This clip from New York shows how one cyclist is fighting back, with humour:

I posted on it last year, when only I (and possibly Jonathan Coleman; it was hard to tell) did the pink shirt thing in Parliament. What has amazed me is the astonishing buzz that has taken hold this year.

Amongst the many blog posts I was particularly struck by Philip Patston’s comments. In particular I thought he makes an important point that we need to focus on the behaviour of bullying, rather than labelling people as ‘bullies’ or ‘bullying victims’.

Pink Shirt Day is about standing up against all bullying, and rightly so, but I know people will understand that my strongest concern is with bullying of young Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex people. I know all too well how the experience of being discriminated against or subjected to belittling or violent behaviour leads to the psychosocial risk factors that underpin many negative health and other social outcomes.

The LGBTI youth groups have a campaign this year in association with Pink Shirt Day to get people to write letters to John Key, calling for effective action against bullying behaviour. That’s a campaign everyone can be involved in, of course, and will have broad benefits. Here’s a short video clip from Blake Skellerup, New Zealand’s speed skating Olympian, promoting the idea. Blake’s positive message is strongly in synch with the “It Gets Better” campaign that I was proud to take part in this year. Please write a letter yourself.

Finally I wanted to share with you a fantastic Irish campaign. It’s targeted at homophobic bullying, but its core message is actually for all of us.

There are some great initiatives to counter homophobia, like the Gay and Straight alliances that started out in the early 1990s and now exist in many schools, most recently in Nelson Boys’ College, (we think) the first boys school to have such a group. Congratulations guys!

It was a great and powerful speech that clearly defined the Green vision for Aotearoa. Russel also attacked National and Labour for bludging off our grandchildren and pulling the ladder of opportunity out of reach for those who need it the most.

Watch the speech below or click here to read.

What will you be doing on 10/10/10?

Do you think self regulation, which is the policy that Crown Minerals and Gerry Brownlee espouse, is the best way to manage our petroleum resources?

Do you think that a few more regs about how many battons need to be on the oil rig’s doors will be enough? Or do you think that we need a comprehensive environmental protection regime for our EEZ?

It’s time for a little pay equity action, don’t you think?

For more episodes, hit YouTube here.

Obviously, I think this is a stupid idea, and if you are in Auckland tomorrow, please join Metiria at the Greenpeace rally in opposition to mining Schedule 4. It’s at 11 am on Lower Queen Street. Details are here.

Warning: this video contains adult(ish) humour and may cause injury due to excessive laughter!

Does he stand by his statement “Notwithstanding the public consultation process, it is my expectation that the Government will act on at least some of these recommendations and make significant changes to Schedule 4.”?

The government has no answer.

TVZN7’s economic debate screens tonight on TVNZ7 at 910pm and is repeated Wed 4th at 10.10am and 2.10pm, and Fri 6th Nov at 9.10pm. 

 Also: In this week’s Green video Russel responds to Bill English’s add with a Green perspective.

I’ve encountered these babies myself while diving, and they are most unpleasant. Nati0nal Geographic has written them up in all their glory:

Up to 124 miles (200 kilometers) long, the mucilages appear naturally, usually near Mediterranean coasts in summer. The season’s warm weather makes seawater more stable, which facilitates the bonding of the organic matter that makes up the blobs (Mediterranean map).

Now, due to warmer temperatures, the mucilages are forming in winter too—and lasting for months.

Watch the movie, and quiver!

Here is this year’s video, Gingerbread Ed:

I’m pretty sure Sir Ed would approve!

Then there is the video that started it all, the Gingerbread Haka:

Click here for details of the webcast. I encourage everybody and anybody to take the time to log on tonight and have a go. If you’ve got questions, you can email them in advance, or use the live chat features to try and get a word in edgewise.

Old timers like me or people with substandard internet connections may find it easier on IRC:  irc.mibbit.com and the chat channel is #mfe.

I have reason to believe (e.g. rumours) that the only reason that Nick Smith is going through these motions is because Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd both rang John Key personally during the Bonn talks last month and gave him a bollocking for our government being so slack in setting a 2020 target. (By the end of that meeting, we were the only country left who hadn’t set a target, and our bemused negotiators had made promises of a “public consultation” taking place with an answer by August.)

It was confirmed in the House after questions from the Green MPs that Kevin Rudd had in fact rung the PM, but we haven’t heard confirmation of Gordon Brown’s phone call, at least not from the Beehive.

If you want some pointers on issues you can raise, read the Green’s submission guide.

The Subantarctic region is recognised as being of international significance. While the islands themselves enjoy considerable protection as nature reserves, little of the marine area surrounding them is protected. Yet the endemic seabird species living there rely on the sea for its smorgasboard of food. So while they may be safely protected on land, at sea they are vulnerable unless protected there too.

Further, there is a high degree of inter-dependence between species — for example, on the Bounty Islands the Toroa (Salvin’s albatross) uses moulted penguin feathers to reinforce their nests — so protection at sea is needed to protect the land.

The Marine Protected Areas process has been churning away for six years, and has now proposed two options for marine protection — one option provides partial protection, the other provides full protection.

The uniqueness of the Subantarctic region requires full protection — no question — and you have a chance to have your say by emailing your submission to mpa@biodiversity.govt.nz by the closing date, Friday 31 July 2009.

Information on the two options is available here. Forest and Bird also have ideas for submissions on their website.

One thing in particular you may wish to comment on is that the ‘partial protection’ option would see a large area around Campbell Island excluded from protection because giant spider crab fishers, who they are not currently fishing there, may want to use that area at some stage in the future. This is a poor reason to leave the area unprotected.

You may never have the fortune to visit this unique region. However, if you comment on this proposal and these areas gain the full marine protection status they deserve, you’ll have helped protect one of the world’s most unique and wild places. Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to make a submission; you just have to state your reasons.

Have your say by emailing your submission to mpa@biodiversity.govt.nz by the closing date, Friday 31 July 2009.

More information on the two options

Forest and Bird: ideas for submissions on their website