by Science Media Centre at  6:49 am, 05 Jul 2011 Scientists are questioning claims by a prominent dairy industry representative, suggesting trout are a ‘disastrous species’ — no better than ‘freshwater stoats’ — and that farmers have been unfairly blamed [...] read more
  July 5, 2011 6:45 pm - 10 Comments
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  Thompson makes case for Equal Pay amendment - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  OK, this video of Alasdair Thompson being interviewed by Mihingarangi Forbes is astounding. Watch it from about 22 mins in. His behaviour is evidence enough of why we need stronger laws around equal pay. 1. Thompson stands by the claim that women should be paid less than men because they take off more time because of [...] read more
  June 24, 2011 12:12 pm - 38 Comments
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  Master banking contract unearthed - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  New Zealand’s biggest banking contract has been a tightly-guarded secret for 21 years. The Government first signed the master banking contract with Westpac back in 1989 when David Lange was Prime Minister. There has never been a single competitive tender since. The Green Party was the first to highlight this cosy banking relationship last year [...] read more
  June 23, 2011 4:17 pm - 32 Comments
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  Privatising public energy companies in Wonderland - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Tony Ryall, Minister of State Owned Enterprises, turned up to the Finance and Expenditure Committee today to justify their plans to partially privatise the state owned energy companies. With a little bit of creative licence, the exchange went something like this: Tony: We need to partially privatise them so that Government can raise capital to [...] read more
  June 22, 2011 4:46 pm - 14 Comments
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  A trans-Tasman ETS? - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Yesterday our PM announced with Australia’s PM that officials would be starting work to align the eventual Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) across the ditch with our own. Julia Gillard seems however to have received some misinformation about our ETS: Gillard said Australia needed to catch up with New Zealand on pricing carbon, saying New Zealand’s [...] read more
  June 21, 2011 1:46 pm - 7 Comments
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  Podcast: The Green Plan for our SOEs - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Green Co-leader, Dr Russel Norman, last week outlined his plan for a sustainable and prosperous economy at the Party’s AGM. One of his most talked-about initiatives was how our state-owned enterprises could be leveraged to lift our country’s economic performance in partnership with the private sector. He proposed this as an alternative to John Key’s [...] read more
  June 20, 2011 11:31 am - 13 Comments
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  Outdoor industrial dairy factories in the Maketu swamp - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  On May 27th I visited the Lower Kaituna River and the Ongatoro/Maketu Estuary, just to the east of Tauranga. I met up with Ray Bushell and Maria Horne from Te Arawa, and Julian Fitter, a local conservationist. They are trying to save the Maketu Estuary and the Kaituna River, which are highly degraded ecosystems. The Kaituna River flowed through the Maketu Estuary [...] read more
  June 14, 2011 10:43 pm - 20 Comments
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  Stronger collective bargaining will create a more stable economy - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The IMF released a study late last year that found that the global financial crisis was, in part, driven by growing inequality. In brief, they found that the American middle classes went into great levels of debt to keep up with the rapidly increasing consumption habits of the wealthiest 5% of American society. The IMF [...] read more
  June 12, 2011 7:13 pm - 20 Comments
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  Podcast: Green Budget 2011 - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Tomorrow is Budget day…and it’s looking rather bleak. John Key has signalled that this Budget is, and can only be about reining in spending through budget cuts. Lots of them. Some of them severe. But is this the only way forward from here? The Green Party have put together a package of alternative Budget initiatives [...] read more
  May 18, 2011 7:13 pm - 1 Comment