energy Archive

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  Herd homes vs cubicles like home vs prison

  
  
  
  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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  Mokihinui – Brownlee’s burp

  
  
  
  So this week our Minister of Mining and Damming (aka Energy and Resources) let slip that the Mokihinui hydro-dam “would not go ahead”. Does he know something or was it just his ‘opinion’? Whatever the brain-burp was, he was ill-advised to say it but it’d be nice to think that there may be Moki fans in Government – perhaps they are closet readers of the 1400-fan facebook page! read more
  November 5, 2009 10:16 pm - 28 Comments
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  Love Wild Rivers? Give them your support

  
  
  
  Cool. Today a new campaign has been launched for one of New Zealand’s most iconic features – our Wild Rivers. It’s great to see diverse groups – tree-huggers, deer-stalkers, bird-watchers, knobbly-kneed trampers, sharp-edged climbers, risky rafters, kool-kat kayakers, and angelic anglers – representing “over 100,000 New Zealanders” and united in seeking to protect wild rivers from [...] read more
  October 28, 2009 12:37 pm - 3 Comments
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  Chalking Nick in Nelson

  
  
  
  Chalking the opinion of many on the streets of Nelson this morning and challenging Nick Smith, who welcomed Schedule 4 thus: “This Bill at long last puts some pegs in the sand in some very significant areas of New Zealand and says to the mining industries of New Zealand: “These are no-go areas.”…” read more
  October 27, 2009 2:31 pm - 6 Comments
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  Undermining our most generous gifts

  
  
  
  On 23 September 1887 – 122 years ago yesterday – Te Heuheu Tukino of Tuwharetoa gifted the mountains of Tongariro, Ngaruhoe and Ruapehu to the people of Aotearoa…. This anniversary was sullied by the fact that the Crown is now considering the Park’s mining potential. read more
  September 24, 2009 2:30 pm - 12 Comments
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  Damning the tourism jewels

  
  
  
  The Greens continue to campaign alongside others for the Mokihinui River gorge in the Buller District to remain a wild and scenic free-flowing river. Meridian Energy has applied to the Councils and DOC for consents and concessions to dam the gorge. It’s on protected conservation land, and has historic artifacts such as the old pack track [...] read more
  June 22, 2009 1:01 pm - 11 Comments
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  Procurement: which costs are saved?

  
  
  
  The Government has just announced it is to review and reform state sector procurement. The Government Procurement Reform Agenda is based around four key themes: ·         Cost savings. ·         Building procurement capability and capacity. ·         Enhanced business participation. ·         Improved governance, oversight and accountability. Cost savings:  just to the Government’s expenditure or also saving costs to our natural capital? After all, [...] read more
  June 11, 2009 11:55 am - 4 Comments
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  Green light for London Array

  
  
  
  The world’s biggest offshore wind project, the London Array, just took one step closer to reality as the required 2.2 billion euros in finance has been secured, despite the global financial meltdown. This has important implications for New Zealand. read more
  May 14, 2009 9:48 am - 16 Comments
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  Nice words, but where’s the action?

  
  
  
  The release of a Strategy for New Zealand Dairy Farming slipped quietly under the public’s radar this week, with few media picking it up. At the Strategy launch, the PM and Ag Minister David Carter mooed in the direction of the environment: the PM said, “It is important that farmers step up and take leadership on [...] read more
  May 9, 2009 8:05 pm - 6 Comments
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  Bluerush – coming hydro or not

  
  
  
  Last week, Eloise Gibson in the Herald wrote about the sometimes tough choice between renewable generation and other environmental concerns; and on the same day The Press editorial made a strong call on the matter – that “Unique landscapes should always come first ahead of desires for more electricity. If we have to turn off [...] read more
  April 21, 2009 1:51 pm - 106 Comments