environment Archive

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  Water battles in the Manawatu

  
  
  
  Yesterday I accompanied Russel to the Horizons Regional Council hearings on the water quality section of their proposed One Plan . Horizons, who manage natural resources in the Manawatu and Whanganui region, have proposed a really innovative way of dealing with complex issues around water, land use, heritage, biodiversity, coasts, and [...] read more
  March 4, 2010 5:28 pm - 13 Comments
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  Wake up call for NZ exporters

  
  
  
  If Kiwi businesses are to stay in the international retail game they need to get serious about adopting environmental and sustainable business practices. This is the message coming loud and clear from research revealed by major British retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S). M&S says environmental and social issues remain important to UK consumers. A survey commissioned [...] read more
  March 4, 2010 1:28 pm - 2 Comments
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  Fish industry uses net to catch hoki criticism

  
  
  
  To the surprise of conservationists, in 2001 the New Zealand hoki fishery was recognised as a sustainably managed fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council. Yet conservationists have continually raised concerns over how the fishery could possibly be sustainable when bycatch rates of NZ fur seals and seabirds are so high and the bottom trawling equipment [...] read more
  December 12, 2009 10:05 am - 9 Comments
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  The brand vs battery cows

  
  
  
  This is how we present our butter to the world: “Only our cows are free to roam all day long. Anchor – the free range butter company”. And this is cubicle factory dairy production – the battery cow. Or this: Cognitive dissonance anyone? read more
  December 9, 2009 7:56 pm - 62 Comments
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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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  Global concern at Nats’ plan to mine national parks

  
  
  
  Scrutiny of Government plans to mine our conservation lands is deepening internationally. And it’s got people hot on Facebook too. The Sunday Star Times ran a powerful feature on the weekend called “Picture imperfect”. It looks at international concern at New Zealand’s environmental performance, including National’s plan to mine conservation land: IT’S JUST a stock-take of mineral [...] read more
  December 7, 2009 8:30 pm - 10 Comments
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  Hugging trees: with a spade, trap and chainsaw

  
  
  
  A Wellington couple, entreprenuerial tree-huggers if you wish, criticise Fed Farmer’s head-in-the-sand attitude on climate change in the Nelson Mail today. They’ve invested in carbon farming a 47ha block of marginal land in Golden Bay. Jonathan Kennett and Bronwen Wall aren’t wringing their hands or seeking emissions subsidy handouts; they’re getting their hands dirty planting [...] read more
  December 2, 2009 1:16 pm - No Comments
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  Cell towers keep appearing without consultation

  
  
  
  Every week someone contacts me about an unwanted cell tower, mast or antennae, that are being erected near to where they live. Last week I got a call from a woman in Herne Bay, Auckland – who had discovered that a cell phone mast was about to be erected on a telephone pole outside her home. She [...] read more
  November 30, 2009 3:50 pm - 10 Comments
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  Happy anniversary to a plucky bird

  
  
  
  On this day 60 years ago, Geoffrey Orbell rediscovered the takahe in Fiordland. The takahe or nortornis (Porphyrio hochstetteri) looks like a pukeko at first glance, but it’s a bit tougher. It has a big bill and strong legs with which it could happily defend itself in a Friday night Courtenay Place melee. After only four recorded [...] read more
  November 20, 2009 8:30 am - 5 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