climate change Archive

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  Energy Strategy to worsen Energy Outlook - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Ministry of Economic Development have released their Energy Outlook for New Zealand and it should be a wake-up call for the Government. The report projects New Zealand’s future energy supply, demand, prices and greenhouse gas emissions but the major challenges identified in it are at odds with the Governments ‘drill it, mine’ fossil-fuel-focused Energy Strategy. read more
  January 30, 2012 12:34 pm - 45 Comments
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  Cycling to Southland — Epilogue - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  This is how the story ends. Yesterday I took apart my bike and crammed it into the small rental car of a friend attending the festival. We drove back to Dunedin airport, where incredibly helpful people gave us materials to pack up the bike. Upon arrival in Wellington, I unpacked it, put it back together [...] read more
  January 24, 2012 3:37 pm - 22 Comments
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  Cycling to Southland – Day 1 (the easy part) - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  When I initially conceived of this journey to Southland by bike, I hoped to cycle down the west coast from Picton. But a quick look at the distance (over 1000km) and the calendar made it clear it would be impossible to get to the festival by the 21st. So I decided to take the train [...] read more
  January 14, 2012 11:03 pm - 34 Comments
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  Cycling to Southland – Prelude - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  Gareth’s already blogged about the Keep The Coal in the Hole summer festival, and I’m excited to be attending. As the new transport spokesperson, I decided to take a bit of time during the summer holiday to travel to the festival in the most climate-friendly means possible. I’ll be leaving by ferry from Wellington on [...] read more
  January 12, 2012 2:02 pm - 9 Comments
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  Disarmament as a Separate Green Portfolio - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  There has been concern expressed over the folding of disarmament into the Global Affairs portfolio which was created by the Green caucus earlier this week. In response, we have agreed to retain disarmament as a separate portfolio. The intention was not to downplay disarmament as a political priority.  The aim was to develop some clarity [...] read more
  December 16, 2011 2:36 pm - 385 Comments
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  The Global Affairs Portfolio: Setting the Foreign Policy Agenda - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Following the Greens’ new caucus retreat this week, the list of MP portfolios was announced.  I have relinquished the Musterer’s role and the Justice and Energy portfolios and taken on, inter alia, the new Global Affairs portfolio. This is a new development that builds upon, and refines, the previous foreign affairs portfolio.  It focuses on [...] read more
  December 15, 2011 9:08 am - 19 Comments
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  Thanking our gracious hosts: Minister Groser and the Durban Conference - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Minister Timothy Groser, fresh from electoral triumph back home, has alighted upon Durban this week. Yesterday he delivered our country’s main speech to the UN climate change conference – the 17th meeting of the parties to the UN Framework Convention. “I would like to acknowledge”, he begins, “and thank our gracious hosts, South Africa, and [...] read more
  December 9, 2011 12:58 pm - 2 Comments
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  Fiddling in Durban: COP 17 and the minor issue of climate change - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The NZ election is out of the way and we are all suddenly busy in Wellington setting ourselves up for the 50th Parliament. Asset sales, tax reform, benefits, superannuation, debt, the privacy of a public cup of tea – have riveted us for the past month or so – straight after the rugby. In the [...] read more
  November 30, 2011 9:42 am - 30 Comments
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  Transport funding CONsultation - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  A few months ago I wrote a draft submission on the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport funding and encouraged members of the public to send it in. Normally, I generally don’t encourage people to make form submissions on a topic but because the issue of land transport funding is pretty technical I wanted to [...] read more
  October 18, 2011 1:55 pm - 5 Comments
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  On Climate Change: Tuvalu and Panama - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Just as international talks on climate change are taking place in Panama this week to prepare for the annual Conference of Parties (COP17) in Durban at the end of this year, Tuvalu is experiencing a fresh water crisis. We can expect more climate-related crises and refugees as time goes by, even if we do get [...] read more
  October 4, 2011 4:18 pm - 41 Comments
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  Boom times for oil and gas? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  This morning’s  Dominion article about ‘boom times’ for the gas and oil exploration industry is an intriguing, even slightly funny, mix of boosterism, drum beating and dissimulation. The Chair of PEPANZ appears almost breathless with excitement as he seeks to fulfil the primary objective of his organisation, “to publicise, promote and advance the interests of [...] read more
  September 7, 2011 9:59 am - 6 Comments
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  Three reasons to be Green - by frog

  
  
  
  Hopping along the corridors of power, playing “the game”, enjoying watching the ACT Party digging an even deeper hole for itself (they always were big advocates of mining); it’s easy to get distracted from the real reasons to be Green. It’s refreshing to see a Young Green, Marie Brown, reminding us here at g.blog of the [...] read more
  July 12, 2011 5:27 pm - 36 Comments
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  Australia gets real on carbon emissions - by frog

  
  
  
  Big congratulations go out to our Aussie Green cousins for their very successful negotiations with the Gillard govt to introduce a price on carbon! read more
  July 11, 2011 6:02 am - 125 Comments
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  2010 – 2011: Earth’s most extreme weather since 1816? - by frog

  
  
  
  That’s the title of Jeff Masters’ piece today on the Weather Underground. He’s put together an impressive list of recent extreme weather events: Every year extraordinary weather events rock the Earth. Records that have stood centuries are broken. Great floods, droughts, and storms affect millions of people, and truly exceptional weather events unprecedented in human [...] read more
  June 25, 2011 9:54 pm - 25 Comments
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  The Biosphere and Politics: Coming to a town near you - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Yesterday some of the leading authorities in Australasia presented at the IPS conference on Biophysical Limits and their Policy Implications in Wellington. Some 300 people turned up. Two were members of Parliament. Both were from the Green Party. read more
  June 10, 2011 3:40 pm - 4 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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  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
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  Dear John letter from Dr James Hansen - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Before James Hansen, noted climate scientist, left New Zealand he found the time to pen this letter to the Prime Minister. I think it’s a great read and I encourage you to send your own letter to John Key urging for greater climate action from New Zealand.   Rt Hon John Key Prime Minister of [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 10:08 am - 2 Comments
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  How much will the ETS cost the average farmer? - by frog

  
  
  
  With Labour’s announcement about bringing forward the ETS there has been a bit of hype  about what that means. John Key talks about it as if the ETS is like throwing our dairy industry to the wolves with similar comments by others. There has been a lot of rhetoric but few hard figures. How much [...] read more
  May 24, 2011 3:06 pm - 29 Comments
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  Stop the lignite-mare - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Lignite is at the New Zealand coal-face of the environmental crisis. It is well and truly on the agenda with top climate scientist James Hansen, currently touring NZ, urging us to keep the coal in the hole. State-owned Enterprise Solid Energy and the L&M Group are currently either planning or at the permitting stage (behind [...] read more
  May 16, 2011 11:13 am - 11 Comments